Passports & Pacifiers: Chronicles of a Travel Nanny

If my personal Instagram feed were all you knew about me you might wonder what it is that I do for work that lets me travel so much, exploring this beautiful planet and learning all it has to offer. Perhaps you’d guess I was a digital nomad, somebody with extraordinary tech skills who uses globalised markets to explore as they work from their laptop. You might guess that I’m a ‘nepo baby’, that my grandfather invented some obscure everyday object, and now I have the privilege of hopping around luxury hotels and yachts. The truth couldn’t be further from either of these, I have a job that puts me to work as many hours as there are in the day, without a computer in sight! In fact, I have one of the world’s oldest and most valuable professions, I am a nanny.

What my instagram feed fails to show, is that every adventure I have been on in the past ten years has been holding the hand of a beautiful tiny person, that I pack stickers and paints along with swimsuits and a snorkel. When a family leaves their typical residence for a holiday or work trip, or when a family based abroad specifically needs an English nanny to support them, they give me a call.

Packing is in itself a good portion of the job. Before working as a travel nanny, I worked for the best part of ten years in private households in London, so I know how to anticipate a child’s needs. I overpack notoriously, imagining every possible scenario that could befall us. Travel sickness? I am armed with disposable plastic bags and acupressure wristbands. Lost luggage? I packed a spare outfit per child in our carry on. I like to visit the child’s home in London before the trip, both to do the packing and to allow the child to get to know me.

Our travel days can often be challenging, commercial flights have a whole host of other people to consider on board, some of whom will be very hostile towards the prospect of travelling with my charges. Smaller private planes take this out of the equation but come with their own challenges, they aren’t always kitted out with the same technology as a commercial fight and entertainment isn’t necessarily provided. In both cases I make sure I am armed with plenty of fidget toys, sticker books and read-aloud books. On a commercial flight I introduce myself to our neighbours with a big smile on my face, “Hello I am Molly, I’m so-and-so’s nanny. He’s flown a lot before so he should be good as gold but do let me know if we are bothering you!” or something to that effect. This friendly and helpful attitude has always immediately diffused tension, and I’ve not had a complaint since I employed this method.

During the trip I remind myself often that this is supposed to be a holiday for my charge and while manners and kindness towards others are always of utmost import, I can relax on some of the rules implemented at home. One thing I do ensure to do is encourage the children to take part in as many activities on offer as possible, even if that means I have to go first. I don’t want a child to sense my fear or apprehension and let it hinder their adventure. If that means I hold a tropical snake, or jump off a boat, or plunge down a waterslide - so be it.

There are a whole host of reasons that a family might require a travel nanny, and I have to be totally sensitive to this and adjust my approach accordingly. Regardless of why I am there my presence signals an adjustment for the children and this is vital to take into account. A business trip for the parents might mean that the children are separated from them for longer than they’re used to, they also might be having to keep up with school work during a trip of this nature. I try and get as clear a picture as possible from the parents beforehand so that I can tailor my persona and approach to what the child will most benefit from in a companion. My holiday nanny in the south of France ‘hat’ is not the same ‘hat’ that I wear when I'm taking on a governess role in the Middle East!

I am extremely lucky to have this wonderful job, so utterly full of adventure and fun and love. I am a passionate advocate for this profession and want as many people to access it as possible. After almost ten years of nannying, both in the UK and around the world, I started to take on mentoring clients. My mentees come from a host of backgrounds, though many are looking for flexible childcare work around a performance career. I use my connections and industry knowledge to get them fully set up in private household work. I also take on mentees with a childcare background who want to plunge into travel nannying, those who need that extra help setting up as self-employed, finding clients and branding themselves. I am a true believer that this work is one of the most important jobs out there, that raising the next generation is a huge responsibility, and I want to make sure that those of us doing it are happy and relaxed and doing the best job possible.