Diva Nanny Article

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:How do single adults in the d.c. area pay their bills on $15 an hour without government assistance. Serious question. I am a nanny. I am able to put a tiny bit away a month. But I don't have anything saved for retirement. I am 30. I make $900 pre tax a week

The problem is, unskilled jobs don't pay well. Anything that does not involve getting a degree is not going to pay well, unless you luck out with a white collar office job (which happens) by being at the right place, at the right time, impressing the right people. I have someone that works for me in an entry level position and make 32K/yr which is well under a nanny wage. He lives with his girlfriend and they split the rent of a 1BR apt. However, he has a college degree and this is just the first stop in his career. A nanny has a first stop over and over again.

How does anyone make it work? Retail and food service employees are everywhere and they make less than $15/hr.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:How do single adults in the d.c. area pay their bills on $15 an hour without government assistance. Serious question. I am a nanny. I am able to put a tiny bit away a month. But I don't have anything saved for retirement. I am 30. I make $900 pre tax a week

The problem is, unskilled jobs don't pay well. Anything that does not involve getting a degree is not going to pay well, unless you luck out with a white collar office job (which happens) by being at the right place, at the right time, impressing the right people. I have someone that works for me in an entry level position and make 32K/yr which is well under a nanny wage. He lives with his girlfriend and they split the rent of a 1BR apt. However, he has a college degree and this is just the first stop in his career. A nanny has a first stop over and over again.

How does anyone make it work? Retail and food service employees are everywhere and they make less than $15/hr.

Yup.

I pay my nanny more than some of the "professional" staff at my company earn.

[Anonymous]

The perks mentioned in the article sound reasonable in some circumstances. For example, a nanny traveling with the family to a different city would need cash on hand because her expenses will be higher then if she were home, she will have to eat out every day because she cannot cook in a hotel room, she will have to pay for laundry service, etc. The most offensive thing about some of the nannies demands is actually the context, or the way the request was put forth, not the content of the request.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:The perks mentioned in the article sound reasonable in some circumstances. For example, a nanny traveling with the family to a different city would need cash on hand because her expenses will be higher then if she were home, she will have to eat out every day because she cannot cook in a hotel room, she will have to pay for laundry service, etc. The most offensive thing about some of the nannies demands is actually the context, or the way the request was put forth, not the content of the request.

You understand the nature of "journalism", no?

[Anonymous]

Here is a nanny's response to the diva article. As a nanny, I think it is great! Although I think many of you will freak!

http://www.choice-parenting.com/blog/the-rise-of-the-diva-nanny-is-a-disgrace-to-a-respectable-career-a-nannys-response

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Here is a nanny's response to the diva article. As a nanny, I think it is great! Although I think many of you will freak!

http://www.choice-parenting.com/blog/the-rise-of-the-diva-nanny-is-a-disgrace-to-a-respectable-career-a-nannys-response

Absolutely wonderful and this article should have a thread of it's own. In General Parenting.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Here is a nanny's response to the diva article. As a nanny, I think it is great! Although I think many of you will freak!

http://www.choice-parenting.com/blog/the-rise-of-the-diva-nanny-is-a-disgrace-to-a-respectable-career-a-nannys-response

This is a great response! The nanny writing does sound like diva in her own right- but she makes such good points about why she deserves perks. She also makes a great argument on why being a nanny should be a highly regarded profession.

[Anonymous]

I'm sorry, but what parent would hire an "unskilled" person to have full solo responsibility for your baby, while you're away?
That's insane.

[Anonymous]

Most parents do. It's the fashionable thing to do, especially in NY.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Most parents do. It's the fashionable thing to do, especially in NY.

Well, if most parents would just hire skilled domestic labor, instead of unskilled, this forum might not be such a wild success.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I'm sorry, but what parent would hire an "unskilled" person to have full solo responsibility for your baby, while you're away?
That's insane.

Being a childcare provider is not a skilled job. Being a bartender is not a skilled job, but some are excellent at it and some are horrible.

There is not "skill" in a job that does not require a degree or some level of unique aptitude. Someone with a 6th grade education can be an excellent nanny and someone with a PHD could make a horrible nanny. It's a job of personality and temperament. All parents can hope is that they find that magic person with the perfect combo of the two.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I'm sorry, but what parent would hire an "unskilled" person to have full solo responsibility for your baby, while you're away?
That's insane.

Being a childcare provider is not a skilled job. Being a bartender is not a skilled job, but some are excellent at it and some are horrible.

There is not "skill" in a job that does not require a degree or some level of unique aptitude. Someone with a 6th grade education can be an excellent nanny and someone with a PHD could make a horrible nanny. It's a job of personality and temperament. All parents can hope is that they find that magic person with the perfect combo of the two.

Is there a legal definition of a "skilled worker"? Thanks.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I'm sorry, but what parent would hire an "unskilled" person to have full solo responsibility for your baby, while you're away?
That's insane.

Being a childcare provider is not a skilled job. Being a bartender is not a skilled job, but some are excellent at it and some are horrible.

There is not "skill" in a job that does not require a degree or some level of unique aptitude. Someone with a 6th grade education can be an excellent nanny and someone with a PHD could make a horrible nanny. It's a job of personality and temperament. All parents can hope is that they find that magic person with the perfect combo of the two.

Is there a legal definition of a "skilled worker"? Thanks.

Blue collar jobs are generally not skilled with the exception of plumber, electrician ...ect.

Nanny? No.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I'm sorry, but what parent would hire an "unskilled" person to have full solo responsibility for your baby, while you're away?
That's insane.

Being a childcare provider is not a skilled job. Being a bartender is not a skilled job, but some are excellent at it and some are horrible.

There is not "skill" in a job that does not require a degree or some level of unique aptitude. Someone with a 6th grade education can be an excellent nanny and someone with a PHD could make a horrible nanny. It's a job of personality and temperament. All parents can hope is that they find that magic person with the perfect combo of the two.

A good nanny needs a lot more than personality and temperament. There's actually a huge amount of required skills, even if the US Government disagrees.

In Europe, child care is much more valued than here. I think that is a key component why they have better maternity leave. If you believe almost anyone can do as good of a job as the parents, what do you expect?

How many years of nannies have you had? And how many nannies?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I'm sorry, but what parent would hire an "unskilled" person to have full solo responsibility for your baby, while you're away?
That's insane.

Being a childcare provider is not a skilled job. Being a bartender is not a skilled job, but some are excellent at it and some are horrible.

There is not "skill" in a job that does not require a degree or some level of unique aptitude. Someone with a 6th grade education can be an excellent nanny and someone with a PHD could make a horrible nanny. It's a job of personality and temperament. All parents can hope is that they find that magic person with the perfect combo of the two.

A good nanny needs a lot more than personality and temperament. There's actually a huge amount of required skills, even if the US Government disagrees.

In Europe, child care is much more valued than here. I think that is a key component why they have better maternity leave. If you believe almost anyone can do as good of a job as the parents, what do you expect?

How many years of nannies have you had? And how many nannies?

What "skills" does a nanny need?

-patience
-organization
-basic literacy and ability to help with homework up to age 10.
-driving
-cpr
-punctuality
-basic meal prep
-knowledge of current child safety
-good decision making skills

Not exactly skilled in the professional sense. Thousands of workers perform similar functions at daycare centers. Success is dependent on personality and temperment. You cannot "learn" to be good with children, not can you really learn how to be an early riser.