What Nannies Should Not Lie About

Being Open and Honest is Essential to Being Hired and Maintaining Nanny Jobs

Of course everyone tells white lies and withholds information at times. There is no point in being brutally honest with people if it will ruin relationships or hurt their feelings. But, being open and honest is essential when job searching and to keeping nanny jobs.

With social media and background checks easy to run online, it’s harder than ever to fudge the truth on resumes and during job interviews. Nanny agencies actually pride themselves on their expert vetting and ability to screen out lies from the truth.

And when working as a nanny, telling the truth to the parents about the kids left in your care, or an accident or mistake made while working, is essential in maintaining a good job relationship with the parents as well.

Here are things to never lie about when looking for a nanny job or while working as a nanny:

On Your Resume

Don’t list you have a college degree and you don’t, it can be confirmed online, or with a phone call, in an instant. All child care experience is important to list on a resume — but don’t embellish babysitting jobs and claim they were full-time nanny jobs if they weren’t.

References

I have heard of job seekers who left on bad terms with their former employers that try to avoid the bad reference by asking family or friends to pretend to be a job reference for them. Parents and nanny agency staff can easily confirm who is listed as a job reference on social media. It is better to choose words wisely and to be carefully upfront about why the last job didn’t work out. Giving a fake reference is reason enough lose a nanny job offer and to be fired from any job.

About the Kids

Nannies should never keep secrets about the children from the parents. Tell parents about their children’s misbehaviors by sharing the facts, rather than making judgements. Be honest with older kids who ask to keep their confidences that there are no secrets between the nanny and parents. Keep written logs or use apps to record everything parents might need to know such as what the children ate, their behaviors and moods, and medications administered to them.

Mistakes and Accidents

No one is perfect. We all make mistakes. Whether you were not able to complete all of your job duties, or had a car accident when working, just be apologetic, respectful, and up front when accidents or mistakes happen at work. It shows the children how to be honest and responsible for their actions as well.

Job Issues

We all have to do things we don’t want to sometimes at work. That’s just a part of life and having a job. We certainly shouldn’t complain about every pet-peeve we have at work. But rather than gossip about problems at our jobs to friends or on Facebook, nannies must go to the source and discuss their job issues with their employers. Being assertive, by asking for what you need in a kind and respectful way, is always better than holding grudges and building resentment.

Saying “Yes” When You Should Say “No”

So many nannies have difficulty saying, “No,” to their employers because they want to be nice and show their employers that they appreciate the job — even at the expense of themselves. They want to be helpful, don’t want to seem rude, and fear their boss will be angry. But remember, we must communicate effectively and honestly to feel connected and valued at work. If we are respectfully honest with the parents our employers will trust and respect us. Sometimes you have to say, “No,” to take care of yourself.