College Students Get Paid to Play as Summer Nannies

By Uloop Guest Writer on April 19, 2013

This is a guest post by Michelle LaRowe, an award-winning nanny and Editor in Chief of www.enannysource.com.

Heading to the beach, going for ice cream and doing arts and crafts may seem more like a dream than the makings of a summer job, but for many college students, having fun is how they earn their summer living.

For college students with previous childcare experience, working as a summer nanny can be the perfect seasonal job choice. Summer nannies are hired by parents to provide attentive childcare in the family’s private home. Since college students are typically perceived as active and adventurous, many parents prefer to hire a college student to provide summer care rather than to send their children to daycare or to a string of summer camps.

In addition to meeting the children’s physical, emotional, social and intellectual needs, summer nannies are responsible for creating a fun summer experience for the children. Summer nannies may take the children on outings to the local park or on daytrips to the zoo, or they may create their own fun at home in the backyard, perhaps creating an obstacle course or playing traditional backyard games.

Sometimes summer nannies are required to do more than just create fun. For parents who want to prevent the summer slide, or the loss of the knowledge gained over the course of the school year, hiring a college student as a summer nanny gives them access to a qualified tutor. For these children, as well as those who could benefit from an academic boost over the summer months, a college student can be the ideal person to provide educational guidance and support.

And while the term summer nanny may evoke thoughts of a stylish sweetheart having a tea party with a little girl, more and more men are being hired to provide summer care as well. A male role model who will play sports and get dirty in the mud is the ideal nanny candidate for many parents seeking summer care.

According to the International Nanny Association’s 2013 Nanny Salary and Benefits Survey, the mean hourly wage rate for nannies is $16 per hour. Given that summer nannies who have college experience out earn those who don’t, college students can earn a decent wage during the summer months without having to sit behind a desk to do so.

While many parents will look to hire a full-time summer nanny, part-time summer nanny positions can be found too. Some parents may require full-time childcare for the entire summer, others may simply need some help getting their children to and from camp each day, and still others may need coverage during the gaps in-between summer camps.

Not every college student will be a good summer nanny candidate though. Since summer nannies are solely responsible for the children in their care, they must be responsible and trustworthy. Parents depend on their summer nanny to meet their business or personal obligations, so they must be reliable and punctual. Most importantly, however, summer nannies must genuinely enjoy caring for children.

For college students considering providing childcare during the summer months, summer nanny jobs can be found through word-of-mouth, local agencies and online nanny recruiting sites. College students can visit the International Nanny Association website to find member placement agencies and online nanny recruiting websites that service the area where they wish to work.

Follow Uloop

Apply to Write for Uloop News

Join the Uloop News Team

Discuss This Article

Back to Top

Log In

Contact Us

Upload An Image

Please select an image to upload
Note: must be in .png, .gif or .jpg format
OR
Provide URL where image can be downloaded
Note: must be in .png, .gif or .jpg format

By clicking this button,
you agree to the terms of use

By clicking "Create Alert" I agree to the Uloop Terms of Use.

Image not available.

Add a Photo

Please select a photo to upload
Note: must be in .png, .gif or .jpg format