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November 12th, 2021
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What is a governess, and what do they do?

When families think about a governess, the first person that comes to mind is the famous “Mary Poppins” - they will have the image of this smiley singing governess who will come to their home to help with their children’s education. The modern concept of governess is not that far from this movie’s idea about governesses, but probably the person you are trying to hire for your children won’t be able to sing musicals.

What is a governess, then? It is a qualified professional employed by parents to focus on their children’s educations at home. Governesses will have a high degree in education, which attracts parents to hire them over a nanny. Usually, they will help children of primary school age because their main focus is on helping your children keep their grades high or support in those subjects in which they are struggling. They will help children from 3 years old to teenagers.

What are the duties of a Governess?

If you are thinking of hiring a governess, but you are unsure if they are the best childcare solution for your children, checking what they might do every day will give you an idea of their suitability.

What you might expect from a governess:

  • Experience and professionalism.
  • Education and social development of the children in your home.
  • Employment from 5 or 6 days per week and may work overnight.
  • Ability to work alongside a nanny or mothers’ help.
  • Proven teaching background or higher education and a minimum of five years of professional experience.
  • Bilingual experience (if required).
  • Social etiquette and cultural understanding.
  • Musical instrument teaching experience (if needed).
  • Homework tuition.

Do governesses help with meals, driving or bath and bedtime?

If we stick to the strict concept of governess, the answer to the question above is no, because their main job is to help with your children’s education. However, with time, society’s concept of many roles related to household staff has changed. But some families will hire a governess who will do the job of a nanny and a governess combined. However, keep in mind that most Governesses will only do educational activities with the children; they won’t do deep cleaning. However, some of them will be happy to pick up the children from school, prepare light meals for them, and help with tidying up after they have finished helping the children with homework.

Some of the qualities you can expect from your governess or senior nanny are as follows:

  • Experience and professionalism.
  • Education and social development of the children in your home.
  • Employment from 5 or 6 days per week and may work overnight.
  • Ability to work alongside a nanny or mothers’ help.
  • Care for children, from newborn through to sixteen years old.
  • Proven teaching background or higher education and a minimum of five years of professional experience.
  • Bilingual experience (if required).
  • Social etiquette and cultural understanding.
  • Musical instrument teaching experience (if needed).
  • Homework tuition.

Do governesses help with meals, driving or bath and bedtime?

If we stick to the strict concept of governess, the answer to the question above is no, because their main job is to help with your children’s education. However, with time, society’s concept of many roles related to household staff has changed. But some families will hire a governess who will do the job of a nanny and a governess combined. However, keep in mind that most Governesses will only do educational activities with the children; they won’t do deep cleaning. However, some of them will be happy to pick up the children from school, prepare light meals for them, and help with tidying up after they have finished helping the children with homework.

Parents are always looking for the best for their children, especially when it concerns who will be looking after them, either all day or after school while the parents work. Therefore, you will look for someone positive, funny and a pleasure to have around, but at the same time, an authority figure for your children, someone who will help your children to develop their educational and social skills, and much more.

Our consultants will make sure to find the best option for your children and your family. At Little Ones, our expert consultants will help you in your search for a Nanny, Au Pair, Governess, Tutor, or any house staff as soon as you need, in a permanent or temporary capacity.

Finding the perfect nanny or governess is no picnic. It is easy to get childcare help, but the nanny’s capabilities and qualifications will always be questioned. Of course, all parents would agree that they will want a great personality and character traits because the nanny will spend a great deal of time with the children.

When finding the perfect nanny or governess, parents will have to consider many factors that may affect the hiring process. The list of factors includes budget, work schedule, experience, and the same values or childcare perspectives.

What are the working hours of a governess?

Each family will require different hours; some families will need the governess to work full-time from 8 to 10 hours per day if the children are younger than three years old, while others will request their help after school or part-time.

But other families will hire a governess only a few hours per week to provide extra support to their children.

What type of qualifications might a governess hold?

Many governesses will have a primary or secondary teacher degree, high education in childcare, and more than five years of childcare or teaching experience. In addition, some governesses will know how to play an instrument and speak more than one language, which they will put into practice with the children they are teaching.

Temporary or Permanent Governess

The difference between a temporary and permanent Governessis in the description. A temporary governess will help you with your children for a short period, agreed upon between the parents and the childcare. This person will be coming to your house until the time of day that you need them; you can agree with them from the beginning that you would like their help for two weeks (for example).

A permanent governess will be with the family for an indefinite time. Governesses will search for families who are looking to hire someone for more than one year. Most families in London, England, and overseas will search for this too, because they want to give their children stability in their extra-education outside of school.

So having someone in a permanent position who will notice their progress and in which subject they need more support is something they will take in count in the equation.

Now that you know what a governess is and what they do, we should decide which kind of governess is the best match for your children. You will need to take into consideration: 1 whether you are looking for someone to help you in a temporary or permanent capacity; 2. How long you will need the governess to help you during the day. Do you need the governess for only a few hours, or do you need the governess to assist you from 9 am to 6 pm (for example)? 3. The last question that you will need to ask yourself is: am I looking for a tutor or a nanny? What’s the difference between a tutor and a nanny?

How to find the best Governess?

Employing a governess by oneself is possible, but families with experience hiring governessses recommend to find the right agency that will be there all along to assist you and your children to the best of their ability. You could save yourself from all the stress and series of work in finding that one perfect governess you’d want for your little ones, not to mention the time wasted from waiting and the endless interviews with scores of candidates that might be interested in the position. Trust an agency knowledgeable enough to know the people you could get along with and will not think twice to help you out when you need them.

Little Ones UK is one of the leading governess and domestic helper agencies in the country, offering a premium childcare service. It consists of a professional team that is dedicated to seeking excellent governess all over the UK.

Little Ones’ Governesses

Based in Central London, Little Ones is globally renowned for our permanent governess services. Our consultants, many bilingual or multilingual, are trained and experienced in placing governesses in Europe, the Middle East, Russia and beyond.

Our governesses are educated to the highest level, and many are fluent in a second language or even multilingual. In addition, our governess candidates come with years of experience in the care and tuition of pre-school and school-aged children. Each of our governesses will have a unique method of educating and raising children. Our consultants use their wealth of experience to match candidates with your family’s ethos and needs.

Our governesses and nannies undergo specialist vetting procedures developed over the years we have operated successfully as an agency. The safety and comfort of our clients and their families is our priority. Therefore, each placed governess candidate comes under the following:

  • Interviewed and vetted in person by a professional Little Ones Governess Consultant at our London Fitzrovia or Kings Cross office.
  • Reference checked.
  • It may be subject to a DBS or Police check.
  • Are required to undertake FAIB approved Paediatric First Aid Certification every three years. Little Ones is unique in offering such training onsite daily, including weekends.
  • Candidate interviews at your convenience, within 24 hours of your first call.

Contact Little Ones

If you wish to try out Little Ones’ Governess and other services, you can check out our website at https://www.littleoneslondon.co.uk or call us on 02071830309 for more information. You can also send us your enquiry at enquiries@littleoneslondon.co.uk. For updates, follow us on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram or LinkedIn.

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