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!

I think you will find, having moved "ooop north" as we say or "north of the m25" as the southerners describe it - nannies are illegal.
children after being born are sent to the forest and woodlands to learn survival skills and be reared by wolves.

Why not?

Woah. Fuck me! I think you've just seriously offended a LOT of Nannies with that post!! Seriously rude!

If you can afford a Norland nanny I doubt you have to ask this board if she is worth it.

The shoulders of the posters from the north must be heaving under all those chips you’re carrying!

Because you need a pre tax income of about £120k just to cover the salary (your income minus tax and pension just to pay their salary) and overall wages are lower in the North.

Only on MN would someone describe having to cook for their own offspring as martyrdom. Do get a grip.

I don't think OP is asking us if she can afford it, just wether it is worth it.

I think you’ve misinterpreted what I’m saying. There are lots of great nannies, there are also lots of people who call themselves nannies and might be students or have limited knowledge of child development and ultimately do the same job as a babysitter but during the daytime. If you get a Norland nanny you know you’re definitely not getting the latter. I’m not saying all non-Norland nannies are the latter.

Rather Norland than 'fuck me', for sure 😂

I have one, thank you 😉.

That's why I disagree with some posters that outsourcing an activity you don't enjoy if you can is a major parenting fail.

I really hope the Op lives 10yds past Watford 😂

I don't see why?

I've had nannies. Never a Norland. Some were great. Some were shite. All those we hired presented wonderfully in their interviews and trial shifts. After a few weeks, there was certainly one who I can recall being exactly like a glorified babysitter. An uninterested, glorified babysitter.

The one we hired after our first (very average) nanny moved away, was outstanding. She stayed for years and years. She moved away too. We then had useless nanny after useless nanny until I couldn't be arsed to do another trial period and never hired another.

My ex's sister had a Norland. She was head and shoulders above the rest. You certainly get what you pay for.

Tedious northern stereotypes are not as funny as you think. Anyone would think you had a chip on your shoulder.

We didn’t take a pay cut when we moved to the North. On average wages are lower yes, but there’s people on low and high incomes in the North and South. We don’t have unlimited funds where we don’t have to consider cost at all but we know we can afford one.

funny you mention that. actually this is a recognised medical conditions. every year many northerners need shoulder surgery due to carrying massive bags of chips at all times. in some regions, the chips are battered - which are of course much heavier.

and delicious.

Any professional qualified nanny should be able to do what a 'norland nanny' does

You are paying for a name like Heinz bakes Beans

Yes some great Norland nannies about

Equally some useless one who just don't know what to do and how to interact with kids

Few threads over the years on mn about the brown gang

I think it would depend on the needs of the employer.

I have a friend who is an obstetrician, mother of twins, and through tragic circumstances, a single parent. Her nanny lives in the family home because she is on call once every three weeks (on top of the unpredictable daily hours), and no other arrangement would be feasible.

I am sure you'll find the right nanny for your child and your family situation.

I think a lot of issues arise when parents don't sit down and think deeply and in detail before hiring a nanny about what they need from that person in terms of demeanour/ personality, flexibility, what they would see as a good connection with their child, what sort of person their child generally warms to, general interests of the nanny (horses, football, jolly times in the park, imagination games, crafts), ability and willingness of the nanny to supervise little friends and chat with their nannies or parents, patience level - there's a lot, on top of the paper qualifications.

Going the Norland route would make the choice a lot easier for you.

Chip butty maybe.

Lighten up a bit. Anyone with half a grain of humour would know that this is sarcasm

Nurses in my local county hospital (US, woth a major city in the county) make salaries equal to or even over the private healthcare systems. If they didn't, the county hospital would have no staff.

A friend of my DD's started at $52k straight out of nursing school and three weeks after she passed her boards last year. When she's finished her specialty her salary will jump.

The comparison is between egregiously low British salaries for nurses and adequate but could be better salaries in the US.

Aslong as the chip has gravy on it I'm good

American salaries are much higher across all sectors. The UK tends to have better benefits - annual leave, sick leave, maternity pay etc.

Because she wants to and she can afford it.

DS has severe allergies to many many things, so we cooked everything organic and from scratch (the proper absolute scratch, we couldn’t even use chicken cubes). The day that the cook at his private school started cooking allergen free meals at school, from scratch, for him. I was so very grateful, we had our weekends back and recovered a big part of our life that was devoted to the kitchen so yes, if you can afford it go for it with no guilt.

Not wanting to enslave yourself in the kitchen doesn’t make you a bad mother if you are providing heathy meals to your kid.

@PadstowGirl

It's a different world, I think .