The duties of a mother's help are usually performed by a young woman who takes care of many of the same tasks as a nanny, but with more focus on domestic chores. One of the most noticeable differences between a mother’s help and a nanny is that a mother's help may not have any formal childcare qualifications or prior experience working with babies or young children. What is the job description of a mother's help?
Domestic Duties While a nanny's domestic duties will usually be quite limited and revolve around the child's bedroom or nursery, a mother's help will provide child care assistance and a greater degree of domestic help to relieve the mother of some of her responsibilities around the home. She will also work with the mother and be expected to care for a number of domestic duties under the direct supervision of the mother, who will oversee her duties to make sure they are being carried out satisfactorily. Some of the tasks that a mother's help will be expected to perform include grocery shopping, ironing, laundry and cooking. Childcare Duties A mother's help will be expected to care for the basic needs of a baby or young child. The level of independence accorded a mother's help will depend largely on the individual person’s experience. For example, if she does not have much experience caring for the needs of a baby, the mother will supervise her mother's help and talk her through the task of changing the baby, making up a bottle and giving the baby a bath. Those who work as a live-in mother's help are often called upon to provide babysitting services some evenings or weekends throughout the month. The level of commitment to perform additional duties depends on each contract of employment.
If you are considering taking on a job as a mother's help, you will not have to have extensive personal or professional experience, as you would if you were looking for a job as a nanny. However, a mother’s help will usually be expected to perform a number of domestic chores and tasks as well as take care of childcare responsibilities under the direct supervision of the mother. Some young women who become a mother's help are also expected to babysit in the evenings or weekends.