Full-Time Nanny for Infant & Toddler | $83K–$99K per year

About the Role & Family

A warm, thoughtful San Mateo family is seeking an experienced, long-term nanny for their two young children: an active and imaginative 2.5-year-old daughter and an 8-month-old baby boy.

The family has had an exceptional relationship with their current nanny and is only ending their time together because they are moving back to California. They hope to build the same kind of trusted, long-term relationship with their next nanny.

Their parenting style is warm, thoughtful, and highly engaged. They value following each child's individual cues, calm and consistent boundaries, lots of outdoor time, supporting independence, and creating a strong partnership between parents and nanny.

The parents want to set the larger direction and expectations, then trust their nanny to confidently own the children's day-to-day rhythm without needing to be micromanaged. They welcome thoughtful observations and ideas and want open communication around larger decisions involving sleep, feeding, potty training, behavior, and development.

This is a role focused entirely on the children, with no general housekeeping or family-assistant responsibilities.

Schedule

• Monday–Wednesday, 8:15 AM–5:15 PM
• Thursday–Friday, 10:00 AM–4:30 PM
• 40 guaranteed hours per week

Primary Responsibilities

Caring for Both Children

• Provide warm, responsive, developmentally appropriate care for both children while confidently managing the competing needs of an infant and toddler.
• Create a predictable but flexible daily rhythm around meals, naps, outdoor time, activities, and outings so the children know what to expect while still adapting to their changing needs.
• Thoughtfully manage sibling dynamics as the baby becomes increasingly mobile and both children need attention at the same time.
• Support independence by giving the children appropriate time and space to explore, problem-solve, and attempt things for themselves rather than automatically stepping in or correcting them.

Infant Care & Development

• Closely observe the baby's cues and changing abilities and support his development through floor play, language, movement, sensory exploration, and age-appropriate activities.
• Independently manage bottle feeding, breast milk handling, diapering, naps, and the baby's transition to solids, including safe feeding practices and confidence responding to choking.
• Learn and consistently carry out developmental exercises or routines introduced by the parents or child's providers, incorporating them naturally into the baby's day once trained.

Toddler Care & Development

• Engage the toddler through pretend play, reading, building towers, creative and independent play, outdoor activities, and scheduled classes or outings.
• Support the toddler's growing independence while navigating transitions, tantrums, and challenging behavior with calm, clear, gentle-but-firm boundaries.
• Support upcoming developmental transitions, including potty training, in close collaboration with the parents so approaches remain consistent across caregivers.

Active, Outdoor Days & Outings

• Prioritize an active lifestyle with approximately 2–3 hours of outdoor time each day when weather, naps, and schedules allow, including parks, playgrounds, walks, outdoor meals, libraries, classes, and neighborhood outings.
• Safely transport both children to activities and confidently manage car seats, getting two young children in and out of the car, and transitions while away from home.

Meals & Children's Spaces

• Assemble simple breakfasts, lunches, and snacks using food prepared or stocked by the parents, and prepare and serve age-appropriate solids for the baby. The parents handle most cooking.
• Maintain children's spaces and belongings, including children's laundry, bottles and dishes, toy rotation, resetting play areas, and cleaning up messes created during meals and activities.
• Maintain a screen-free environment for the children while they are in the nanny's care.

Communication

• Communicate openly with the parents about the children's day and share meaningful observations about sleep, eating, behavior, development, or anything requiring their attention.

What the Ideal Candidate Looks Like

The ideal nanny is warm, highly attuned, calm, capable, proactive, and genuinely invested in doing the job well — someone who:

• Observes before stepping in. They pay close attention to what each child is communicating, give them room to explore and work through age-appropriate challenges when it is safe to do so, and recognize when support, redirection, or intervention is actually needed.
• Stays calm and follows through. They acknowledge emotions, offer choices when appropriate, communicate expectations clearly, and mean what they say so the children learn what to expect. Boundaries are held without yelling, shaming, or turning every difficult moment into a lengthy negotiation.
• Takes genuine ownership. Once a routine, developmental exercise, or new approach has been discussed, they learn it, ask the necessary questions, and incorporate it into the children's day without repeated reminders.
• Can confidently manage two young children at once, prioritize competing needs, and make thoughtful decisions throughout the day.
• Naturally thinks ahead rather than waiting to be told what to do next.
• Enjoys active, engaging days filled with outdoor time, play, outings, reading, conversation, and exploration.
• Communicates clearly and collaboratively with the parents and is comfortable both sharing observations and receiving feedback.
• Has high integrity and takes pride in the positive impact they have on the children and the family's day-to-day life.
• Brings strong experience and thoughtful ideas while remaining flexible and respectful of the family's parenting approach.

Experience & Requirements

• Strong professional nanny experience caring for infants and toddlers.
• Demonstrated experience independently caring for an infant and toddler simultaneously.
• Strong infant-care knowledge, including feeding, solids, sleep routines, developmental milestones, and choking safety.
• Strong toddler-care and behavior-management experience.
• Excellent English communication skills.
• Valid driver's license and excellent recent driving record.
• Confident driving children and knowledgeable about car-seat safety.
• Safe, reliable vehicle preferred (mileage reimbursed).
• Infant/Child CPR and First Aid certification, preferably through an in-person course, or willingness to obtain before starting.
• Physically able to lift and carry an infant, engage in floor play, manage a stroller and two young children during outings, and keep up with an active toddler.
• Legally authorized to work in the United States.
• Non-smoker.
• Able to make a long-term commitment.

Nice to Have

• Familiarity with Montessori-inspired principles — supporting independence, allowing children to participate in practical everyday tasks, and thoughtfully preparing their environment.

How the Family Wants to Work With Their Nanny

The parents want their nanny to have real ownership of the children's day. They do not expect to create an hour-by-hour schedule or repeatedly remind someone about established responsibilities.

At the same time, they are highly involved parents and want larger decisions around sleep, feeding, potty training, behavior, and development to be collaborative. They appreciate a nanny who brings observations and ideas, communicates openly, and can confidently implement an agreed-upon approach so the children experience consistency across caregivers.

They want someone who understands the difference between a day-to-day decision they can confidently make independently and a larger parenting or values-based decision that should be brought to the parents for discussion.

Above all, they are looking for someone who takes pride in being a professional nanny, naturally thinks ahead, and wants to build a trusted, long-term relationship with the entire family.

Compensation & Benefits

• $40–$48/hour depending on experience.
• $83,200–$99,840 guaranteed annual base pay.
• 40 guaranteed hours per week.
• Legal W-2 employment.
• 2 weeks paid vacation.
• Paid holidays.
• Mileage reimbursement for on-duty driving in the nanny's own vehicle.