Celebrity Nanny here

[AnotherCareerThread]

Noticed the trend of career threads recently so thought I'd join in, always get loads of questions when my job comes up on here.

I'm a Nanny/Governess specialising in High Net Worth/ViP families - happy to answer any questions

What were the best family you worked for like?

What is the average age of your charges and how many charges in a family have you had at a time?

To not want to share some of the horrendous experiences I have had would make me soulless, which I think would make me far less suitable for a role which is completely about caring for a child/children and making sure they are growing emotionally, mentally and physically. If I was mindlessly not caring about what was going on around me, I wouldn't be able to provide that complex care.

But wanting to share it, doesn't equate to caring. I presume if there was any bad treatment to the children then obviously you would need to let the correct people know, but other than that, I don't think anything else.

Finding this very interesting as a friend of mine was nanny to a few minor celebs in the 90s, including one or two It Girls - some of whom were lovelier than others

Question for OP: Do you ever stay in touch with families after you've moved on?

Do you find some mothers are jealous of your relationship with the children? Yes, and I'm pretty sure I've been made redundant for this before.

Don’t you worry about missing out on other things. I think your job sounds amazing but it also seems like it might be isolating and a bit lonely. yes, all of the time. I have a rule to never be away from home longer than 10 weeks (I've found that to be my mental limit) and I have an age in my head when I'll quit for good.

Do the parents allow you to discipline the children?
If you had a different view on discipline, how would you deal with it? yes, I've been told to hit before. (I didn't)
I ask at discipline at interview and if we don't match I won't take the job. If something does crop up that I disagree with, we talk about it before it becomes an issue. My biggest rule is to not undermine me (or vice versa) in front of the kids, and we can discuss changes after.

But why would you want to share ? because I'm sure she, like all humans, socialises by sharing experiences and opinions - and its a forum relating to exactly that.
It must be exhausted to be terminally offended by something that doesn't remotely affect you.

Thank you for this OP..fascinating thread!!

I thought I’d hate this thread but it’s actually really interesting. I’m a former nanny and worked for one high profile family for about 18 months. Fascinating but agree with so much of what Another has said

It must be exhausted to be terminally offended by something that doesn't remotely affect you.

I'm not offended. i just think it's a bit off. Anyway, I don't want an argumentso I will leave you all to it. England have just won the football so not going to let anything spoil my evening. I wish you well.

I know someone who nannies for well known people. Some very interesting insights.

Do you personally recommend controlled crying for babies under 6 months? Do you try any other methods first or is it a question of doing what your employer tells you?

I'm quite surprised that a nanny would do controlled crying on a very small baby.

I don't want this to sound as goady as it probably does but what sets you apart from the 'normal' £600 a week nannies to justify you being paid so much? The hours and the need for discretion?

(Although I'm pretty sure my nanny would walk at the first sign of me clicking her fingers even at 1500 a week)

Have you met any adults who were brought up by a constant series of nannies? What do they say about their childhoods and their relationship with their parents?

It seems odd to me to have children and then hardly ever see them.

I'd really love to know what a typical day in the life is like. How many days a week did you work?

I'd love to know why people don't last more than 6 months? You'd think the one thing money could buy would be consistency which is ultimately what you would want from childcare! Is it the jealousy thing? In that if you can only spend an hour a day with your child you don't want to have someone there permanently doing "your" job?

Also I'd love to know about a day in the life of a nanny who is one of many. Seriously what do they do all day!!

What's the one perk that you have as a "rich" nanny (ie parents with unlimited spending power) that you didn't have as a poor nanny. Are there better enrichment activities you could go to or is the 50p sessions in the local Church Hall just as good?

Tell me about where you could go during the day with your charge?

Also, please write a book! (If anyone could recommend one please let me know!)

Do you ever find any of the children too difficult?

AssassinatedBeauty

I’ve worked as a nanny for wealthy families before. Most would want a baby sleeping through the night between 6 and 12 weeks and would pay a maternity nanny to achieve this.

Interesting thread OP, thanks!
Did you ever sign a non-disclosure?

(In a previous life I was a PA to 1 or 2 rich & famous, also have a celeb agent pal, it's a different world isn't it? The penny pinching I thought was quite weird.)

Do they expect you to be there all the time? usually yes. I always have a suitcase packed in case we have to fly off somewhere on short notice and can't think of the last time I said no to staying late, coming in on my day off etc.

Why do they have children in that case? I couldn't say, again each to their own.

I'm guessing the people making the snarky comments have nannies themselves?

@3WildOnes but why do they care about that when the nanny/night nurse does all the night wakings anyway? It seems an odd thing to focus on.

cherrytrees123

If that's aimed at me, then the answer is no, I don't have a nanny. I have been a SAHM since my youngest was almost 1 year old and he is a teenager now.

I will never be a celeb, or a celeb Nanny, but this thread has been interesting, to say the least. Thank you.

The families I worked for didn’t have nannies 24/7 at least not after the first few months so they would have to do wake ups if they occurred occasions.

6 to 12 weeks is so so tiny. I couldn't work for someone who wanted to do controlled crying with a 6 week old.

Great thread!

Do you ever stay in touch with families you have been close to and meet up with them/see the kids again, or do you accept that when you leave a job you will never see the kids again?

Do you ever secretly long to befriend the particularly lonely or unhappy mothers and liberate them from the chains of their material/marital enslavement? Or do you think the unhappy ones don't realise fully just how unhappy they are?

How do you flush out your nose with salt water 😱