Housekeeper #Caretaker #LiveInJob #FemaleProfessional
Hey there! 🏠 Are you looking to put yourself out there as a housekeeper and caretaker, possibly even live-in, without the hassle of being sexualized or stuck with a bunch of kids all day? Here are some tips and tricks to navigate this tricky situation:
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Be Clear in Your Advertisement: Make sure to clearly state your boundaries and expectations in your ads or profiles. Mention that you are looking for a professional relationship only.
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Ask the Right Questions: During interviews or initial conversations, ask about the family’s expectations, schedule, and responsibilities to ensure that you’re on the same page.
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References and Background Checks: Request references from previous employers and be open to background checks to prove your professionalism and reliability.
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Network with Agencies: Consider connecting with reputable agencies that specialize in placing housekeepers and caretakers. They can help match you with the right family.
- Seek Professional Development: If you feel you lack certain skills, consider taking courses or workshops to enhance your capabilities as a chef or tutor.
By implementing these strategies, you can position yourself as a top-notch housekeeper and caretaker without the risk of being taken advantage of. What other tips do you have for someone in this position? Let’s chat! 💬
So you want to be a live in nanny? I’d set up a care.com profile. Check local Facebook groups too. My sister was a nanny for awhile for a family with two kids, full time. She didn’t live with them but she worked for them for awhile and had no issues. She transitioned to babysitting for them part time and is genuinely good friends with them. She found the family by joining a local Facebook group for childcare and nannying. State what you are capable of, taking care of 2 kids with basic housekeeping maybe? I think it’s definitely possible you just gotta look.
Where and how are you advertising? I have known several people who worked as a nanny at some point. I suspect the way you are advertising is kind of vague about what you actually want to do.
Maybe start with ” looking for babysitting jobs”. Figure out the going rate for the job and post what you expect to be paid and the hours you want to work.
I’m not sure where the part about not wanting to get stuck with kids all day comes in, that’s kind of the job.
Maybe you want to work for a maid service instead?
How do you prefer fast paced, heavy workload, like working with kids, but don’t want to watch them?
I doubt many folks want a live in housekeeper that doesn’t want to watch the kids too; unless they’re well off and have both on staff. If they have staff, they want pros. I wouldn’t try to do live in unless you are professional or certified in some regard. Seems like it puts in a vulnerable position if you have nowhere else to live. Definitely advertise which service you primarily want to offer, and research the most professional ways to market it. Care.com is legit and protects both you and the client by being the legal liason for you both.
Have you considered a recruiting agency? Back when I was looking for jobs I used to see many jobs offered as “house manager” paying lots of $$ to do all of the administrative stuff required to run a home (for a rich family).
It sounds like you need to draft a job description that clearly lays out what your responsibilities would and would not be. If it’s not in the agreed upon job description, you don’t do it. You can use that job description in your advertising so your clients know if you’re offering what they’re looking for.
As for the creepos, these are almost certainly just horny weirdos and not serious inquiries. You can reduce unserious inquiries by setting up a higher barrier to communication, like only taking email and not texts. Better yet, set up a website and make them fill out an inquiry form with lots of boring information.
You go to an agency and register..
You need a contract and to discuss the contract terms prior to the start date, just like any other business transaction. Write your boundaries in a contract and discuss them at detail. It is then up to the family whether they want to hire you based on your terms and boundaries. Then write what happens if the contract is breached or one party wants to pull out early.
An agency might already have this in place, but if you want to go freelance you need a contract.
DMd you a script for a care.com profile.
Try looking for a position as governess. Usually people that can afford those will have a separate chef and housekeeper, tho.
Sometimes the duties of a governess involve light cleaning and cooking/ organising meals for the child only.
Presenting yourself as someone not single, with a much loved husband/wife away in the army may prevent some harassment, or saying from start that you are religious and hold those values highly. Something like that should filter out creeps from the start.
Edit: you need a legal contract. Governesses are highly qualified at least in the UK.
You’re looking for work as a Au Pair.
You would, probably, have better luck in a European country.
There are agencies and services that help connect Au Pairs with potential clients. But be aware that it is a very limited market and exceptionally competitive.
