Nannies: market rates (bit controversial)

[Tanzie]

Having read on another thread ("Paying Nannies when sick") gripes from UK nannies about jobs going to girls from accession countries who will work for less, (and do more in the way of housework), is this not just pushing the market rate down for qualified/experienced nannies?

I am not in UK, but I would look at it as providing more affordable childcare, provided you can find someone trustworthy and reliable. I lived in UK briefly about 4 years ago and a nanny friend of mine was earning GBP 25,000 and got a flat thrown in with it. This is more than I was earning at the time and could never have afforded this sort of money for someone to look after my children.

I am not suggesting slave labour from Central European girls, or paying them an au pair's "pocket money" for what is essentially a nanny job, but paying them a reasonable wage and providing free accommodation means that a lot of people, who could not afford a nanny or nursery fees, will probably be able to get back to work.

Of course, there will always be those who want a Norland nanny and can afford one, but it seems to me that your average Mum would welcome these Central Europeans with open arms...

I'll run and hide now...

Sometimes I do the chores to get away from the children - I think it is easier at times!!

well if you want someone to clean and out rubbish out and do your washing employ a housekeeper not a nanny. It is not in the job description

But why would you employ a housekeeper when you have a perfectly fit young girl sitting watching Neighbours or visiting with her mates (with charges in tow)?

you might sit on your arse as a mum but when i'm being paid to do a job, i do it!!

If it's the ironing and having to the put the child in fron of a dvd over creating a masterpiece with them or taking them to the park on a sunny day I know which one i'll choose.

But what makes you as a nanny special? I'm struggling, as a forty year old mum of five (with professional careers behind me) to understand. You have fail to convince me over the whole course of this thread (and the other relevenet ones that are running at the moment) to convince me of anything.

I'm sure you are very nice ladies and very good at your jobs, but you could say the same about any random person, whether it is a mum or a Euro nanny, or even, dare I say it, an au pair (with approriate job description).

I am sensing that you think you are even better than your employers at taking care of their little darlings.

[quote]Ameriscot2005
But why would you employ a housekeeper when you have a perfectly fit young girl sitting watching Neighbours or visiting with her mates (with charges in tow)? [/quote]
Well you have 5 children and obvsiously don't employ a skivvy... whoops im sorry I mean au pair.
So in that case shouldn't you be doing some washing and ironing now, instead of bitching about us nannies on here all night?

omega - obviously it depends where you live but you honestly cannot get a nanny in London for much less than £18k. An £18k salary is equivalent to a net rate of £70 a day and round here that is real bottom of the going rate. £16k works out at £45 a day and there is absolutely no way you'd get a nanny here for that. You'd be laughed at.

Naaa, my au pair is there to do the housework that arises in the course of the day and to take two of the children to and from school. I wouldn't dream of making my au pair work on a Sunday, God forbid. Even I don't work on a Sunday...

i live in the midlands as i couldn't afford to buy a house in london or southeast so on a lot less money

Out here in Surrey, the minimum for a nanny (minimally qualified) is 20k net. Not bad, all things considering.

what I found so disheartening with going for an 'official' nanny that I have to be a proper employer and pay NI/tax, which of course makes it very expensive for us.

can@t remember who mentioned the scrimping on childcare< but believe me, i'd love to pay more if I only could!

I do have the highest respect for anybody who chooses childcare as their career/calling but my choice basically is... be a SAHM, which I'm not cut out to be, and I need to go back to work, if I can find some, so maintain my sanity. or ... pay more for childcare if going with an 'official' nanny than I would earn. So not very economical is it.

Also I personally don't mind if my nanny didn't speak English all that well. dd was looked after by a pakistani family to no detriment whatsoever and believe me it took me a year to understand the cm properly IMHO a loving environment is much more important than god knows how many degrees and 'educational' activities.

Hello, this is my 1st time on here.

I am absolulty stuuned at some of the remarks against Nannies on here!!!
I have been a nanny a lot longer than most mums, and I DO know what I am talking about.

For the lady called AMERISCOT (NOT SURE IF THATS CORRECT) How dare you assume that nannies sit on their bums all day watching telly!!! I m the one who switches the damn thing off!!

My charges needs are well catered for by both the parents and myself.

How dare you mock our training!!! May I ask what you trained to do, because I am bloody certain you worked hard it also!
Do you have qualifications (up to date i might add) on 1st aid, child health, nutrition, safety issues? I know I do, and I work hard to get more qualifactions every year, in my own time, for work related use.

So please do not sit there and insult everyone of us!

I am also a mum of five Ameriscot and I can see why they value themselves and why they think they are special, basically because they are. When I look after my kids I am doing precisley that they are my responsibility, I am therefore able to juggle stuff in a way most mums do, with eyes in the back of my head. If my child falls over and bangs their head etc, they are my responsibility. If I was looking after someone elses children there is no way i would carry on and do the stuff I do as a mum, I would be watching them like a hawk After all they are not my pride and joy they are someone elses, that is a MASSIVE RESPONSIBILTY and should not be undervalued. Also some of these nannies do the most important job you could ask of anyone, in an ideal world many more would perhaps stay at home if it wasn't for financial pressures etc. I would personally want to employ someone who holds values closest to my own, to ensure my children get consistency, IMO paying peanuts you get monkeys.

MrsBigD that is a shame. Did you look into doing a nanny share or wether you would be eligable for the nanny voucher scheme?

welcome another nanny

Ameriscot - must say that you sound very angry with the tone of your posts...just an observation.

why so angry ameriscot2005? (curious not agressive tone)

Scotsnanny,

Clearly there are plenty of nannies who sit on their backsides. I've seen them! No it's not all, but calling oneself a nanny is no guarantee of anything. I would have thought that a good nanny would want to distance themselves from the less thorough ones, but there you go.

As for training, I am not mocking it, but I'm still intrigued and yet to be convinced as to its superiorty to the training of Euro nannies (which I think is the original point of the discussion).

Well my last qualified (NNEB) nanny fed the kids cold stew, microwaved their fish fingers, made them terrified of the doorbell (they were told someone was going to steal them away) and spent all day on her arse watching daytime TV and reading "Hello!" magazine.

Two others (NNEBs) were fine (but were expensive and only affordable in the short term). Give me a Central European anyday - language no problem for me, speak Polish and can make myself understood to other northern Slavs too. What I like is the general acceptance of mucking in and not refusing to eg wash a shirt becuase it is not the child's.

Perhaps in some case Ameriscot they are better,they certainly spend more time with them.

Not angry at all, ROFL!

I'm not even in the market for a nanny. Just enjoying a bit of banter.

The main bee-in-my-bonnet is about people getting precious about their status. Does me in every time.

Yeah, nannies better than mothers. I can see the headlines

nobody said nannies are better than mothers

Thank you 'astonished' and scots nanny.
It is a huge repsonsibilty to look after children and other peoples more so, it isn't just about getting through the day. You have there nutrional, emotional and physical wellbeing to think about. My charge certainly doesn't watch tv while I'm on duty as I know he sits and watches it at the weekend while his parents are there.