Difference between Babysitter and Nanny

Key Difference: Generally, a babysitter is a person who takes care of the children on a temporary basis when the parents are not at home. Nanny refers to a person who is employed to take care of the children on a regular basis in a household. A nanny is usually a trained woman. However, some variations in the differences are found in context to international usage.

A baby sitter refers to a person who is employed to take care of the children on a temporal basis. A baby sitter is often employed by the people who want someone to take care of their children in their absence.

Baby sitting is one of the favorite jobs of teenagers. Teenagers work as a baby sitter, as it does not hamper their studies or other work and they get some source of income. The term is supposed to have appeared for the first time in 1937. The word seems to be originated from the action of the caretaker as the caretaker and the baby tends to sit in the same room. A babysitter is employed on an as-needed basis.

A nanny is a person (usually a trained woman), who takes care of the children in a household. Typically, the job of a nanny is a regular job. A nanny plays a vital role in the growth and development of the children, as children tend to spend a lot of time with their nannies. Most often, a nanny is an experienced and trained lady. She is expected to be certified in First aid and CPR. Some of the nannies also take up a course in the field of child development.

Unlike babysitters, nannies usually work for one family. Another difference between a nanny and a baby sitter is that, usually a nanny stays with the family of the employer, whereas a baby sitter stays at his or her own house and just visits the family whenever they find any requirement. Nannying is often regarded as a career, whereas babysitting is only associated to a source of easy money.

Comparison between Babysitter and Nanny:

	Babysitter	Nanny
Definition	A babysitter is a person who takes care of the children when the parents are not at home	Nanny refers to a person who is employed to take care of the children in a household.
Duties	Duties may include keeping a watch on a sleeping child, changing diapers, playing games, preparing meals, etc.	Duties may include meal planning and preparation, laundry and clothing care, organization of play activities and outings, discipline, intellectual stimulation, language activities, and transportation.
Origin	1937, also baby-sitter, from baby + agent noun of sit. Short form sitter is attested from 1943.	Mainly from Greek: nanna "aunt".
Role	To keep a child safe and entertained	Broad; to contribute in the child’s emotional, social and physical development and growth.
Type of work	Generally temporary	Generally regular
Qualification/Experience	Generally teenagers	Generally qualified and experienced
Salary	Hourly basis	Monthly basis
Job profile	Free-lance employee	Employee of the family for which she or he works