If you’re trying to self market, I would start with a resume and clearly defined expectations. Including an on and off call schedule.
You should also note that any situation worth being in will include a car or form of transport, a phone, and monthly stipend on top of room and board.
It will be tough to self market.
To avoid the latter issue, be sure to only share images of yourself dressed very conservatively and professionally.
Once you’re in a role, be sure to only have a conservative professional appearance around the family.
Best of luck OP.
What about caring for elderly instead of kids?
My siblings and I have been discussing hiring someone to help us care for our mom, preferably someone who’s willing to live in-home with her.
I’m sure there are many others looking for something similar.
Try care.com
Go through an agency to get placed!
It’s really the best way to find the good gigs, seriously.
Do the Google for the best agencies, not the low end nanny stuff. Look for “estate jobs” which is a great consolidator of world wide positions.
If you have skills and decent references, get in there, the pay can be amazing.
You sound like a dream, can I hire you? 🤣
In all seriousness, I’ll echo what a lot of others are saying; try care.com or sittercity.com or something. It sounds like you might be looking for a “mothers helper” type of role? We found our nannies on Care and you can specify how many kids you are willing to care for, your rate, hours, duties, etc. as well as if you’re looking for live-in or not. There can be some garbage to sift through on there (for both job seekers and employers), but overall they’re not bad platforms to try out.
Alternatively you can also try out a nanny agency in your area if there are any. They can be really helpful in finding good well paying positions!
I wish I could afford a live-in housekeeper. I’m childfree and have ADHD, and really struggle with housekeeping tasks and decluttering. Room and board would be the max I could afford though, and I don’t think that’s a fair offer. Maybe you could try and find a niche market of DINKS or neurodivergent people who struggle to handle the day to day stuff, or contact a local aging commission. There are tons of elderly people around here looking for a companion and help around the house.
Start with a professional resume and work your way into building a good reputation as a hard worker so you can get referrals. My Sister is a Nanny and it was all through trust and word of mouth. No parent will hire you if you don’t have referrals. Start with house keeping at a hotel or working at a day care and have those on your resume that you can professionally house keep and professionally take care of kids.
Awh…. Was going to suggest working for the Schwarzenegger’s, but than I read the 2nd half of your question.
I would recommend private chef – I know a person who has a great gig cooking for a wealthy family. They just cook delicious and healthy meals m-f.
You can move to countries like Dubai or somewhere in the Middle East where they still do this
It sounds like you are looking for a live in nanny/house keeper role. I’ve seen jobs like these advertised as “family helper” as well.
It also sounds like you have not been good at setting boundaries in your previous roles.
When you get hired, you should document clear terms of employment. Things like working hours, days off and contact with father members ( ie perv dad).
Here are some ideas:
1. Housekeeping hours 9-3.
A. Cleaning.
B. Errands.
2. Childcare hours 7-9am and 3-7pm (before and after school)
3. After hours and weekends are subject to availability (if you’re home) and overtime pay is expected of $xxx per hour.
4. Regular touch points with the mother to discuss work-life experiences. Including any indiscretions by the husband.
Again these are just ideas. Its up to you to define the terms and enforce them.
Hope it helps.
Nanny of 5 years here!
First things first you need to build your resume like with any other job. The position you’re describing would be for a high network family, ideally one with older kids who are already in school, and it sounds like you’d like to be a house manager over a nanny or a housekeeper. Those are sought after jobs in the industry so, like any other position, you either need to know someone to get you an in or you need the skills and references that would get you a job like that.
Either look for house manager jobs or start with nannying, housekeeping, meal prepping etc for multiple families so you can get good references and make some connections. A lot of nannys want to move in to house manager positions after several years so you’re going to be going against people with significant domestic caregiving experience. You need to have skills that make you desirable. Look into agencies and short term placements but don’t expect an easy cushy job off the top. It’ll take time
You could look at managing an apartment building. I used to date a girl that managed an apartment building, her rent was covered and she had salary on top of that. I’ve seen job postings that were similar to her setup. She also had a maintenance guy that worked for her, so there was no need for handy man skills.
What kind of compensation are you looking for?