Is the work of a nanny valuable or not?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I honestly do not care if my nanny is a "professional nanny." Reading up on childhood development? Gosh, if you're interested, but don't strain yourself. Breaking out some paints, letting my kids have at it, then clean it up, or schlepping them to a museum and making sure they come back in one piece, honestly, that's all I really expect. I feel like nannies on this board keep trying to elevate the professionalism of the job without really grasping that most parents are thrilled with you just being a fun, pleasant, semi-playmate.

If you want the dignity and salary of a true professional job, go to professional school like I did.

Hah, if you think that is true I would love to see you, or any parent for that matter, teach a child to poop on the potty. If you haven't studied and read up on this stuff you will be SOL.

Are you kidding me? I mean, I'm a nanny and have potty trained several kids without ever needing to read a book. And yeah, parents do it every single day without the aid of reading materials too (though it's obviously a wonder than any child without a nanny manages not to be incontinent! )! But sure, if you want to claim being able to teach children to poop and pee on a toilet as a professional skill, go right ahead.

No, to me you sound more like a disgruntled parent.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I honestly do not care if my nanny is a "professional nanny." Reading up on childhood development? Gosh, if you're interested, but don't strain yourself. Breaking out some paints, letting my kids have at it, then clean it up, or schlepping them to a museum and making sure they come back in one piece, honestly, that's all I really expect. I feel like nannies on this board keep trying to elevate the professionalism of the job without really grasping that most parents are thrilled with you just being a fun, pleasant, semi-playmate.

If you want the dignity and salary of a true professional job, go to professional school like I did.

You obviously missed the sitter vs. nanny threads.

You clearly have a sitter. Nothing wrong with that.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I honestly do not care if my nanny is a "professional nanny." Reading up on childhood development? Gosh, if you're interested, but don't strain yourself. Breaking out some paints, letting my kids have at it, then clean it up, or schlepping them to a museum and making sure they come back in one piece, honestly, that's all I really expect. I feel like nannies on this board keep trying to elevate the professionalism of the job without really grasping that most parents are thrilled with you just being a fun, pleasant, semi-playmate.

If you want the dignity and salary of a true professional job, go to professional school like I did.

Hah, if you think that is true I would love to see you, or any parent for that matter, teach a child to poop on the potty. If you haven't studied and read up on this stuff you will be SOL.

Are you kidding me? I mean, I'm a nanny and have potty trained several kids without ever needing to read a book. And yeah, parents do it every single day without the aid of reading materials too (though it's obviously a wonder than any child without a nanny manages not to be incontinent! )! But sure, if you want to claim being able to teach children to poop and pee on a toilet as a professional skill, go right ahead.

No, to me you sound more like a disgruntled parent.

Yep, anyone who disagrees with your idiotic notions must be a parent.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I honestly do not care if my nanny is a "professional nanny." Reading up on childhood development? Gosh, if you're interested, but don't strain yourself. Breaking out some paints, letting my kids have at it, then clean it up, or schlepping them to a museum and making sure they come back in one piece, honestly, that's all I really expect. I feel like nannies on this board keep trying to elevate the professionalism of the job without really grasping that most parents are thrilled with you just being a fun, pleasant, semi-playmate.

If you want the dignity and salary of a true professional job, go to professional school like I did.

Hah, if you think that is true I would love to see you, or any parent for that matter, teach a child to poop on the potty. If you haven't studied and read up on this stuff you will be SOL.

What?! You needed a book to potty train?!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I honestly do not care if my nanny is a "professional nanny." Reading up on childhood development? Gosh, if you're interested, but don't strain yourself. Breaking out some paints, letting my kids have at it, then clean it up, or schlepping them to a museum and making sure they come back in one piece, honestly, that's all I really expect. I feel like nannies on this board keep trying to elevate the professionalism of the job without really grasping that most parents are thrilled with you just being a fun, pleasant, semi-playmate.

If you want the dignity and salary of a true professional job, go to professional school like I did.

You obviously missed the sitter vs. nanny threads.

You clearly have a sitter. Nothing wrong with that.

What I have now is an au pair but I called my nanny a nanny because of her hours, not her early childhood ed training. It's just unnecessary for caring for children.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I honestly do not care if my nanny is a "professional nanny." Reading up on childhood development? Gosh, if you're interested, but don't strain yourself. Breaking out some paints, letting my kids have at it, then clean it up, or schlepping them to a museum and making sure they come back in one piece, honestly, that's all I really expect. I feel like nannies on this board keep trying to elevate the professionalism of the job without really grasping that most parents are thrilled with you just being a fun, pleasant, semi-playmate.

If you want the dignity and salary of a true professional job, go to professional school like I did.

Hah, if you think that is true I would love to see you, or any parent for that matter, teach a child to poop on the potty. If you haven't studied and read up on this stuff you will be SOL.

And yet there are millions, if not hundreds of millions of adults who have managed to be taught this highly-complex behavior by parents who haven't taken a class or read a book....

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I honestly do not care if my nanny is a "professional nanny." Reading up on childhood development? Gosh, if you're interested, but don't strain yourself. Breaking out some paints, letting my kids have at it, then clean it up, or schlepping them to a museum and making sure they come back in one piece, honestly, that's all I really expect. I feel like nannies on this board keep trying to elevate the professionalism of the job without really grasping that most parents are thrilled with you just being a fun, pleasant, semi-playmate.

If you want the dignity and salary of a true professional job, go to professional school like I did.

You obviously missed the sitter vs. nanny threads.

You clearly have a sitter. Nothing wrong with that.

What I have now is an au pair but I called my nanny a nanny because of her hours, not her early childhood ed training. It's just unnecessary for caring for children.

