Is a Norland nanny worth it?

[Internationalpony]

Hi all,

We’re looking at getting a nanny and I love the idea of a Norland nanny for the following reasons:

1. They’re people who have truly chosen nannying as a vocation and haven’t just drifted into it
2. After a three year degree they’ll have a real in depth knowledge of child development so will be actively developing DC not just looking after them
3. They develop a weekly meal plan and activity plan - I’d find this so reassuring and beneficial
4. It seems like they’d do things to make our lives easier in so many other ways e.g. responsible for keeping the nursery tidy, DC laundry, will even meal prep for DC for the weekend
5. There are a clear set of expectations set out by Norland on what the nanny does and doesn’t do which can help to avoid any potential problems further down the line

However they’re of course very expensive, even for a newly qualified one, and we’d only consider a live out arrangement.

Obviously affordability is very personal but my question is, how easy is it to find other nannies who are just as good and proactively focus on child development? Are most other nannies happy to / expect to do similar duties? Where else have people found good nannies?

Finally, we have recently relocated to Northern England which another reason I’m concerned about finding a good nanny - there is so much more choice in London! Would any Norland nanny want to or be willing to be based here? Has anyone had a Norland nanny in the North before?

Thanks in advance!

Beware Northern England🤣🤣🤣🤣
Sigh

I know! It's like childcare professionals in the North aren't good enough.

I would far, far rather have an experienced and well recommended non Norlander than a highly trained but inexperienced Norlander. References from previous parent employers and experience count for so much IMO. I suspect they cost about the same, though haven’t checked.

I also get creeped out by the uniforms, and I suspect they stop your nanny making other nanny friends and having playdates. I also think they have a bizarre emphasis on ironing baby muslins and the like. Perhaps they have relaxed about this though.

You don't have to have your Nanny wearing the uniform. It's personal choice.

And what's wrong with ironing muslins? Are iron all of my DCs things

Why would you want them to meal plan for the baby on the weekends too? Don’t you want to cook for your child at all? And what’s wrong with the childcare professionals of the North? Do you think normal nanny’s don’t meal or activity plan? It’s pretty bog standard for any type of childcare.

Nothing’s wrong with ironing stuff if you have oodles of spare time

I’ve never had that much spare time when looking after a baby though. Maybe I’ve been doing it wrong.

I had nothing but time when I had a baby! They don't move I was bored for months until mine started walking

Suddenly became demons at age 3...

This thread is reminding me of the Catherine Tate sketch about the Nanny 'from up North'

As someone who experienced Norland nannies as a child - back when they had a nursery - the sight of the uniform just gives me a feeling of warmth and happiness.

No idea about whether to hire one now, but my earliest memories are of being very happy at Norlands and the uniform is just magic.

In my experience the Norland nanny is likely to hit the ground running, not because they're simply ready to get stuck in, but because they really understand how to build a trusting bond, child development and boundaries with the family etc. You can find someone who knows and can do all this without that training but our Norland nanny was the only one out of seven we interviewed, and two we trialled who prioritised engaging with the children when we met, bought toys for the interview and could answer all our questions about parenting approaches. That foundational knowledge is so critical. Experience is important but without the knowledge they're not necessarily providing what you need more than a very experienced babysitter who knows first aid.

It's a mirin any children survive
Im "The North" really isn't it 🤷🏻‍♀️

To be clear my question re: the North was about the fact Norland College is in Bath and after graduating most move to London and the Home Counties so I’m not sure a Norland nanny would want to relocate to the North.

Outside of Norland nannies I imagine nannies in the North and South are the same but it’s easier to find a nanny in London because there are so many.

It tells you on the website that you can hire the nannies all over the country and abroad. So I can’t see why they’d avoid ‘the North’.

Eeeh, a soft southern lass will ne'er cope wi' t'kids mitherin' all day, Get thysen a Northern Nanny 😄

They don’t wear the uniform day to day!

Norland nannies in the regions cost 40k (including registration fees) + the cost of setting up payroll, pension contributions etc. I’m sure a local nanny would be cheaper.

No Norland nanny is inexperienced because even a newly qualified one will have done multiple placements. I would give a nanny a good reference if they were nice, kept my child safe etc. but I’m wondering if they’d have the same level of knowledge of child development and how much difference that makes.

Where do you search for other nannies? From looking at online agencies, most registered in my area seem to be students.

Don’t you want to cook for your child at all?

Nope. Hell no! If I could outsource providing varied, nutritious food for my DC to the kitchen fairy, then I would so do this. I hate cooking and I hate martyrdom so this would be a no-brainer for me.

They’re people who have truly chosen nannying as a vocation and haven’t just drifted into it

OP, I get this. I've been to my fair share of playgroups and hung out in my fair share of playgrounds and I've seen lots of superstar nannies and childminders, but also a fair sprinkling of lacklustre, unengaged ones. You're not saying "Non-Norland = CBA" or any nonsense like that, but like you I'd hope that a 3 year degree would weed out the latter group.

There are a clear set of expectations set out by Norland on what the nanny does and doesn’t do which can help to avoid any potential problems further down the line

I think this is incredibly helpful when it comes to the nanny-employer relationship.

I've never employed a Norland nanny but if you can afford it, personally I can see the benefits. You're probably paying over the top, yes, and of course there are many great non-Norland nannies who would be equally fantastic, but what you're paying for is to reduce the risk that you don't end up with one of these.

I’m concerned about finding a good nanny - there is so much more choice in London!

Realistically there is more choice in London but there are good nannies everywhere. Particularly if you're looking for live-out, living in an area without extortionate housing costs could work to your advantage.

I’d love them to meal prep healthy meals for DC for the weekends, yes. Why? So I don’t have to spend time at the weekend putting thought into what meals to make, making sure I have the right ingredients in and cooking. Why wouldn’t I want them to have made DCs meals? It’s one less thing for me to do, one less thing for me to have to think about!

Don’t you cook for yourself though?

😂

I wonder how far North the OP is?

I'm sure there must be plenty of northerners who have trained at Norland who'd like a job closer to their home area. There might even be a few southern born Norlanders who are brave enough to venture to the frozen wastes.

And just think, most children are brought up by people who bumble around pretty clueless to begin with but generally get it right overall.

OP, is this child actually here yet? Because if you can't be arsed feeding your kid, I'd suggest that maybe parenting is not the gig for you.

Speaking for myself only, not if I can avoid it. If I didn't have DC, I'd snack instead on bread, cheese, cold meat, soup, olives, houmous, stuff like that, and give up cooking altogether. I have no desire to be whipping up 'family meals' like lasagne, spag bol, fish pie and toad in the hole. I only do it out of habit because when I was a very new mum weaning my DC1, the health visitor told me that this is what I should be doing or my DC would never develop healthy eating habits 🙄.

Are you sure about the £40K. That seems low unless just qualified - does that include the fees? The rates go up each year.

What else can you offer? How much travel? What other staff do you have? How many homes do you own? What car will they have sole use of ? Own cottage or rooms in a house? I assume that you are providing somewhere for them to live out?

There is nothing wrong with outsourcing some of the dross of parenting if you get the chance. Less time cooking means more time hanging out with your kids.

We eat out a lot at weekends which means I make something for DC at home and bring it out with us. If I cook then I usually have to adapt what I’m making for DC. It’s one less thing to think about if someone has meal prepped in advance.