Nanny with a peanut butter allergy

[Anonymous]

I recently was diagnosed with a peanut allergy. It came on very suddenly and unexpectedly.
My allergist told me that I have to avoid eating and handling and foods/products containing peanuts.
I've been a nanny for almost 10 years and absolutely love what I do.
I'm concerned that the fact that I have a peanut allergy may make me a less desirable candidate, as most children eat a fair bit of peanut butter.
I'm sure being told that they'd have to make food sacrifices while I'm working would make a family less likely to hire me.
I have stellar references, nearly 10 years of experience and am CPR certified.
Will this new allergy be a deal breaker?

[Anonymous]

why don't you ask the families you interview with

[Anonymous]

dS hates peanut butter but it would be a deal breaker for me because I have zero experience with food allergies and would be too worried about having a product that contains traces of peanuts coming into contact with you.

However there are tons of families with food allergies who are much better at making sure There are no issues

[Anonymous]

What about wearing gloves and a mask while preparing meals?

[Anonymous]

Both our new nanny and the previous one who was with us for 3+ years have nut allergies. It doesn't matter to us and we just make sure that we warn them when anything that we've cooked has nuts in it so they don't handle it. Luckily our kids don't mind not getting PB&J from the nanny and we have experience with food allergies so it was never a big deal to accommodate this. You may actually find that some families with kids who have allergies (even if it's not nut) actually PREFER you as a candidate because they know that you will understand the need to check labels and pay attention to everything that the kids eat.

[Anonymous]

I would market yourself to families with kids who have food allergies.

[Anonymous]

I could never hire you, OP, but so many families have peanut allergies that I'm sure you will find the perfect fit.

Good luck.

[Anonymous]

Would not be an issue for us at all. You can handle all foods except peanuts, right? Almond butter works for you? I wouldn't not bat an eye at that. It's the most minor of all possible accommodations, IMO.

With so many peanut allergies and peanut-free facilities, it's not like PB&J sandwiches are welcome many places anyway. We keep almond butter stocked simply because PB is not allowed at preschool. Removing the one jar we have lying around for home use would not change our lifestyle at all.

[Anonymous]

It would be a deterrent for me OP, but I also think there are families with food allergies for whom hiring someone who knows how to manage them (and take them seriously) would be extremely attractive.

So it may narrow your options, but it also might make you very appealing to the right family.

Good luck!

[Anonymous]

I highly doubt it will impact your chance of landing jobs.

Just make sure that after preparing the children's food, you wash your hands thoroughly. Also, after cleaning up as well.

Make sure you always bring your own lunch/snacks with you and always carry your E-pen too just in case.

[Anonymous]

Not only do they have to deal with no peanuts in school but now they have to do the same song and dance around the nanny? No thank you. OP sorry but I think you have reached the end of the line in this field.

[Anonymous]

It's obviously possible to find families who will happily work with a nanny with peanut allergies, but it will likely reduce the number of families willing to hire you.

One thing that I find curious is: how did your current nanny family take this news? Or were you already out of work and looking for a job? The way your post is phrased it kind of sounds like the latter. If you are not a strong candidate for other reasons, this obviously won't help your case, but I hope you won't solely blame your new allergy as the reason you're having trouble finding a job. You can try to offset this drawback with something else on your resume, such as getting an ECE degree or learning a new language (Spanish or French) so you can market yourself as bilingual, etc.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:It's obviously possible to find families who will happily work with a nanny with peanut allergies, but it will likely reduce the number of families willing to hire you.

One thing that I find curious is: how did your current nanny family take this news? Or were you already out of work and looking for a job? The way your post is phrased it kind of sounds like the latter. If you are not a strong candidate for other reasons, this obviously won't help your case, but I hope you won't solely blame your new allergy as the reason you're having trouble finding a job. You can try to offset this drawback with something else on your resume, such as getting an ECE degree or learning a new language (Spanish or French) so you can market yourself as bilingual, etc.

A grown woman trying to learn a new language on the side while working full time to support herself will never be "bilingual" .... sorry

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:It's obviously possible to find families who will happily work with a nanny with peanut allergies, but it will likely reduce the number of families willing to hire you.

One thing that I find curious is: how did your current nanny family take this news? Or were you already out of work and looking for a job? The way your post is phrased it kind of sounds like the latter. If you are not a strong candidate for other reasons, this obviously won't help your case, but I hope you won't solely blame your new allergy as the reason you're having trouble finding a job. You can try to offset this drawback with something else on your resume, such as getting an ECE degree or learning a new language (Spanish or French) so you can market yourself as bilingual, etc.

OP here. I've been with the same family for 4 years.
They told me that they would happily forego peanut butter to keep me.
I'm not sure where you got the idea I am having trouble finding work.
I speak 3 languages and have a degree, so I'm not really sure what I could do to make myself more marketable.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Not only do they have to deal with no peanuts in school but now they have to do the same song and dance around the nanny? No thank you. OP sorry but I think you have reached the end of the line in this field.

Seriously? That is ridiculous.