Governesses and Nannies are household roles that often have childcare and education duties that cross over however, there are always key primary differences.
A Nanny is there to take responsibility for the primary care of the child rather than educating them academically. They might also perform general housework such as washing, ironing and cooking.
A Governess is primarily an educator within the home and could be working with the child to improve a particular subject such and Maths or English or a range of subjects that may include a second or third language or a musical instrument.
There are however constant blurred lines between both roles and how this works depends very much on the individual requirements of each family.
Undoubtedly a Governess will be involved in all things ‘education’ including a child's social development and taking care of overall health and wellbeing including ensuring there is a plan for a well-balanced diet.
Being a Governess is a demanding but highly rewarding role and will typically require you to have experience in education relating to the age of the child/children you will be educating.
You will almost certainly need equal measures of positivity, calmness and energy to thrive and will need to be able to know when to be kind and patient as well as firm and disciplined.
The families you will be working with live very active and busy lives and will often travel frequently therefore you will need to be flexible in your approach and willing and able to accommodate the family’s needs.
A Governess will normally live-in and generally will work full-time and certain roles may involve over 40 hours per week.
In return, as well as compensation which reflects the level of responsibility and number of children in the household, Governesses usually receive full room and board and other perks such as access to a car.
To find out more about whether a Governess is the right fit for your family, or if you are a Governess looking for your next role, contact our specialised consultant Nadine on nadine@greycoatlumleys.co.uk or call +44 (0) 207 233 9950.
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