How Long is Considered "Long-Term"?

[Anonymous]

As a MB, I look for at least a year, but I also want to see a range of ages. If you keep moving on as soon as kids turn 2, that makes me wonder if you have the patience for toddlers/pre-schoolers. It may just be that you've worked for families that switch to daycare at 2, but that's what I would wonder about.

[Anonymous]

Seems mostly nannies that are saying 1 yr is long term. It is not a tempory gig at that point but "long term" suggests longer than normal and I find it unbelievable that most non-temp nanny positions last for less than a year.

[Anonymous]

As with most terminology in the nanny world, it all depends on who you ask. There's no consensus.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Seems mostly nannies that are saying 1 yr is long term. It is not a tempory gig at that point but "long term" suggests longer than normal and I find it unbelievable that most non-temp nanny positions last for less than a year.

Agreed, I think there are two issues/categories at hand here. There's "what looks good on a resume" and "what is truly long term". I think that if you've been working for families for 1+ year, that shows a pretty stable committment and isn't going to automatically bring up a red flag with potential employers. At the same time, I don't exactly consider 1 year to be long term, there's some space between stable resume and reaching long term.

[Anonymous]

Don't you all think that the reason for leaving, is more pertinent than, when?

For instance, if nanny left in a huff on a Friday, and never showed-up again, even after two years on that job, is more of a red flag,
vs.
after ten months, the family felt that Grandma should move-in (to be closer), and Grandma was able and eager to care for the child?

[Anonymous]

Of course but if the nanny cannot seem to find a stint that stretches much last 1 yr then it makes you wonder what is going on. That is at least how I would view it as a family that started with a nanny knowing we wanted 1 for 1 to 2 yrs and now are many years further into it with the same nanny big god forbid we had to replace her I would much prefer someone with many yrs with a family/s

[Anonymous]

I think the terms are different compared to other jobs as well. I consider more than a year long term because the job of a nanny may be over at 3 years when the child goes off to preschool as opposed to a lawyer staying at a company for 20 years. Our jobs have shelf lives so even though a year may seem short, it's longer in the nanny world. I've worked for my family for a year and 3 months and the little 3 month old I watch had blossomed into a little girl. It's just not something I would think of as short term since I've helped raise this little girl and so much has happened and changed within this timeframe.

[Anonymous]

Don't you all think that the reason for leaving, is more pertinent than, when? For instance, if nanny left in a huff on a Friday, and never showed-up again, even after two years on that job, is more of a red flag, vs. after ten months, the family felt that Grandma should move-in (to be closer), and Grandma was able and eager to care for the child?

Sorry but you have to manage your job history and its not the responsibility of potential employers who have other candidates to give you the benefit of the doubt. 1 or 2 one year stints if you have several 3 or 4 year engagements would probably be fine but if your resume is a string of only 1 or 2 yr jobs, you just will not be as attractive as other candidates to an employer looking for someone for more than 1-2 years.

The nanny who left in huff also wouldn't make the cut because she would have a valid current reference.

[Anonymous]

Sorry, but apparently there are not so many desirable nanny candidates, at least not here in the DC area. Parents here are desparate for a nanny who has the qualities they want.

You can argue that fact all you. Your expectations are simply lower than most other parents, so yes, your nanny pool is quiet crowded. Other parents don't have time for your style of daily micro-management.

[Anonymous]

*all you want

[Anonymous]

Sorry, but apparently there are not so many desirable nanny candidates, at least not here in the DC area. Parents here are desparate for a nanny who has the qualities they want.

You can argue that fact all you. Your expectations are simply lower than most other parents, so yes, your nanny pool is quiet crowded. Other parents don't have time for your style of daily micro-management.

The top end nanny pool DOES NOT include nannies with a string of 1-2 year only jobs.

[Anonymous]

What are these kind of non-temp jobs that are all 1 yr or less. That seems so odd to me. 2 years would seem pretty normal since you are there to preschool; but 1 yr? Are there tons of families that opt for a nanny only for the infant year and switch at 1 or 1.5 to daycare? That seems odd to me but I"m not sure why else it would be argued that 1 yr and less is evidence of anything other than: 1) inability to get a non-temp job; or 2) inability to hang onto a job w/ a family for a long period.