The life of a nanny is not glamorous. You are responsible for children that are not your own. In many cases, you are left alone for days at a time to care for these kids. So, how on earth do you manage stress?

Stress is hard to manage with any career choice. Being a nanny requires that you put yourself second after your job. It took me a while to deal with the stresses of being a nanny. I do think that I have a few tips that could help you all:

1. Know that yes, this is a stressful job… but, it doesn’t have to be. You need to grasp the idea that this is a job that requires babysteps (pun intended). You need to look at the big picture then break it down into mini-jobs. That makes it a lot easier to handle. I am not just a nanny… I am also a Housekeeper, cook, tutor, taxi cab… the list goes on. I learned that breaking my job title “House Manger” into little jobs, it makes it much easier to balance.

2. Make sure you take advantage of your breaks during the day. If you watch younger children, watch TV during their naptime. If you are not allowed to watch TV… Read a magazine, book or just sit in the quiet. If you watch older children, go and watch some TV. Sit in a quiet area and read a magazine with a cup of herbal tea. Or, I sometimes bake cookies. Just make sure that you sit down during the day. You will lose your mind if you don’t relax.

3. Talk to your boss about your workday. If you feel you are working way too many hours during the week, it’s your responsibility to speak up. You shouldn’t be working more than 45-50hrs per week. If you are working more than that, you need to speak up. Being a nanny is a draining profession. You need to have weeknights/weekends off to recoup.

4. Leave the stresses of work at work. Don’t take your problems home.

5. Remember that you are not the parent. This is a simple thing that you need to tell yourself. You are their nanny… Not their mom.

** Hope these tips help. **