What’s The Difference Between a Nanny and an Au Pair?
Although both nannies and au pairs help care for children, they are very different roles. Understanding those differences can help families decide which type of childcare is right for them, and help childcare professionals choose the career path that best suits their goals.
What Is a Nanny?
A nanny is a professional childcare provider who is employed to care for children in the family’s home.
Many nannies have childcare qualifications, an up-to-date Paediatric First Aid certificate and an enhanced DBS check, although requirements vary depending on the role. Experience is often just as important as qualifications, particularly for long-term positions.
Nannies can work:
Full-time or part-time
Live-in or live-out
On rota schedules
On a permanent or temporary basis
Responsibilities typically include:
Planning activities and outings
Preparing children’s meals
Supporting routines and development
Nursery and school runs
Helping with homework
Children’s laundry and keeping play areas organised
Communicating with parents about the children’s day
Many experienced nannies also take on additional responsibilities such as family travel, household management or PA duties.
What Is an Au Pair?
An au pair is usually a young adult who lives with a host family as part of a cultural exchange.
In return for accommodation, meals and pocket money, an au pair provides limited childcare and light household help while experiencing life in another country.
Unlike a nanny, an au pair is generally not employed as a professional childcare provider and is not expected to take sole responsibility for young children throughout the working day.
Typical duties may include:
Helping children get ready for school
School drop-offs and collections
Playing with the children
Helping with homework
Light household tasks related to the children
Au pairs usually work fewer hours than nannies and often attend language classes or spend time exploring the local area outside their agreed working hours.
Which Option Is Right for Families?
A nanny is often the better choice for families who:
Need full-time childcare
Have babies or young children
Require flexibility
Want long-term childcare support
Need someone with professional childcare experience
An au pair may be suitable for families who:
Mainly need before and after-school childcare
Are happy to provide accommodation
Want a cultural exchange experience
Require fewer childcare hours each week
Can an Au Pair Become a Nanny?
Absolutely.
Many successful nannies begin their childcare careers as au pairs. The experience provides an excellent opportunity to build confidence, improve English language skills and gain hands-on childcare experience.
If you’re planning to move from au pair to nanny, it’s worth investing time in developing your CV, gaining relevant training and preparing for interviews so you can demonstrate your experience confidently.
Thinking About Becoming a Nanny?
Whether you’re currently an au pair or just starting your childcare career, presenting your experience professionally can make a big difference.
If you’d like some support, you can download my free nanny CV template, book a CV Review or explore my CV writing and coaching services.
Is Hiring a Professional CV Writer Worth It?
If you’ve been wondering whether it’s worth paying someone to write your CV, you’re not alone. Many nannies aren’t sure whether they should update it themselves or ask for professional help.
The truth is, it depends on your confidence, the type of roles you’re applying for and whether your current CV is getting results.
Here’s why many childcare professionals choose to work with a CV writer.
It’s Hard to Write About Yourself
One of the biggest challenges isn’t lack of experience; it’s knowing how to present it.
Many nannies either undersell themselves or include far more detail than necessary. A CV writer can help organise your experience, highlight your strengths and make your CV easier for families and agencies to read.
A Nanny CV Is Different
A nanny CV isn’t the same as a corporate CV.
Families often want to know about the children’s ages, the type of household you’ve worked in, how your responsibilities changed over time and the relationships you’ve built with previous employers.
Presenting that information clearly can make a big difference.
It’s About More Than Listing Duties
A strong CV doesn’t just explain what you did. It shows the value you brought to each role.
For example, instead of writing:
“Helped with bedtime routines.”
You could write:
“Established consistent bedtime routines that supported healthy sleep habits and created a calm end to the day.”
Small changes like this help paint a much clearer picture of your experience.
A Fresh Perspective Can Be Valuable
After reading your own CV dozens of times, it’s easy to miss opportunities to improve it.
Working with someone else often uncovers experience, achievements and strengths that you hadn’t considered including.
It Saves Time
Writing a CV takes time, especially if you haven’t updated it for several years.
Many of my clients simply don’t know where to start or would rather spend their time preparing for interviews and applying for jobs.
It Can Improve Your Confidence
Having a CV you’re genuinely happy with can make a real difference to how you approach your job search.
When you feel confident about your application, it’s often easier to write cover letters, complete application forms and talk about your experience during interviews.
Is It Always Necessary?
Not necessarily.
