10 Free Classes to Boost Your Nanny Resume

Like any industry, the more you learn, the more know.

While professional development is not required for nannies to land a job, it can certainly help you land THE job when you are one applicant in a competitive pool of candidates.

Boosting your resume by adding professional development can help you stand out from peers, add credibility to your experience, give you new skills or knowledge, and increase your earning potential.

If you are seeking to boost your resume, consider these 10 free learning opportunities.

1.      Water Safety – The Red Cross offers a basic water safety course that focuses on developing an awareness of the risks of drowning and how to minimize those risks, especially for young children. For nannies who work in homes with pools or who frequent bodies of water with the children in their care, this course is essential.

2.       Car Seat Basics – The National Child Passenger Safety Board teaches students to keep children safe in cars as they grow by completing all or specific modules on rear-facing and forward-facing car seat use, as well as booster seat and seat belt use. For nannies transporting children, this is a must.

3.       Brain Development, Sudden Infant Death Syndrome, and Abusive Head Trauma: Shaken Baby Syndrome – The Texas A&M University System offers this 1-hour course that addresses critical topics related to caring for the youngest and most vulnerable population of children, infants and toddlers. For nannies working with newborns through toddlers, this course is for you.

4.       Medication Administration in Child Care: Ensuring Children's Safety- The Texas A&M University System offers this 2-hour online course that is part of a series of online trainings designed to help you, as childcare providers implement current, research-based best practices in your child care environments and is designed to provide you with information that will help you safely administer medications to children. Perfect for nannies who often administer medication with no checks and balances in the home.

5.       Watch Me! Celebrating Milestones and Sharing Concerns – The Center for Disease Control presents this one hour course that provides tools and best practices for monitoring the development of children in your care and talking about it with their parents. This course is for all nannies who strive to gain knowledge in child development.

6.       Attachment in the Early Years – This course presented by Open University covers theory and research in the area of attachment in early childhood. This is essential foundational knowledge for all caregivers.

7.       Getting it Right: Tax and Payroll Compliance for Nannies - Designed by NannyTraining.com and GTM Payroll, this course teaches nannies about legal pay and taxes and how to talk to their employers about this topic. This course includes must have information that any nanny should know. Use code NannyMag to access this course for free.      

8.       Learn the Basics of the Montessori Method - The Prepared Montessori Institute offers this introductory class to those seeking to learn more about the method. With many parents seeking specialized care, nannies who have a basic understanding of this approach can support parents who see it.

9.       Safe Sleep Ambassador - Cribs for Kids is an organization that emphasizes the importance of Safe Sleep Education and to disseminate it effectively throughout communities and one way they do this is through their online classes. All nannies should be knowledgeable on safe sleep and the research and science behind it. 

10.   The Science of Well Being for Teens - Yale offers this free online course that helps students Understand what psychological science has to say about living the good life and to Practice evidence-based behaviors proven to boost mood. An optional certificate is available for purchase. For nannies working with teens, this is the course for you. 

Professional development doesn’t even need to be costly or even lengthy to count. It must, however, be high-quality. Consider boosting your resume by enrolling in professional development opportunities with will deep your nanny knowledge and help you become the best nanny you can be.

 

Michelle LaRowe