What Are Granny Nannies (or Granny Au Pairs)?
“Granny Nannies” or “Granny Au Pairs” are experienced women, usually aged 50 to 75, who live with a host family abroad to help with childcare and light household duties. The idea combines the cultural exchange of an Au Pair stay with the life experience of a parent or grandparent.
Growing numbers of families appreciate Granny Nannies for their patience, maturity and reliability — especially when younger Au Pairs may be less available or experienced.
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Granny Nanny FAQ
Granny nannies are mostly women of older age who want to help young parents with their child care and housework.
A Granny Nanny usually lives with the host family like an Au Pair, while a regular Nanny is an employed childcare worker who lives independently. Granny Nannies focus more on cultural exchange and family life, not on formal employment contracts.
There are Au Pair Agencies specialising on Granny Nannies. Also Facebook and other Au Pair websites are good sources where you can find Granny nannies.
Very often the women have had children themselves and therefore have a lot of experience. They are also generally more patient balanced when dealing with the kids.
It depends all on what language skills the host parents expect and how old the kids are. A Spanish speaking Granny Nanny is great for teaching kids Spanish. If she can not communicate in English and the kids are small, it may be less safe if something happens outside the house.
Most Granny Nannies are between 50 and 75 years old. Agencies typically accept applicants who are healthy, active and able to manage daily childcare tasks.
Payment varies. Some families offer pocket money similar to Au Pairs, others provide only free board and lodging plus extras such as public-transport tickets or cultural activities. Clarify all expectations before arrival.
Yes, visa requirements depend on the host country. In the EU and UK, Granny Nannies from abroad may need a cultural-exchange or domestic-worker visa. Always check official immigration rules before travelling.
Health and liability insurance are essential. Some programs include coverage through the agency; otherwise, private international insurance should be arranged.
Yes. While most participants are women, older men with childcare experience can also apply. The term “Granny Nanny” simply describes the age group, not gender.
Typical stays range from three months to one year, depending on visa limits and the family’s needs. Some continue for several years with the same family if both sides agree.
Many agencies recommend or require a medical certificate confirming general fitness for travel and childcare duties.
Families value their reliability, emotional maturity and ability to support routines calmly — especially helpful for babies or during stressful times such as moving or new jobs.
Learning basic language phrases, arranging health insurance, and discussing expectations in writing helps ensure a smooth cultural exchange.
What exactly are Granny Nannies?
Granny Nannies and Granny Au Pairs are, as you might guess from the term, women at the age of fifty up to seventy-five who want to take care of somebody’s children, often in a foreign country. Very often, these people just retired, their own children are already grown-up and they live they live with only their partner or on their own. Sometimes, they are single because their partner unfortunately already passed away. Many Granny Nannies don’t have a lot of duties at home, maybe because they don’t have grand children to look after yet and so they long for exploring the world, without thinking about their age. And yes, who says they have to stay at home for the rest of their life?
Which advantages offer Granny Nannies?
The concept of a Granny Au Pair usually is closely related to the concept of “normal” Au Pairs. They usually live with the Host Family and take care of the children when the parents have to work. The do the school and nursery runs, take the children to activities, feed and play with them until the parents come home. So far this is what regular Au Pairs also do. The only major difference is the age of the Granny Nanny.
The age of a Granny Nanny can be something very positive for you and your children. The majority of these elderly women raised their own children, and hence, they are very experienced with children in all ages. They also went through phases, where children and parents don’t get along very well. If you face difficult phases with any of your children while the Granny Nanny is working for you, her experience can help a lot to improve the situation. Somebody else than a parent can play a neutral, mediating role in this family. And normally Granny Nannies tend to be very calm because of their age and experience.
Is there anything special to keep in mind before hiring a Granny Nanny?
If you consider looking for a Granny Nanny there are some things you have to keep in mind and to consider. Thinking about the age of Granny Nannies, do not forget that elderly people tend to be exhausted slightly easier than younger Au Pairs. So, make sure that the Granny Au Pair does get her breaks during the day if needed and does not have to work a long period of time without a break.
Granny Au Pairs do not necessarily ask for pocket money as it may feel a bit strange to live with a family like their “Granny” and then get paid a pocket money for helping with the children and a bit of household. You should discuss this with a prospective Granny Nanny in advance. Maybe she would be more happy about theatre tickets or the travel card for public transport. These things need to be clarified right from the start. Regarding the age of your Granny Au Pair, it might be an advantage to provide a room which is not on the top floor.
And you could consider to ask the Granny Au Pair to provide a medical check. In other countries than the UK it is quite normal that Au Pairs – no matter what age – undergo a health check. The climate changes, unknown food and completely different circumstances could cause some troubles for elderly nannies at the beginning, so a health check-up is always a good way to avoid bigger surprises.
Is it easy to communicate with foreign Granny Nannies?
Not all elder people know English that well, because they may have learned it at school 50 years back – if they have learned at all. However older people normally are confident enough to communicate in any kind of ways: Using hand and feet if neccessary.
If you speak a second language, you could try to look for a Granny Nanny who speaks this language as her native or second language to make sure that you have one language in common with the Granny Nanny. It is definitely a little bit more difficult for elderly people to learn a new language, so trying to minimise communicative problems would be good.
How to find a Granny Nanny?
As some prospective Granny Nannies do not use Facebook or other social media channels, you will have the best chances to find a Granny Nanny when contacting Granny Nanny agencies. You will have to pay a certain amount of money but usually, these agencies are well organised and you will have less headaches.
If you have young children, you should definitely try to find a energetic women who can run behind your children in the park without having trouble. Especially for very young, baby-aged children, a Granny Nanny could be a very good decision. So why not discuss this childcare option in your family and give it a try?
If you want to read more about other childcare options, please check out our pages for Demi Au Pair, Nanny and summer Au Pair.