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Paid childcare

Discuss everything related to paid childcare here, including childminders, nannies, nurseries and au pairs.

Nannies: market rates (bit controversial)

878 replies

Tanzie · 10/04/2005 19:35

Having read on another thread ("Paying Nannies when sick") gripes from UK nannies about jobs going to girls from accession countries who will work for less, (and do more in the way of housework), is this not just pushing the market rate down for qualified/experienced nannies?

I am not in UK, but I would look at it as providing more affordable childcare, provided you can find someone trustworthy and reliable. I lived in UK briefly about 4 years ago and a nanny friend of mine was earning GBP 25,000 and got a flat thrown in with it. This is more than I was earning at the time and could never have afforded this sort of money for someone to look after my children.

I am not suggesting slave labour from Central European girls, or paying them an au pair's "pocket money" for what is essentially a nanny job, but paying them a reasonable wage and providing free accommodation means that a lot of people, who could not afford a nanny or nursery fees, will probably be able to get back to work.

Of course, there will always be those who want a Norland nanny and can afford one, but it seems to me that your average Mum would welcome these Central Europeans with open arms...

I'll run and hide now...

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Beetroot · 10/04/2005 23:56

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Tinker · 10/04/2005 23:56

Damn, an addictive thread just as I need to go to bed. Go beety et al !

colditzmum · 10/04/2005 23:55

Ellienj, if you make sweeping statements, you are going to be expected to justify them.

THAT is a fact.

omega2 · 10/04/2005 23:55

so did my mum what i was saying is i am not good at languages but maybe if i had started learning them earlier i might have been

ScotsNanny · 10/04/2005 23:55

So what with re to the whole uni thing!!! I know pleanty of woman who went to uni, mostly to be teachers, but prefered being a nanny!!

Beetroot · 10/04/2005 23:55

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Ellienj · 10/04/2005 23:54

colditzmum - read the post - i said if it was statiscally worked out - ie pro ratored down!!

Beetroot · 10/04/2005 23:54

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lockets · 10/04/2005 23:53

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omega2 · 10/04/2005 23:52

no but i am not good at languages and yes i could go to evening classes but it would take too long so i would rather work in an english speaking place

colditzmum · 10/04/2005 23:52

Ellienj, you did NOT say pro rata, you said-

"there would be one bad nanny - to three or four bad mothers!"

Ellienj · 10/04/2005 23:52

Beetroot - wow you went to Uni should I kneel for you! ;)

As i ROLL my eyes YOu can have an opinion without a FACT, I dont need a degree to know that!

CroNanny · 10/04/2005 23:51

Sorry that was suppose to say Croatian Nanny

Lisa2 · 10/04/2005 23:51

I work for an Asian family and am very proud, surley, they would notice if i am racist which i am NOT.
Silly question and to answer it for you.... NO you dont need to take a test!!!

Martini · 10/04/2005 23:51

Just diving in a long way along this thread and haven't read all the grisly detail but a couple of things caught my eye.

Nannies - it does nothing to help your cause by making comments about asylum seekers/ immigrants "taking our jobs" - this is certainly not the case in London where, in my recent experience, the main competition to English nannies are nannies from the EU accession states who have as much right to work here as you do to work in the rest of the EU.

As far as training is concerned, I'm with you Ameriscot - my experience from interviewing rather a lot of nannies recently is that training is no substitute for intelligence & motivation and several of the unqualified Euro nannies I interviewed were streets ahead in this respect.

The issue of housework - well I don't really expect a nanny to do the housework but I do agree with Ameriscot that it's possible to do housework and provide a stimulating environment for your children at the same time - my kids are always copying me doing washing up/ hovering etc. They love it (ah the innocence of youth).

Finally, the main point was about the cost of nannies - well all the nannies I interviewed were asking for the same wage so the concept of a cheap Euro nanny seems to be a bit of a myth as far as I can see, unless you expect an au pair to do a nanny job, which I don't.

Tanzie · 10/04/2005 23:51

Oh FFS, Omega2, don't blame the education system! If you want to work abroad, you can learn another language at evening classes, or get the basics and the rest will come when you're out there. I wasn't taught Polish at school.

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PennyLane79 · 10/04/2005 23:50

If I wanted to work in a non english speaking country I would learn the language.

ScotsNanny · 10/04/2005 23:50

what was in the paper?

colditzmum · 10/04/2005 23:50

Hey, if you want to learn a language, you can go to night school.

Ellienj · 10/04/2005 23:49

colditzmum: my opinion was based on if it was 'pro-rata' if you READ my post!!

Tanzie · 10/04/2005 23:49

CroNanny - Eureka. The voice of common sense.

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omega2 · 10/04/2005 23:48

well i would work in a non-english speaking country if i could master the language, but unfortunately due to our education system i din't start learning foreign languages until 12 so found it hard. I went to state schools so was stuck with that system

Beetroot · 10/04/2005 23:48

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lockets · 10/04/2005 23:48

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Tanzie · 10/04/2005 23:48

Oooh my longest thread yet. And a nice controversial one...

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