Chris on Nanny Life

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What was it like being a nanny?
Was it really like the book The Nanny Diaries?
Answer:   Well, that's a big question, and I could write a whole book answering it, but no, the book would not resemble The Nanny Diaries at all.   Not that their book doesn't represent a real nanny experience, but it doesn't represent mine.   The kind of employer that those women had is a person that I would never work for.   To begin with, they hired their nanny after one meeting in a park!   Another difference is that the main character in the story was only working as a nanny as an interim job while she went to school.   My career is working with children and while the nanny job was a divergence from my path as a business owner, I was also seriously exploring being a career nanny while enriching my knowledge of the struggle of working families from the inside out.

I found the family I nannied for, and they found me, through a very reputable agency, Nannies Plus.   They aren't the only good agency, and I registered with several others, but they were the ones who brought me the best clients.   The agencies usually don't charge the nanny anything to register, screen both parties and match them up so that when you have the first phone interview you are both well prepared.   I figured any parent who was willing to pay the large fees to go through an agency was someone who really valued quality care for their children, so it was my way of weeding out the creepy prospects of the shadier side of being a nanny.   I had quite a few phone interviews which eliminated a lot of possibilities.   In the end, a couple of families paid for me to come interview and then a final decision was made by all of us.

The other difference from the book is that I was a live-in nanny.   It was a better financial situation for me, though it means sacrificing some privacy during your off-duty hours.   A live-in nanny has to be able to strike a balance with their employers between professional and private life.  The family I worked for made learning how to do that a rich, happy experience and we will always have a very special relationship.   From getting to know other nannies I've learned that this isn't always the case, however, and I would caution you to enter into the nanny field carefully, with eyes wide open.   There are lots of good websites by and for nannies where you can chat, ask questions and read about the nanny life.  

When I decided to take my 'working sabbatical' as a nanny, I had a couple of friends who were aghast.   They saw it as a step 'down' in status; that I would be like a maid or butler or servant in the household.   Be forwarned that there are also employers who feel the same way about their nannies and will want them to not only care for the children but clean the house, do the laundry, run their errands and do all manner of tasks unrelated to the direct care of the children.   You have to decide what kind of nanny you want to be.   You didn't tell me what your career is now, or how old you are, but there are all kinds of nurses and teachers and counselors who retire into a nanny or governess job.   There are also housekeepers who are paid to watch the children.   In any case, I never think of caring for children as a step 'down' from anything.   I think of it as one of the most important jobs in the world; right up there with water treatment, waste collection and farming.   I expect that my clients will value my job as more important than their own, since I am entrusted with the lives of their most valuable jewels.   If they see me as merely a servant, then I don't take their money.   I would advise you to consider that.