VIP Nanny or Governess Needed? - Interview with Nanny of the Stars

Many nannies dream of filling top nanny job vacancies, working for celebrity and VIP clients. However, if you want to find a job in this sector, it is far from just a walk in the park. While celebrity families are the same as average families, when looking for a full-time nanny for their kids, social status means they have a greater concern for the security and safety of their children. 

Being a celebrity or VIP nanny is not an easy feat. Potential nanny candidates are required to  have either studied in professional institutes or earned years of experience. Most professional nannies have university or college degrees, while others make up for their high school degrees with extensive experience. 

For a VIP/celebrity nanny, strict nondisclosure contracts are often required due to the nature of the work. We partnered with @NannyOfTheStars to shed some light on this dazzling career choice and give celebrity nanny hopefuls tips and tricks to help them achieve their dream of caring for the stars.

Hello! First of all, please could you introduce yourself and tell us a little about your background?

I hail from leafy Royal Oak, Michigan, and grew up in a large family with seven brothers and sisters. Since I was young, I have always loved studying languages, which led to my decision to become a language teacher abroad. 

I have an undergraduate degree in English and French. I also obtained my teaching certification from Cambridge and moved to Rome, Italy, where I spent time teaching English as a second language. It's also where I learned how to speak Italian. 

Two years later, I moved to London to complete my postgraduate degree. I also began a full-time career of being an international governess in Moscow, Miami, the South of France, London, and Los Angeles, to name a few places. 

I love the arts, creative endeavours, sports, and writing. I currently work with preschool-aged twins. I am also busy working on a series of children's books that I hope will be released by the end of the year. 

When did you know you wanted to become a nanny?

I've always had a knack for working with children. During my youth, I loved taking care of my younger family members and was the town's favourite and in-demand babysitter. While I went into teaching originally and had a brief stint working in publishing, I missed the one-on-one interaction that comes with working in homes with children. 

I love having the opportunity to closely follow the progress my dear charges make over a much longer time. I love being able to do things with the children, such as swimming, visiting museums and libraries, playing sports, and exploring creativity. I also love having much more responsibility and autonomy. I decided to work as a nanny and governess full-time, and I haven't looked back since. 

What is a governess?

What was your first job like? And how have things changed since then?

My first job was with a family friend and their young daughter. It was a very pleasant and laid-back environment with people who treated me as part of their family. I'm proud to say that I still have a close relationship with them. 

Since then, I've learned so much about children and parents through experience and observation. Having taken several extension courses on child development, nutrition, safety, and maternity care, I feel much better equipped to deal with a variety of situations and personalities. It has also helped me become a more efficient educator. 

While I know my job well and fully understand children, I never stop growing and developing within my profession. These experiences allow me to have more and more to give to each family I work with. 

Over the 15 years that I've been nannying, new and changing child-development philosophies and information have sprung. Today's children also have access to an ever-changing online environment.

What aspects of work would you say are specific to VIP families?

VIP families come with their own unique sets of responsibilities. An aspect I would say that is specific to VIP families is security and privacy. Many of these families are in the public eye, which means it is essential to maintain the highest level of discretion and security. There are times when I've had to deal with avoiding paparazzi, have had security cameras filming every room of the house 24/7, and a security detail that follows the children and me wherever we go. 

As some of these families have hectic schedules, I often handle all of the components of childcare, such as purchasing all child-related products, including clothes, applying for schools, and setting up doctor's appointments. Extensive travel tends to be common with VIP families. One must be prepared to pick up and leave at a moment's notice. My schedule has to be very flexible for a family's last-minute plans and unexpected schedule changes. 

What is your proudest working moment? 

I'm proud of being able to have a direct impact on a child's life by teaching them, loving them, and helping them to become confident, intelligent, well-mannered, and kind individuals. My proudest moment is when one of my young charges had a medical emergency, and I used my knowledge from having taken repeated CPR/First Aid classes to perform CPR until an ambulance arrived. The parents were extremely grateful to have had their child in my care during this incident and showed me their utmost appreciation that they could trust me during such a critical moment. 

Are there any negatives to working as a celebrity nanny? Which parts of the job do you find most challenging?

There are definitely challenges when working as a celebrity nanny. The most challenging part is giving up a lot of my personal life. I must always have a professional manner on and off the clock. I also have to be ready to be called in at a moment's notice during my time off. There have been several times that I have had to cancel events, travel plans, and forego several family celebrations so that I can be with the family I work for. 

As a celebrity nanny, I work very long hours. This can affect social and personal relationships, as well as personal commitments like taking classes or playing on sports teams, in my case. I've learned to accept these things as part of my job and often make plans very late as I don't know what my schedule will be on any given date. 

How do you usually find the nanny positions you end up working in? 

I mainly work with international nanny agencies for VIP and celebrity roles. 

What tips would you give to those hoping to become a nanny for a celebrity or VIP? 

Parents love credentials and outstanding references. It is crucial to stay on top of furthering your education and knowledge within the realm of childcare. There are several short courses and credentialed exams that you can take to make your resume stand out. 

The biggest tip I can give is to be flexible and adaptable. You will have to deal with many types of strong personalities, and it is necessary to remember that you are there working to make the family's life as stress-free as possible. Learning to adapt to these personalities and needs while going with the flow will be your biggest asset to being successful in these roles. It can be hard to get VIP jobs and even harder to keep them. 

Finally, register with a reputable nanny agency. In my experience, agencies are the places where you will find the most high profile roles. If you're easily star-struck, these positions might not be for you. Remember, stars are regular people just like us. 

Where can readers find out more about you and what you do?

If you'd like to find out more about me or what I do, you can visit my Instagram page at NannyoftheStars. I am also launching my website, nannyofthestars.com and can be reached at info@nannyofthestars.com 

Are you interested in becoming a VIP Nanny? Sign up here and see all the amazing job opportunities available worldwide!