Views on nannies

This is a fine opinion but two counter arguments.

If nannies were not available would women be able to do many of these jobs where female representation actually has a significant positive effect on multiple levels for the quality of life of all women. Or would women be confined to making a decision between children or career because men won't give up their careers.

What alternative jobs are there available for these nannies?

On here I have read a thread where someone was moving to the Middle East. They asked if they would need a housekeeper and a nanny or would the housekeeper look after the kids too. And people replied that it’s normal in that country to get the housekeeper to look after the kids! How colonial of them.
This housekeeper would basically be taking on two jobs. The OP is moving there as wages are higher but she will be employing a cheap worker and having a life style that she could never have in this country thanks to exploitation.

We've had a right funny lot on here lately. I suspect the nannies are incidental. Keep posting!

Your contributions to this thread have been nothing but snark at the OP, right from the start. You say you're not trying to chase her away. So what are you trying to achieve, exactly? Obviously not a constructive discussion of the subject of the thread.

I’ve been a nanny for many years. I’m well educated and British born with the shires accent. I do get undercut by foreign born Nannie’s who will work for less money. There is a big problem with being forced to be self employed so no sick or holiday pay and no pension etc.

I absolutely love my job but it’s low pay. (I mostly childminder now since having my own children) I have a degree I could do something else but I love my work.

Parents tend not to hire a full time nanny with their own child, that’s more for after school nanny work. It doesn’t fit around your own children because your school runs for your children are rarely to the school in the affluent area. However if you have the baby while employed I’ve seen most Nannie’s keep their job then if they go back to work much sooner (which we have to do because it’s maternity allowance when self employed).

I won’t work for the really rich families anymore. They do tend to treat you like you are less. Same for live in jobs the kids don’t know you are off duty so unless you go out you will be on duty. Families in a 3 bed detached hiring a nanny because they have twins/weird hours/SEND child are absolutely the best families to work for as they have respect and gratitude. Single mums also brilliant.

I won’t work for single dads. In all but one job I’ve been hire by the mother interviewed and paid busy the mother and the dad stays away from the kid part of the house or is out working not around usually mum who comes home to take over. It’s eye opening where in interview the mum will praise her hands on equal husband but then the reality is mental load and childcare is on mum and the mum just can’t see it. never had anything inappropriate from the dads in the families I work for, I’ve had lots of issues in other jobs I’ve had with men. One job I didn’t take because I got creepy vibes off the dad when I did my trial. I’m not so poor I can’t insist on a trial and I never work for just one family so I have always had that option to quit if I ever did feel uncomfortable. I do know however it much easier for me to get work not having an accent and with childcare qualifications than it is for the cash in hand women. I also refuse to clean and won’t go on family holidays and am able to make that clear at interview because I have excellent references and much of my work came from word of mouth so the mums were prepared to flex to get someone they knew was good than trust someone they don’t know was good.

I don’t think this is a feminist issue. It’s no different to taking a minimum wage job to feed your family. There is definitely an issue with cash in had for immigrant women but not enough for me to say the whole industry is exploitation. I would say the women hired to clean these houses have it worse they often are less than minimum wage cash in hand and are spoken to and about like they are less than human, usually no contract so they get fired with no notice for minor stuff.

notland Nannie’s earn very well. But they work insane hours. I know of two who were hired by rich single dads and one I think was in a relationship but that’s an assumption I don’t actually know. the other intentionally looked for a single dad job to marry was open to her nanny friends and she got her wish.

The exploitation of women’s labour is an issue - within relationships/marriages even without children. I heard one woman theorising that men aren’t thriving as they used to and are angry about it because they no longer have the unpaid (and unmentioned, unappreciated, free) labour of women at home to rely on to the same extent.

It takes at least two people to have a child, although of course some children could instead be brought up by two dads, two mums, grandparents etc. Why is the premise of this argument that it’s only women who “exploit” the labour of other women? Why is it not that both parents are exploiting the nanny? Why is a man not exploiting a nanny when his wife is the higher earner? What is considered exploitative in terms of wages, T&Cs and what is not? I am very suspicious of “choice” feminism as no choices are made in a socioeconomic or cultural vacuum, but can a woman not choose to be a nanny? They are not all poor, vulnerable women without other opportunities, choices or support to change careers. Nannies also do have children of their own and take maternity leave, which is obviously protected in the UK though not in the USA.

DOI: We have a nanny who is paid more than I was 3 years into a graduate career. Her hours, duties etc are mutually agreed.

😆

“interrogation”

maybe you should reconsider a career in criminal law if you think two questions is an interrogation.

19…. you spend a lot of time on mumsnet… each to their own but surely there’s more exciting things to be doing at 19?!

Funny that!

I don't really recognise the image you're painting here at all, OP. Maybe in the US it's more normal to employ women without many options (eg without a work permit) as a nanny at an exploitative wage, and I'm sure we are all against that. Nannying in the UK is generally a professional job with decent pay- my old nanny was on the equivalent of £50k. It's not really equivalent to your old summer job.

a poor woman who would much rather be with her own children but takes a nanny job bc of the one-wage system no longer working

How is this different from anyone doing a job because they have bills to pay?

The young ex norland nanny I knew is very well paid, working with a team of Nannie’s, has own driver, cook etc, needless to say she’s not working in the uk now!

Most proper Nannie’s in the U.K. I’ve met are professional and paid well, they rarely live in and if they do they have their own apartment within the property.

the same cannot be said for the situation in other countries where they hire from low income countries and sometimes there’s dubious recruitment practices, holding of passports etc.

There always seems far more angst around paying a third party to do ‘women’s work’, eg cleaning, looking after children, than there is around ‘contracting out’ ‘men’s work’ eg decorating, mowing the lawn.

And you’re… 18? 19?

Odd how I am a “girl boss” but my husband is never a “boy boss”. And also odd how judgments are drawn on whether I should be working Ft in a busy and senior role as opposed to looking after kids but not my husband.

Are you studying law?