If you’re confident writing your own CV and it’s already getting interviews, you may only need a few suggestions rather than a complete rewrite.
That’s exactly why I introduced my CV Review service. It’s a cost-effective way to receive professional feedback before deciding whether a full rewrite is worthwhile.
Which Option Is Right for You?
If you’re happy writing your own CV, my free editable nanny CV template is a great place to start.
If you’d like professional feedback, a CV Review may be all you need.
And if you’d rather hand the whole process over to someone else, my CV Writing Service and coaching packages are designed specifically for nannies and childcare professionals.
Whatever you choose, remember that your CV should reflect the quality of the care you provide every day. Sometimes a few small changes are all it takes to help families and agencies see your experience more clearly.
Common Nanny Terms and Abbreviations Explained
Nanny Lingo Explained- common acronyms for childcare related phrases
If you’re new to nannying or looking through agency vacancies for the first time, you might feel like everyone is speaking another language.
Here’s a quick guide to some of the most common abbreviations you’ll come across.
MB
Mum Boss
DB
Dad Boss
NK
Nanny Kid or Nanny Kids
NF
Nanny Family
G1
Girl aged 1
You’ll often see children’s ages written like this.
Examples:
G3 = Girl aged 3
B6 = Boy aged 6
B5m
Boy aged 5 months
The m stands for months.
HNW
High Net Worth
Used to describe affluent families who may have larger homes, additional staff or more complex childcare requirements.
UHNW
Ultra High Net Worth
Families with extremely high levels of wealth, often employing multiple household staff.
HP
High Profile
Families who are well known publicly, such as celebrities, professional athletes or senior business leaders.
NWOC
Nanny With Own Child
A nanny who brings their own child to work as part of the arrangement.
SE
Self-Employed
HK
Housekeeper
PA
Personal Assistant
Some nanny roles also include PA or household management responsibilities.
FT
Full-Time
PT
Part-Time
SAHM / SAHD
Stay-at-Home Mum / Stay-at-Home Dad
WFH
Working From Home
A term you’ll see regularly in job adverts, particularly since remote working became more common.
Rota Nanny
A nanny who works on a rotating schedule, for example one week on and one week off or two weeks on and two weeks off.
Proxy Parenting
Providing sole-charge care while parents are away for work or travel, sometimes for several days at a time.
Live-In / Live-Out
Live-In: You live in accommodation provided by the family.
Live-Out: You travel to and from work each day.
Unicorn Family
A light-hearted term many nannies use to describe that rare family where everything just seems to click. The role, communication, expectations and working relationship all feel like the perfect fit.
Have you come across any nanny terms that confused you when you first started? Let me know and I’ll add them to the list.
Go Gross Campaign
Just like any other industry, salary for nanny jobs should always be agreed upon in gross form. Let’s explore why this is so important for nannies and au pairs.
Understanding Gross vs Net Pay- What You Need to Know
Something I hear a lot from nannies and au pairs is that they find gross vs net pay can be very confusing. Just like any other industry, salary for nanny jobs should always be agreed upon in gross form. Let’s explore why this is so important to ensure you’re being paid correctly.
Originally many nanny jobs were paid cash in hand and therefore a net pay was used when referring to salary. More recently, rightly so, professional nannies are insisting on being employed legally. This means you are eligible for worker's rights, holiday allowance, sick pay, maternity/ paternity/ adoption leave & pension contributions. For that reason pay should only be agreed in gross terms to ensure you are getting everything you are entitled to.
Gross pay is the total amount earned before any mandatory or voluntary amounts such as tax deductions, student loans, national insurance and pension payments. This is the figure that should be in your signed contract when you begin a job.
Net pay is the amount you are left with after all these deductions are made. Also known as ‘take-home pay’
Why the Distinction Matters
Net pay means any tax rebates are issued to you rather than your employer.
You can choose to pay more into your pension if you wish.
If you are taking out a mortgage, a new loan or starting a rental contract you will need to show your salary in gross figures to prove your income to be eligible.
You will get the benefit of any government changes to tax allowance e.g annual April tax allowance increase
It ensures that your employers are legally employing you
How Net Pay is Calculated
You can use this Nannytax calculator to work out your gross to net figure to ensure you are happy with the salary before agreeing to a contract when beginning a new job.
https://www.nannytax.co.uk/gross-to-net-salary-calculator
Looking for some more guidance on your nanny career? Book a one-to-one coaching session here