How to Get Into Freelance Childcare (According to Lana)

Okay- so I'm sitting at home alone on a Saturday night, as is the norm, and I got asked for the EIGTH MILLIONTH TIME how I got into nannying/babysitting/part-time/fulltime/childcare. Basically a lot of people find it really intriguing that I don't have a "real job", but that rather I work for a family or two as their primary childcare provider. I don't know why this is so damn interesting- but most of the time when I tell people what I do to support myself I get greeted with wide-eyed amazement. I don't know if it's the fact that I don't work for a company, that I generally get paid "under the table" (no telling!), or that I can actually find myself enough business to support my lifestyle while still in school...but every once in a while I stumble accross somebody who asks me "how did you get into that?!" like the world of child care is a closed club one must have the magic key to get into. So I decided I'd write about it- cause I have time on my hands.

So how did I get into childcare? Well, first of all- when I was younger I didn't babysitt a lot. This wasn't for lack of trying. I always offered my services to adults, usually having them smile demurely and never to speak of it again. I know now that this is probably because I was 12-14 and not viewed as responsible enough to look after small children. Cool, fine, I get it, didn't work out- I had a normal job all through highschool, and when I moved to Toronto I also looked for a normal job, and found one. Curiously enough I noticed by the end of highschool that I was getting a lot more calls to look after kids, only between school, my friends, my family, and my "real job", there was no time. I really didn't give it much thought- this is all looking back with crystal clear 20/20 hindsight.

So I move to Toronto to go to school, find my "real job", and immediately realize that working at a "real job" where you don't like your boss, and don't know any of the people you're working with, is really horrible. Especially when you're not being paid enough and asked to do crazy things like keep a storefront running while simultaneously receiving packages of large breakables in the basement. Not good. So I start looking on the job boards for a new job, hoping that at this late stage (it was about mid-May by this point) that there were still jobs to be had. Now here's the kicker- I wasn't looking into childcare, I just knew connecting with kids was something I was good at. And that's when I stumbled accross Gemma Callahan's 2 week old ad for a sitter for her 3 kids. To be honest, it was the pay she was offering that grabbed me- 15$ an hour. Compared to my measly 9$ an hour that seemed astronomical, especially when I was paying taxes on that 9$ and here I was being offered cash payment. AWESOME! So I send in my resume, along with a coverletter explaining why I was applying, and the next day Gemma callled me all eager to meet me. I was exatatic. Having always loved children, and knowing I was good with children, I was really hoping this would work out. I went to meet them, fell in love with all their kids- aswell as the parents, and the rest is history. I've been working for the Callahans for nearly two years now. In about two weeks I quit my "real job" and got a part-time "real job" (with my dad's company, so not really a real job) so I could focus on working for them. When summer came, the job at Dad's work stopped and I continued working for the Callahans. The next summer, when it came time to get another job to compliment my job with them, I went about finding another family so I could do childcare full time- and I did, the Thompson/DeJeans, and I adored that experience aswell. Now moving to Edmonton, although I considered normal jobs, I have spent the last three months trying to find a good family to work for- and it paid off, I just got hired as a full-time Nanny for the summer with what appears to be a great family.

So another question I get a lot is: how? How do you do it? Well, first off, being in childcare requires you to be really vigilant about finding a job. Both in the case of the Thompson/DeJeans and the Frizzels, I didn't start looking for a family and immediately find one- oh no. It took me at least two months to find the right family, who were not only serious about hiring me, but whom I clicked with. (More on that later!) I put at least 30 ads on Craigslist, Kijiji, CanadianSitter, and I sent out tons of resumes to the people who responded to them. But as it usually happens, one family comes out in front- either they're most serious, or they click the best with you. A big part of finding the right family has to do with how you advertise yourself. Your ads have to be very clear about who you are as a person, and what you're offering that family. It has to be a good balance of proclaiming your experience, while also wording it properlly so that the family has a good idea of your personality. Oddly enough, I've only ever found jobs off of Craigslist and Kijiji...despite Canadian Sitter sounding like it's more to the point. But if it's free, then why not try it?! As somebody who isn't looking for a job with a company- but with a family- it's not like a family advertises their needs...YOU need to advertise yourself.

Now, about clicking. I have an unwritten rule about a family: I REFUSE to work for a family where I don't feel comfortable having a conversation with the parents. I just can't do it. Why? Well, because I'm going to be spending a ton of time in these people's home, I'm going to be in charge of their child. If I can't have a conversation with them, how am I supposed to integrate myself into their family life? Eat out of their fridge? (btw- if you have a family who informs you that you aren't welcome to their food, run!) Bathe their kids? Wear your backup sweatpants around their house?! (again, more later). There have been several instances where I've sat through entire interviews with a parent knowing full well that I'm not going to accept to work for them. Usually, the parent can feel this disconnect too and the interview is quite short. Sometimes, they're clueless. But YOU need to know what kind of people YOU can work for. If you accept a job with people you despise you're not likely to stay with them for long. Why? Because of what I said above, and because you won't be motivated to do the best job you can possibly do for them if you hate them.

That brings me to another thing- you're offering a service that a lot of people consider to not take a lot of skill. I know better, I know that being a child care provider takes a ton of skill- a lot of that latent inherent skill that can't be taught. Some people just click with kids, others don't. There are a lot of people who will try and get into childcare who don't really give a fig about kids- I've seen a lot of them working for families. How these people get hired, I have no idea. They must be good spin masters because I have enough trouble finding people to hire me when they can see that I've done my homework, when I have terrific references. But if you want to get into private child care and you want to enjoy it- you have to be commited to doing it well. This, as I said, goes hand in hand with loving the family you're working for. I will bend over backwards to accomodate a family I love- I will rearrange plans, stay late, stay OVER if they need me to if I love them. If I don't like the family I'm working for, I'm hardly inclined to change my date with my fiance or to get up 2 hours early to go to school the next morning because I stayed over at their house. I will clean, cook, take the kids out in the rain, do laundry, get muddy and gross- all for a family I love. If I don't like who I'm working for I'm parking my butt on the couch and making the kids come to me. This doesn't do me, or the family, and good- so for everybody's good loving who you work for is important.

Now, about these backup pants. It's my firm belief that I should keep a pair of backup pants at every house I work in. And in my car (when I get my car). Why? Because when you work with kids, you get gross. Whether it's a baby peeing on you, a kid throwing up on you, getting mud all over you at the park, or an arts-and-crafts accident, it's gonna happen at some point. (This is also why you don't wear 200$ designer jeans to work- the 40$ variety work just fine. Since that's all I ever wear, it works out fine for me!) So I keep a pair of 10$ Walmart sweatpants around in case of emergencies. Usually I bring them on my first day and ask the parents where it would be best to keep them and just explain that if they come home and I'm in sweats it's because what I walked in in is no longer in serviceable condition. Most employers (the ones you click with!) will see the practicality in this and tell you to stick em in the coat closet. Good stuff.

So yeah, that's my views on how to get into private childcare. In my opinion, it's really hard work to get into it, but it's SO worth it not to be working for "the man". And because on rainy days when I have a headache I don't have to stare at a computer screen and deal with annoying customers- I get to curl up on the couch with my kids and read the Adventures of Winnie the Pooh.