Oh dear. What a thread. It has taken me well over an hour just to read through it .. & to be honest Im quite shocked. I too am a nanny & before anyone has a go at me .. I dont agree with everything that has been said on here by nannies .. nor that by parents. I have my own opinion & I am surely entitled to that .. so here it is!
I have worked in various nanny positions. I have worked for wealthy families with 6 houses .. I have worked for familes who have to have a nanny to survive as both parents choose to work. It is a choice .. & why should anyone berate them for making it?
I have, in my time, encountered good nannies .. bad nannies .. good employers .. & downright awful ones .. so I feel that I am well equipped to make comment.
As far as duties are concerned .. I am a nanny who chooses to take on jobs which specify nursery duties only .. ie those related solely to the child. If I see something else that is needing done, then generally I do it .. but I do object to CONSTANTLY being left piles of washing/washing up/rubbish from a weekend when 2 parents have been at home. Get my drift? Some people, as mentioned, do have a slight aversion to the dishwasher .. nannies & parents .. & I have had cause to ask my employer (who had just left 3 cups & plates on top of the dishwasher while I was feeding her daughter her lunch, then walked away) if there was something wrong with the dishwasher door .. as she seemed to be unable to use it. Cheeky you may think .. but its not my job to clean up after the parents. This doesnt make me a bad person. I just like to keep my time for the children & sorting them out & giving them the best care that I possibly can.
Those of you who currently have or have had professional careers .. did you go into the office to be asked by your employer if you would mind cleaning the toilets .. or sort out the cupboards .. or do his washing as he simply didnt have time? I dont think so. I like this comment from one nanny .. whose name has escaped me (I apologise) "There is a point which has been missed. Your nanny is exactly that your nanny. Your nanny is paid to do a job which is agreed in advance HOPEFULLY. Your nanny is not the parent and has not chosen to have your children and your family life. Your nanny is employed to help you where you need help but cannot replace you nor would want to. So why is there the expectation of many Nanny employers here to be you when you are not there?"
I rest my case on that one.
As for nannies having an easy day. Oh how I wish I had one of those days where you sit round all day drinking tea & watching Neighbours (which incidentally I havent seen since I was in primary school .. some 18 years ago!). I tend to be responsible for the care of young babies, so when they are asleep .. I will be cooking healthy, nutritionally balanced meals for them (see Annabel Karmel Baby & Toddler Meal Planner for more information!) ... usually do a few at a time & freeze them up .. so that not only can I grab whatever I need whenever I need it .. but so that the parents can too. When Im not doing that, I tend to be doing the child's washing .. or ironing .. or undertaking the cleaning & sterlising of their toys, bottles etc. In waking hours, I am always doing something with the child, be it activities at home .. toddler groups .. music classes .. art & craft sessions .. swimming .. etc etc. A nice quiet easy day would be nice .. but somehow I dont think I would be able to expect one in the near future.
I am not anti parent .. but I do think that some people should think very hard before posting on here. There have been comments about nannies being immature etc, but I didnt have to look too far to see it coming from the other side too .. which is a real shame.
Yes nannying can be a hard job. We generally work long hours (we not only have the parents working hours but their travelling time too) & we have the responsibility of looking after the most precious "thing" in someones life .. ie their child .. but add to that the fact that we often have to work for difficult parents & perhaps you can understand the pressure that some of us are under. You will also find that nannies in those situations often stick it out for long periods of time .. BECAUSE THEY LOVE THE CHILDREN!!
So as far as wages are concerned .. I think that they are very well deserved. Our hourly rates can sometimes be quite shocking .. but we love our jobs, so we get on with it.
The comment about why do nannies feel the need to be paid net .. well .. the simple fact is that nannies CANNOT be responsible, by law, for their own tax & National Insurance. I think you will perhaps find it benefitial to contact the Inland Revenue or Taxing Nannies/Nannytax regarding this matter .. just to make absolutely clear what the responsibilities of an employer of a nanny are.
I now not only work as a nanny, but I run my own Agency too .. so I am well aware of the needs of parents & nannies alike. I understand that some families needs are different to others .. that some families want nannies to do housework & the majority dont. If someone comes to me looking for a nanny then specifies housework, I suggest they get a Nanny/Housekeeper, but do not tend to suggest this to people who have pre-school children, as I feel it is more important that the children are looked after, rather than the house. Its all about knowing who to place where though .. & I feel through my vast experience in private homes, that I am able to do this very well indeed.
As for the BRITISH nanny thing ... erm .. I think perhaps people are confusing nannies with au-pairs here, which is so often the case. Anyway .. Im not even going to start on that one in depth .. Im not out to cause a riot!!
How about all this stupidity just ends now? What started out as a valid thread has become like a playground .. & amongst a group of adults, I really do find that quite disappointing.
Fingers crossed that this will be an end to the arguements .. life is too damn short!!!
Alison (A member for quite a while!)