Communication Skills

Great Communication Skills are your biggest asset

You need to really listen to the parent's needs and know how to sum up situations quickly and adjust to them.  Leave your ego at the door when dealing with parents.  They are not perfect.  Both of you will make mistakes.

If a parent asks you to do something "differently" or is upset with the way you handled something--your first impulse is to get defensive.  Constructive criticism doesn't always come sugar coated.  Listen quietly--don't make excuses or come backs.  Sometimes the best reply is :I can see that bothers you and I will to be more considerate in the future on how you want to handle things".

Or even if you really feel you are being treated unfairly, "I can see we have different opinions and I want to give your feelings some thought.  Let me think about this and maybe we can talk later".

This doesn't mean you take abuse, but you do have to be open minded when you make a mistake even if it just something as simple as having a different way of thinking or doing things differently than the parents.

It helps if later when thinking over the incident, you can pretend you are the parent and try to look at it from their perspective.

On nanny on my FB board said, "The ability to help the parent improve in their parenting methods often means guiding them without them knowing you are guiding them!"

You need good instincts.  This is true whether your job is as a nanny or travel nanny.

Both professions can be stressful.  Your job is to reduce stress and it helps if you have good instincts about adults--see trigger situations and diffuse them when possible.

Sounds like you need to be a psychologist?!  Close to it at times!

Communication:  Listen, think it over, take action.