Why do American nannies have such a different mentality?

[Anonymous]

A little late, nonetheless, I find some of these comments fascinating, but not in a hahahahahaha manner. However, one person made a comment which I can relate to.
I did childcare work for most of my life while residing in the USA. No I am not from there however I lived there longer than I had my place of birth.

When I applied for my nanny's position I was given a list of things that would be my duties. And I was told the children were my only concerns.
Nonetheless, when the children were napping and I was though with all I had to do on the list I would find other things to do around the house and my bosses'
were very appreciative. Because they wouldn't have to do them when they returned tired from work. And in addition it give them more time to spend with their children.

I never looked at it as they were taking advantage of me, they didn't asked me I volunteered. I can't see where doing a kind thing for someone who treated you well is a problem?
I was blessed to have met some wonderful employers. What is wrong with helping someone who treat you well?
It isn't taking anything off you, if anything to are exercising and keeping fit at the same time.

I don't understand what anyone's education level has to do with someone helping out their bosses who have be very good to her?
Maybe I am from a different planet? I think we all, employers and employees alike needs a heart transplant.
Because, some of us are confuse, selfish, ignorant, heartless and uncaring human being.


And yes, I don't have a Master, however I have friends who have and they were nannies as well.
Sometime, people just love children and they become nannies. It isn't that they can't do better caring for little ones is their passion.
I love children and I raised many from toddlers to college age.
And if I had to do it all again I would have, providing I find employers like those I were blessed to have met.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Our American nanny does our laundry occasionally (always does the kids’), does last minute needs shopping for us (and about 50% of the grocery shopping for food the kids eat), lets in/coordinates with anyone who needs to come by during the day (cleaners, parcels needing signatures, plumber, etc) and does other minor errands for us as needed (dry cleaning drop off, taking our car — which she uses while working — in for servicing, etc). She’s never balked at any of these requests and I’ve never thought twice about making them. (We do also have a cleaner come every other week, so we certainly are never asking her to scrub toilets, if that matters.) We pay her well, but not extravagantly.

What do you consider well-paid?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Your nice lady who does whatever is needed, is not a nanny. She's more like a housekeeper who does babysitting, as needed.

Her name is Alice.

[Anonymous]

Because some white or black "American" nannies that have lived here for generations are spoiled and entitled. They don't appreciate their luck being born in this country and feel entitled to oh so much. Their families did not educate them about the rest of the world.
I have had two nannies who had immigrant parents who do not share this mentality. They had parents who taught them perspective. The two nannies had citizenship by birth, but understood things beyond small America, which really is not the center of the world. I think the public school system teaches "Americans" to think they are the best country, the most democratic country, the best whatever, and cultivates entitled attitudes.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:The difference is that I didn't go to school and get a masters degree to clean your toilet. I'm paid $40/hr and do childcare only. You can clean your own toilet!

I call BS on $40/hr.

You can call BS as much as you want, I still earn $40/hr. Thankfully my boss respects my role as a childcare provider and doesn't ask me to do "whatever she wants" as a previous poster suggested. I am happy to do nursery duties and tutoring, but no I am not cleaning your house.

You are ignorant.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:The difference is that I didn't go to school and get a masters degree to clean your toilet. I'm paid $40/hr and do childcare only. You can clean your own toilet!

I call BS on $40/hr.

You can call BS as much as you want, I still earn $40/hr. Thankfully my boss respects my role as a childcare provider and doesn't ask me to do "whatever she wants" as a previous poster suggested. I am happy to do nursery duties and tutoring, but no I am not cleaning your house.

You are ignorant.

Do you even know what ignorant means?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Your nice lady who does whatever is needed, is not a nanny. She's more like a housekeeper who does babysitting, as needed.

Her name is Alice.

Alice was never a nanny.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:The difference is that I didn't go to school and get a masters degree to clean your toilet. I'm paid $40/hr and do childcare only. You can clean your own toilet!

I'm sure you're great at your job, but wow, $40 an hour? For that I'd want you to anything I asked you to. I also am amazed that there are many people willing to pay this when you can find excellent, educated nannies for half that. Good for you though

$40 is not much considering on offices folks temping make $65 to $90 and folks rich enough afford nannies often make $200 an hour. My cousin was a full time nanny to a hedge fund partner in 1996 and got paid $40,000 a year. Full benefits and was live in in a doorman apt in Manhattan. That’s almost 25 years ago

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:The difference is that I didn't go to school and get a masters degree to clean your toilet. I'm paid $40/hr and do childcare only. You can clean your own toilet!

