What do you refer to your nanny as?

[Anonymous]

We have a nanny and when speaking about her to our friends and family we use her name " Jenny took Larlo to the park today"

We have friends who have a nanny ( new for them, 3 months) they only to refer to her as the nanny. " The nanny leaves at 6" "larlo's nanny is off on Friday".

We know her name and will sometimes ask about her by name, but they always respond with the nanny. " Is Laura taking Larlo to the park?" They will respond "The nanny will be there at 2"

It just seems weird?? Maybe I'm too sensitive since I used to babysit and eventually nanny years ago.

[Anonymous]

The nanny

[Anonymous]

What you describe is not normal. Nor should it be.

[Anonymous]

Oh for pete's sake OP. What does it matter? Simple communication is the goal.

[Anonymous]

I was going to say it depends on whether I think the person I'm talking to will have instant recall on my nanny's name, and generally that list of people is pretty small. The other family in the share, my son, my parents, a couple super close friends we see a lot. The rest I say "the nanny" for clarity. Same thing with, for example, my brother. For most people, I say my brother, not Andrew, because he lives far away and I don't expect people to remember his name. I'm sure that means that I say "the nanny" to a lot of people who DO know their name, just cause I'm not keeping a careful list in my head of who knows what and how good their memory is. So someone calling her nanny "the nanny" to you, even if you know her name, sounds perfectly reasonable to me.

However.

Is Laura taking Larlo to the park?" They will respond "The nanny will be there at 2"

That's WEIRD and tells me they NEVER user her name. Which probably means something weird.

[Anonymous]

People should use the name. Laura, not "the nanny," not "my servant," not "my governess."

People who can't bring themselves to use the real name are suffering from some wanna-be-gentry insanity.

[Anonymous]

If you’ve met her it’s more than a little rude to call her the nanny.

The people who do this are generally the same type who would refer to a longtime receptionist as “the admin” and never bother to learn their name. It reeks of insecurity.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:People should use the name. Laura, not "the nanny," not "my servant," not "my governess."

People who can't bring themselves to use the real name are suffering from some wanna-be-gentry insanity.

+1
Uh, her name, because she's a human being?

[Anonymous]

Ms. Dede (nickname nanny goes by).

We don’t let our kids just call her by her first name, so we all use it now.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:People should use the name. Laura, not "the nanny," not "my servant," not "my governess."

People who can't bring themselves to use the real name are suffering from some wanna-be-gentry insanity.

+1
Uh, her name, because she's a human being?

+1 So much.

[Anonymous]

I’m a nanny and I’ve been referred to as the nanny and by my name. Seriously don’t care either was as long as I get paid on time and the parents generally treat me with reapwc

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I was going to say it depends on whether I think the person I'm talking to will have instant recall on my nanny's name, and generally that list of people is pretty small. The other family in the share, my son, my parents, a couple super close friends we see a lot. The rest I say "the nanny" for clarity. Same thing with, for example, my brother. For most people, I say my brother, not Andrew, because he lives far away and I don't expect people to remember his name. I'm sure that means that I say "the nanny" to a lot of people who DO know their name, just cause I'm not keeping a careful list in my head of who knows what and how good their memory is. So someone calling her nanny "the nanny" to you, even if you know her name, sounds perfectly reasonable to me.

However.

Is Laura taking Larlo to the park?" They will respond "The nanny will be there at 2"

That's WEIRD and tells me they NEVER user her name. Which probably means something weird.

+1. "My brother" was the analogy I was going to use, too.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:If you’ve met her it’s more than a little rude to call her the nanny.

The people who do this are generally the same type who would refer to a longtime receptionist as “the admin” and never bother to learn their name. It reeks of insecurity.

This.

[Anonymous]

I was called by my name, which is the same as the mom, or the nickname the kids called me. The family was not local and I was essentially treated as an aunt and participated in anything to do with the kids, including on the weekends and evenings. Their families and work friends knew who I was by name.

[Anonymous]

Where are the grammar police when you need them??