Nanny or Family Assistant in Het Gooi or Brabant: what suits your family?

In Laren, Blaricum and Naarden, and in Waalre, Oisterwijk and Vught too, many families combine a demanding career with a full family life and a large home. The children need to get to school and sport, guests come to stay, the house needs looking after and the diary is overflowing. That is when the question often arises: do we need a Nanny or a Family Assistant?

Both work for one family from 30 hours a week and both are carefully screened. The difference lies mainly in their focus. In this blog we help you towards the choice that suits your family.

A Nanny concentrates on the care and development of the children. She provides a safe and stable environment, sets up daily routines and keeps to them, supports the parents in raising the children and plans activities that encourage their development. She also takes the children to and from school, helps with homework, prepares a healthy evening meal and takes care of light household tasks.

Nannies through TFA have a strong pedagogical grounding and a childcare related diploma. Nannies often have a background in childcare. For families with young children, or children who need a lot of guidance, that is exactly what is needed.

A Family Assistant is the parents' right hand. She takes over caring, organisational and managerial tasks and keeps an overview of the entire household. Think of:

• Managing the family diary and scheduling appointments, such as the dentist, GP, sport and music lessons.
• Booking travel, restaurants and concerts.
• Organising children's parties, dinners and birthdays.
• Managing other staff and the upkeep of the house and the cars.
• Keeping the household well stocked and handling deliveries.
• Supporting with administrative tasks.

Family Assistants often have a broader background, for example as a Personal Assistant, in administration or in hospitality. Their role is more tailored than that of a Nanny. A Family Assistant also cares for the children, but her view reaches beyond the nursery.

In Het Gooi we see many parents who run their own businesses, commute daily to Amsterdam or Utrecht or work irregular hours. Around Eindhoven and further north towards Vught and 's Hertogenbosch, parents often work in technology or run their own company. The circumstances differ, but the heart of the matter is the same: life at home needs to carry on smoothly, even when you are not there. So the question is not which role is better, but which role suits what is happening in your home.

• Where is the pressure greatest: in caring for the children or in the organisation around them?
• How old are the children, and how much attention do they need during the day?
• Who currently keeps the family diary, and how much time does that take?
• Are there other staff working in and around the house who need managing?
• Do you regularly have guests, or host dinners and parties?
• Does one of the parents run a business that could use some support?
• Do you travel a lot, within the Netherlands or abroad?

If you mainly recognise yourself in the first two questions, a Nanny is the natural choice. If you find yourself nodding at the others as well, a Family Assistant is probably a better fit. Still unsure? During the intake meeting we look together at what your family needs.

If you run your own business, it can be worth putting the Family Assistant on the company payroll. She can then also take on some PA work or support administrative and organisational tasks within the business. We help with payroll, insurance and everything else that is involved. Do get in touch to talk through the options.

Whichever you choose, a good click is essential. We select every candidate personally, screen them on, among other things, at least two references, a certificate of conduct (VOG), qualifications and first aid, and only put forward people we are fully confident in. Discretion is one of our three core values.

Read more about the difference between a Nanny and a Family Assistant, or visit our pages about a Nanny or Family Assistant in Het Gooi and a Nanny or Family Assistant in Brabant. Would you rather discuss your situation in person? Get in touch with us, without any obligation.