I'm sure you're great at your job, but wow, $40 an hour? For that I'd want you to anything I asked you to. I also am amazed that there are many people willing to pay this when you can find excellent, educated nannies for half that. Good for you though

$40 is not much considering on offices folks temping make $65 to $90 and folks rich enough afford nannies often make $200 an hour. My cousin was a full time nanny to a hedge fund partner in 1996 and got paid $40,000 a year. Full benefits and was live in in a doorman apt in Manhattan. That’s almost 25 years ago

40 k a year is more like 19-20$ an hour. Nanny claiming to be paid 40$ makes double that. And refuses apparently to go above and beyond her duties. Most people go above and beyond at work if they want promotions or raises. My nanny helps out around the house and is nicely compensated for it with regular bonuses.

[Anonymous]

$40 an hour is still peanuts.

I expect medical, dental, vision, flex spend, 10 paid holidays, four weeks vacation, tuition reimbursement etc. in an office job.

$40 with none of that is not a living wage

[Anonymous]

Those of you who occasionally photocopy at the office outside your duties are looking to look good in the office. Team player so you get promotions. You're in a job that is physically pleasant, you pivoted to work from home for covid and your company.falls over itself to give you benefits.

Some of you don't want nannies, you want slaves. If you wanted to do this work, you'd be doing it yourself.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:The difference is that I didn't go to school and get a masters degree to clean your toilet. I'm paid $40/hr and do childcare only. You can clean your own toilet!

I'm sure you're great at your job, but wow, $40 an hour? For that I'd want you to anything I asked you to. I also am amazed that there are many people willing to pay this when you can find excellent, educated nannies for half that. Good for you though

$40 is not much considering on offices folks temping make $65 to $90 and folks rich enough afford nannies often make $200 an hour. My cousin was a full time nanny to a hedge fund partner in 1996 and got paid $40,000 a year. Full benefits and was live in in a doorman apt in Manhattan. That’s almost 25 years ago

What offices have you temped at? Most temp jobs make more like $15-17 an hour.

[Anonymous]

The nannies on DCUM like to pretend they are professionals. They either misuse the term or misunderstand what a profession is. At the end of the day, throughout most of the world and yes even in the US, nannies are essentially unskilled labor. I think those with Master’s degrees like to pretend otherwise. You don’t see baristas or waiters with advanced degrees in quasi related fields proclaiming themselves to be rare, highly sought after professionals. What makes a wonderful nanny more often has to do most with their character, personality, and aptitude. Expecting a nanny to do dishes and laundry is not degrading or abusive. As a highly educated wealthy family we expect this of our nanny as does everyone in our wide social circle from DC, to NY, SF, and Boston.

[Anonymous]

Because American nannies feel entitled. Their country was never colonialized/imperialized like the Philippines or India. They were lucky to be born in a country that doesn't have war, internal strife or mass rates of poverty. Think Afghanistan Syria Brazil Sudan Congo North Korea many former Soviet governed countries in Eastern Europe.

American nannies were born into a country that provides food stamps and some level of protection. Schools have emphasized too much about individual rights. They are quick to assert indivual rights and slow to do the corresponding responsibilities part. I come from a country that was colonialized. A ton in my grandparents generation simply starved to death. Many in my parents generation went hungry well into the 1980s. So they taught their kids to just do the job you get and be thankful to even have a job.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Because American nannies feel entitled. Their country was never colonialized/imperialized like the Philippines or India. They were lucky to be born in a country that doesn't have war, internal strife or mass rates of poverty. Think Afghanistan Syria Brazil Sudan Congo North Korea many former Soviet governed countries in Eastern Europe.

American nannies were born into a country that provides food stamps and some level of protection. Schools have emphasized too much about individual rights. They are quick to assert indivual rights and slow to do the corresponding responsibilities part. I come from a country that was colonialized. A ton in my grandparents generation simply starved to death. Many in my parents generation went hungry well into the 1980s. So they taught their kids to just do the job you get and be thankful to even have a job.

American nannies know that they can find another job, so they don’t have to just “do the job [they] get” if it’s not competitive and/or they don’t like how their employer(s) treats them. The same can be said if most Americans, without looking at just nannies.

The difference comes to knowing that we have a right to be treated fairly and being willing to speak up. People who grow up just trying to survive are less likely to be willing to speak up about mistreatment.

You also have to look at the difference between markets. Most nannies here are live-out, and they’re not housekeeper (clarifying: full housekeeping). In other countries, a woman moves in with no expectation of days or even hours off, and she’s responsible for the kids and house at all times. You can get that here, but you’ll pay a lot, because that’s not the market expectation.