Manchester’s new army of super-smart babysitters

A new platform has just launched in Manchester to help connect students looking for fulfilling part-time jobs with parents seeking flexible and inspiring childcare solutions.

The brainchild of founder Tracey Blake, the idea for Student Nannies came about when Tracey and her husband accidentally hired a local art student to mind their two children. When they came home, they discovered the trio had created amazing craft projects together.

It got them to thinking – there are so many talented students specialising in subjects that kids love, yet so many local parents are struggling with childcare. Why not pair the two up? And that’s how Student Nannies was born.

The business is growing fast with hundreds of students from Manchester University, Manchester Metropolitan University, the University of Salford, The Royal Northern College of Music and Trafford College flocking to sign up.

After all, it’s a given that the majority of Manchester’s 100,000 students nowadays will take a part-time job whilst studying. Going to university is expensive and there’s a reason for all those jokes about students living off tins of baked beans.

Many will choose to work part-time in a shop, bar or restaurant – physically demanding jobs which often come with unstable hours, late nights and/or meagre pay (if they’re not killing it on tips, that is).

Nannying, by comparison, is much more fulfilling. Students can earn whilst they learn, have fun sharing their skills, feel like part of a family, and carry on with their studies after the kids have gone to bed.

For parents, the service offers the chance to handpick a nanny with an academic or creative specialism who can in turn aid their child’s development – they’ve already got linguists, actors, musicians, science and sports students signed up.

Students help parents to manage school pick-ups, fun after-school activities, homework, and tutoring, spreading their knowledge to a new generation of thinkers. It’s a win-win.

“The response from students in Manchester has been phenomenal and has blown us all away,” says Tracey. “We’ve signed up so much talent from virtuoso musicians to linguists, zoologists and football coaches and we’re adding new students to the platform every day.

“Plus our bright, energetic Student Nannies are young role models children will look up and actually want to spend time with – let’s face it, they are way cooler than us parents.”

Does your child need a hand with their piano practice or someone to inspire them to finish their maths homework? Then studentnannies.com could be just the thing.

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