What is the difference between a Mothers Help and a Nanny?

[nannynick]

What do you feel are the differences between a Mothers Help and a Nanny?

I feel that a Mothers Help is:
someone who helps around the home, while at least one parent is also at home the majority of the time. The Mothers Help may be left to care for children for short periods, but not all day.

I feel a Nanny is:
someone who cares for children at a families home, who also does some domestic tasks. They can care for children all day.

I'm not intending to ask for more money. I am quite happy in my job for now. I know the title doesn't matter as such, but I just wondered if my job had a specific name.

Enough hours? Do you mean that there is some definition somewhere that defines how many hours someone has to work to have the title Mothers Help?

I think that perhaps the titles we traditionally use to describe these roles, are no longer all that valid. Anyone else think similarly?

I wish there was something called a 'third parent' because that would be reallly amazing!!

probably too many nick

Hmm, 'third parent' like that idea. Certainly could be useful if you could appoint someone else to have parental rights. Carers may be in loco parentis at times, but they don't have parental rights to my knowledge - so could come across issues (such as if a child needed major surgery at a hospital).

I agree that the titles are no longer valid.

P.s. The pendants will be attacking soon. Apostrophe problems on my behalf.

Ofsted call anyone who meets the requirements of their scheme, a Home Childcarer - which at first I didn't like but thinking about it, the title is better than Nanny, Au-Pair, Mother's Help etc... it differentiates between someone who cares primarily for a child, compared to someone who care primarily for the home (housekeeper).

lilibeto - i'd say you are mothers help because beeing an aupair is /or should be/ about cultural exchange and learning a language while staying with a family and helping with children and household. the visa used to restrict the hours to 25 a week. i think there will always be jobs where the line between an aupair and a mothers help or a mothers help and a nanny isnt very clear.

i personally feel that a mothers help is more guided by the parents than a nanny, isnt left sole charge all day every day and does more cleaning around the house or parents laundry. but hten you can have nanny houskeepers who do the cleaning as well. difficult to tell where to draw the line... i think a nanny is left to get on with things she is responsible for and mothers help gets asked to do things as they come up and the parents arent out of the house 50hours a week.

I am interested in this... was going to start a thread asking about the duties/pay of a mothers' help.
I am due DC2 in Jan, and need some help with housework and cooking...wasn't going to be any childcare, as DD has ft nursery place.
Do I need a PT mothers' help, or am I looking for a housekeeper?
(am finding that hilarious btw- I have a 2 bed house!)

I was thinking a couple of hours per day max, not 50hrs per week!

EachPeach - I think you want a live-out part-time mother's help. Or you may want to advertise for a cleaner (who can also cook). Or you could advertise for a part-time housekeeper.
Oh it is so difficult with all these various 'titles' for what could be the same job.

Wonder what a Home Help is? Maybe you want one of those.

Think if advertising locally in a shop window, I'd use:

WANTED: Mothers Help / Housekeeper
3 hours per day, Mon, Wed and Fri
Duties will include Cleaning and Cooking for Family.
Please can ~name~ on ~phonenum~ to discuss.

If advertising online you may need to pick a category... I'd probably select Mothers Help.

Thanks NN! Very helpful...
Now could you just come and give birth for me too?

I don't think modern science has got that far yet - could be quite a while before men can give birth

nannynick, I've seen you on lots of posts before and had a mental image of you being a woman in your late twenties. Just looked at your profile. Now I know that you're not.

nick is def male

I knew Nick was male- it was just a joke