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Original poster

Where is the respect for nannies?

131 replies

Caramellatteandchocolate · 15/01/2012 22:02

I have been a nanny for 15 years. I have had mainly very sucesfully positions, but the odd one where families have been completely out of order and generally lacked respect.

Having read through a number of the the threads I have to ask where is the respect for nannies? We generally work much longer hours than the parents, we look after what should be the most precious thing in a parents life, but yet constantly have to put up with mothers being petty and unreasonable, is it a jealously thing or what?

Many mothers are quite rude to there nannies and very unreasonable, think that they can treat them like something the have trodden in and expect them to be slaves around the house!

Many families don't think twice to paying late, coming home late and not apologising or offering to pay the extra or offer the time off, yet if the roles were to be reversed the nanny would be given a stern talking to. If a nanny is unwell they are often made to feel guilty for the inconvienience is has caused, when we ar all human and occasionally can't work.

As a nanny we have no protection and is the only job where people get taken advantage of and treated with such little respect, it just wouldn't be allowed in other professions cause people would have grievances made against them.

Most of us do a fantastic job, please remember a happy nanny means happy children!

OP posts:
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spenditwisely · 15/01/2012 22:35

I texted my employer to say that I was very ill with the flu - her response was 'well I can't not work so I will see you tomorrow'. It's the assumption that there was going to be no compromise that I didn't like. No attempt to find another arrangement or consider an alternative - it was a case of 'my needs are more important than yours'. The job didn't last.

confusedpixie · 15/01/2012 22:27

Whoops, posted too soon:
Just like there are bad nannies, there are bad families I was supposed to add!

ssd · 15/01/2012 22:26

op, I couldn;t agree with you more

I nannied years ago and found what you found to be absolutely correct

I am now a mum and I don't think it is all jealousy (although thats part of it)

I just think some people are colder/harder work/willing to take advantage more than others

and some people are usually quite nice for most of the time

one thing I do know is that people put on a front when they are at work, then drop the pretence when they walk through their front door and unfortunately you get to see their true selves

I usually found mothers thought I was beneath them for wanting to work in childcare, as it seemed to be the last thing they;d want to do

its a really hard job, especially if you live in (which I always did)

confusedpixie · 15/01/2012 22:26

I agree that there is a general lack of respect for nannies, but I think that the majority of the normal families with nannies have a huge deal of respect for us which is why they trust us with their children. It's more the general public who I find have a lack of respect, and then it's through ignorance and daily mail-ish opinions as opposed to genuinely looking down on us (only rich asshats and/or celebrities have nannies, nannies get paid shedloads to play all day, nannies are destroying our families, new breed of 'super nanny', usual child-worker bollocks too, etc etc etc)

nannynick · 15/01/2012 22:12

Many mothers are quite rude to there nannies and very unreasonable, think that they can treat them like something the have trodden in and expect them to be slaves around the house!

That is certainly not my experience. So maybe it's a gender thing? Or maybe I've just chosen well in terms of which families I work for.

fuckityfuckfuckfuck · 15/01/2012 22:03

You sound lovely.