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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...

OP posts:
Are your children’s vaccines up to date?
uwila · 13/04/2005 14:15

And who are you calling old????

uwila · 13/04/2005 14:14

Not guilty! I haven't even read their thread. Let alone posted on it.

Gwenick · 13/04/2005 13:54

I know embarassing hey Jools - When people here my surname they often mistake ME as the foreigner and think DH is British.............guess you can see why I'm not fussy how good a nanny's English would be

Ameriscot2005 · 13/04/2005 13:53

Maybe that's a clue. Is riled an Americanism (I'm "bilingual" and can't always tell ). My guess, in that case, would be our resident wise old owl!

JoolsToo · 13/04/2005 13:53

no - its english!

Ameriscot2005 · 13/04/2005 13:53

Maybe that's a clue. Is riled an Americanism (I'm "bilingual" and can't always tell ). My guess, in that case, would be our resident wise old owl!

JoolsToo · 13/04/2005 13:52

noooooooooooooo!

Gwenick · 13/04/2005 13:51

I wish! I'd love to be the first to do something like that! I've just had to look up the word 'riled' to see what it means - I am English honestly!

Ameriscot2005 · 13/04/2005 13:50

I must say, Guest1 is very discerning . Not me, btw. I wouldn't troll on their board out of priciple.

JoolsToo · 13/04/2005 13:50

here

Marina · 13/04/2005 13:49

Link, please ladies!

JoolsToo · 13/04/2005 13:47

I thought it might be you Gwenick!

Gwenick · 13/04/2005 13:47

Was about to ask who Guest1 was - then jollied over to NJ to see if there was any updates on the MN thread (guess they're all working). PMSL at 'guest1'.............anyone going to own up?

JoolsToo · 13/04/2005 13:44

own up 'Guest 1'

skeptic · 13/04/2005 13:28

Can't argue with that, Soapbox. There's nothing like a G&T, is there? (staring at the booze shelf, tempted - but resistant).

Assuming that this thread has more-or-less run its course, can we all agree that domestic help is really a matter for the individual family and those she looks to employ.

Here are my opinions in a nutshell:

Different combinations of helper(s) (nanny plus cleaner, nanny-housekeeper, au pair) are appropriate at different stages for the family (a family with mostly babies/toddlers having very different needs to a family with pre-teens, and a family with one child very different from a larger family).

The first dibs on a nanny's time is direct childcare, followed by children's cleaning, with family cleaning a distant third. But exposure to a clean & tidy ethic is important to children, so there is no place for demarcation disputes.

The national origin is not so important as the personal attributes of the helper, taking into account education, training, language competence, driver etc. Hiring a foreign worker brings both plusses and minuses compared to a homegrown nanny.

Domestic help is highly subject to market rules - supply/demand etc., and EU workers are just as entitled to apply for jobs in this country as UK citizens.

Oh, and that mothers know best!

soapbox · 13/04/2005 12:18

I know but there is something very soothing about that first sip of a really cold, zingy G&T...

God forget shopping in my lunch hour - where's the nearest pub

Issymum · 13/04/2005 12:09

This reply has been withdrawn

This has been withdrawn by MNHQ at OP's request

soapbox · 13/04/2005 12:08

I work... not I worked!

soapbox · 13/04/2005 12:07

Issymum - I worked damned hard to make sure I have time for lounging around drinking G&Ts on the sofa in the evening

Gwenick · 13/04/2005 11:58

Issymum - RL????? What's that

uwila · 13/04/2005 11:56

Speaking of squeezing life's necessities into lunch, I am now off to swap some girl baby clothes for boy ones. (Friend just had ababy girl. I shall soon have a boy. I already have a girl, and she already has a boy... so we are doing a clothes swap)

Be back later.... don't talk too much in my absense!

soapbox · 13/04/2005 11:53

Gwen - most working parents get home at a time when children are on the wind down for bed IME, so the mess making capability is quite limited in that time!

On that basis I'm assuming that both nanny and parents only have adult based messes to tidy up!

God this is getting ridiculous - the hair splitting is getting to me

We all work bloody hard - nannies included - why do we have to compete as to who works the hardest? The question really is about what value we place on that work and I was trying to say that if we don't value it when done by a nanny how can we value it when done by the parents???

Issymum · 13/04/2005 11:52

This reply has been withdrawn

This has been withdrawn by MNHQ at OP's request

uwila · 13/04/2005 11:50

Soapbox,
"So the nanny works all day and then has to do all her own stuff,"

I'm just saying she can usually do some of it whilst at work, whereas most jobs would not allow that. Granted she can't clean her kitchen while she is sitting in my house. But, if my tddler is sleeping, she can pay her bills, or when my toddler wakes up, she can run by the chemist to get her prescription filled (so long as they don't have some other scheduled activity to attend).

Issymum · 13/04/2005 11:49

This reply has been withdrawn

This has been withdrawn by MNHQ at OP's request