With summer rolling in quite swiftly, it’s a good time to enroll in some certification courses to upgrade yourself and increase your opportunities. Being certified gives the added advantage of making you more equipped to carry out your nanny duties effectively and making hiring parents more comfortable and confident in your expertise. 

Here are few certifications to consider:

Infant, Child, & Adult CPR/First Aid: A common and normally mandatory certification to get is a CP/First Aid certification which trains you on how to resuscitate an infant, child or adult when there is an incident where their heart stops beating or has any immediate emergencies. Being able to instantly revive your ward triples their chances of survival making this certification highly essential. Many families will only consider hiring if you are certified in both CPR and First Aid. The duration of the course depends on which mode it is being delivered and the specific course type you are taking. In- person courses vary from approximately 2 to 6 hours. Online courses tend to be shorter and give you more control over how long it takes you to get certified, while in-person courses depend on the class’s level of expertise. Novice classes take longer to complete while recertification classes are shorter. To get certified, here are some options to look at in New Jersey Red Cross, MyCPRCertificationOnline, CPR Certification Institute.

Water-Safety Certification: Given that summer will most likely involve children engaging in water activities, a good certification to have is a Water-Safety Certificate which equips you to be well prepared for any adverse situations that may occur while children play in pools or at the beach. Even if you are going to a pool that has a lifeguard, being prepared for incidents that may occur is a great advantage.  These certifications equip you to be more aware of the risks of drowning and have the appropriate skills to manage any unfavorable situations. For new students looking to get certified, duration is one week, while recertification can be completed within a day. If you’re interested in getting certified, check out these selections offered both in-person and online:  Red Cross (Online), NJLifeGuard. 

Swimming Lessons: Nannies that are not only able to swim but can teach children how to swim are highly valued by parents. Having a little fun in the pool with your charges while teaching them the essential skills of swimming in a safe environment under your supervision is perfect for the summer. As part of your job as a nanny, having these skills will go a long way to making you more sought after and appreciated. Classes are offered to adults who wish to learn to swim and those who would want to learn the safe way to teach children how to swim. Options worth checking out include: Swim Lessons New Jersey, British Swim School

Nutrition and Cooking: Parents are becoming increasingly more concerned about what their kids eat on a daily basis. Ensuring their children get the appropriate nutritional intake to aid development is paramount to the parents and hence should be important to you as a caregiver. As a nanny your contribution to this development in terms of nutritional knowledge which can be passed on to kids and cooking skills will be highly valuable and make you a worthy candidate worth working with. There are several courses available to enrich your skillset. Courses available range from 3 weeks to 3 months depending on if you prefer instructor led or self-paced classes. We recommend the following: Certificate in Food and Nutrition, The Care Courses School (Online)