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...

I am a Croatina Nanny, and I been working in UK for 10 years with children from newborns to school age. I had some bad families who wanted me to do everything (cooking, cleaning,ironing,washing and so on) and needless to say, I didn't stay there very long. But I did find some very nice families where I stayed for few years at a time. Current family nearly 3 years. I think I am flexible, and I try to assist in running of the household. If I use the last of something, I put it on the shopping list, if we run out of milk, I nip to the shop to get it, if there is only half a load of kiddies washing, I fill it up with parents stuff (no point running half a load), and if the dishwasher is full I will empty it as I use the dishes as well!!!
Personally, I don't think that these tasks should be obligatory for a nanny to do, but any nanny who refuses to do it has a stick up her arse (sorry)
It is different if parents expect everything and don't do much themselves, that is a different ball game.
I get to work and find everything clean and tidy, and at the end of the day I leave it like that as well.
I think a nanny is there to be with the kids primarily, but such small tasks should not get in the way of that.
My little charge (2 years old) loves it when we are loading the washing machine. It is still educational and helps him with his motoring skills, it also teaches him from early age that work needs to be done (or they grow up thinking there is a laundry fairy in the house lol)
All of the small household tasks can be educational in a way, and a good nanny will find a way to incoporate those in a day.
Off course, there are days when we are out all day (on a day trip to zoo or something like that) so things don't get done, but nobody minds as kids were having fun.
And whem my charges are sleeping or in school I have time to have a cup of tea in peace, and recharge untill the next round
I do not watch TV whilst at work, and I don't let my charges watch it either.
I don't do ironing or cleaning, that is what they have a cleaning/ironing lady for, but I do clean up daily after myself and the kids.
I think it is important to have flexibility, but flexibility works only if both parties are participating!!!!!

What Im saying thou Beetroot is WHY do I need to back up my OPINION with stats?? As its MY opinion not a FACT!!!!!

Oooh my longest thread yet. And a nice controversial one...

well i would work in a non-english speaking country if i could master the language, but unfortunately due to our education system i din't start learning foreign languages until 12 so found it hard. I went to state schools so was stuck with that system

CroNanny - Eureka. The voice of common sense.

colditzmum: my opinion was based on if it was 'pro-rata' if you READ my post!!

Hey, if you want to learn a language, you can go to night school.

what was in the paper?

If I wanted to work in a non english speaking country I would learn the language.

Oh FFS, Omega2, don't blame the education system! If you want to work abroad, you can learn another language at evening classes, or get the basics and the rest will come when you're out there. I wasn't taught Polish at school.

Just diving in a long way along this thread and haven't read all the grisly detail but a couple of things caught my eye.

Nannies - it does nothing to help your cause by making comments about asylum seekers/ immigrants "taking our jobs" - this is certainly not the case in London where, in my recent experience, the main competition to English nannies are nannies from the EU accession states who have as much right to work here as you do to work in the rest of the EU.

As far as training is concerned, I'm with you Ameriscot - my experience from interviewing rather a lot of nannies recently is that training is no substitute for intelligence & motivation and several of the unqualified Euro nannies I interviewed were streets ahead in this respect.

The issue of housework - well I don't really expect a nanny to do the housework but I do agree with Ameriscot that it's possible to do housework and provide a stimulating environment for your children at the same time - my kids are always copying me doing washing up/ hovering etc. They love it (ah the innocence of youth).

Finally, the main point was about the cost of nannies - well all the nannies I interviewed were asking for the same wage so the concept of a cheap Euro nanny seems to be a bit of a myth as far as I can see, unless you expect an au pair to do a nanny job, which I don't.

I work for an Asian family and am very proud, surley, they would notice if i am racist which i am NOT.
Silly question and to answer it for you.... NO you dont need to take a test!!!

Sorry that was suppose to say Croatian Nanny

Ellienj, you did NOT say pro rata, you said-

"there would be one bad nanny - to three or four bad mothers!"

Beetroot - wow you went to Uni should I kneel for you! ;)

As i ROLL my eyes YOu can have an opinion without a FACT, I dont need a degree to know that!

no but i am not good at languages and yes i could go to evening classes but it would take too long so i would rather work in an english speaking place

colditzmum - read the post - i said if it was statiscally worked out - ie pro ratored down!!

So what with re to the whole uni thing!!! I know pleanty of woman who went to uni, mostly to be teachers, but prefered being a nanny!!

so did my mum what i was saying is i am not good at languages but maybe if i had started learning them earlier i might have been