+1. To me, "nanny" means that she operates on her own for long periods of the day, not any particular set of skills.

[Anonymous]

I'm the OP of the "my nanny is always sick" thread. Yes, it definitely got derailed by other posters but let me be clear that I highly value my nanny, so much so that I am screwed when she calls in sick. Does that mean I have to pay for her health insurance? I don't believe so (and how would that help her having a cold anyway?). Just like so many self-employed consultants and other workers of the world, there are many options available to get health insurance that are not through an employer (I could go on and on about how weird it is that having health insurance in this country is tied to employment but I suppose that's for the Political thread).

I feel like the subject of my other thread really underscores how valued nannies are. Just see how desperate we are when they call out--doesn't that show how much we need and value them? Why do so many nannies need this constant validation of how valuable they are? Do you really feel like you are treated like cheap labor? My nanny's hourly rate is $10 more than the minimum wage. I think that's pretty typical. She gets sick leave and PTO. The welfare of my children is in her hands, so yes I value her and will do whatever I can to make her happy. Why would anyone do otherwise with the person who is taking care of their children?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I honestly do not care if my nanny is a "professional nanny." Reading up on childhood development? Gosh, if you're interested, but don't strain yourself. Breaking out some paints, letting my kids have at it, then clean it up, or schlepping them to a museum and making sure they come back in one piece, honestly, that's all I really expect. I feel like nannies on this board keep trying to elevate the professionalism of the job without really grasping that most parents are thrilled with you just being a fun, pleasant, semi-playmate.

If you want the dignity and salary of a true professional job, go to professional school like I did.

Hah, if you think that is true I would love to see you, or any parent for that matter, teach a child to poop on the potty. If you haven't studied and read up on this stuff you will be SOL.

Another nanny here who has never read a potty training how-to book (but has read several potty training board books to charges), and yet has never had a problem with potty training.

On the other hand, yes, I have read several books about discipline, parenting styles, child development, etc.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I honestly do not care if my nanny is a "professional nanny." Reading up on childhood development? Gosh, if you're interested, but don't strain yourself. Breaking out some paints, letting my kids have at it, then clean it up, or schlepping them to a museum and making sure they come back in one piece, honestly, that's all I really expect. I feel like nannies on this board keep trying to elevate the professionalism of the job without really grasping that most parents are thrilled with you just being a fun, pleasant, semi-playmate.

If you want the dignity and salary of a true professional job, go to professional school like I did.

Hah, if you think that is true I would love to see you, or any parent for that matter, teach a child to poop on the potty. If you haven't studied and read up on this stuff you will be SOL.

And yet there are millions, if not hundreds of millions of adults who have managed to be taught this highly-complex behavior by parents who haven't taken a class or read a book....

Perhaps if some of those parents got some sort of instruction we wouldn't be desperately looking for diapers, excuse me "training pants" in larger and larger sizes.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I honestly do not care if my nanny is a "professional nanny." Reading up on childhood development? Gosh, if you're interested, but don't strain yourself. Breaking out some paints, letting my kids have at it, then clean it up, or schlepping them to a museum and making sure they come back in one piece, honestly, that's all I really expect. I feel like nannies on this board keep trying to elevate the professionalism of the job without really grasping that most parents are thrilled with you just being a fun, pleasant, semi-playmate.

If you want the dignity and salary of a true professional job, go to professional school like I did.

Hah, if you think that is true I would love to see you, or any parent for that matter, teach a child to poop on the potty. If you haven't studied and read up on this stuff you will be SOL.

And yet there are millions, if not hundreds of millions of adults who have managed to be taught this highly-complex behavior by parents who haven't taken a class or read a book....

Perhaps if some of those parents got some sort of instruction we wouldn't be desperately looking for diapers, excuse me "training pants" in larger and larger sizes.

10.32 here. Personally, I don't think the issue is just the parents. Pediatricians recommend that kids not start training until they are "ready"... but that could be 3, 4, or even 5 for some boys. Disposable diaper companies play on parents' fears of rashes and infections to keep kids in diapers that wick away moisture, so the child never has a chance to learn that they don't like being wet. Daycares and preschools won't potty train, so it's up to parents to try to do it all in one weekend. Nannies and babysitters don't pay attention to the child's cues or the clock, so the child gets conflicting messages. Parents want to take the easy route, so want to wait until the child shows interest and understands the difference between wet and dry.

Don't put it all on parents. Potty training isn't easy with most kids, but it's not rocket science either. And frankly, I've never had a problem teaching a child to poop in the pot; that was easier than teaching them to recognize the urge to pee.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I honestly do not care if my nanny is a "professional nanny." Reading up on childhood development? Gosh, if you're interested, but don't strain yourself. Breaking out some paints, letting my kids have at it, then clean it up, or schlepping them to a museum and making sure they come back in one piece, honestly, that's all I really expect. I feel like nannies on this board keep trying to elevate the professionalism of the job without really grasping that most parents are thrilled with you just being a fun, pleasant, semi-playmate.

If you want the dignity and salary of a true professional job, go to professional school like I did.

Hah, if you think that is true I would love to see you, or any parent for that matter, teach a child to poop on the potty. If you haven't studied and read up on this stuff you will be SOL.

And yet there are millions, if not hundreds of millions of adults who have managed to be taught this highly-complex behavior by parents who haven't taken a class or read a book....

Perhaps if some of those parents got some sort of instruction we wouldn't be desperately looking for diapers, excuse me "training pants" in larger and larger sizes.

10.32 again. I debated about saying this, but I think I'm going to. Get off your high horse. Potty training books recommend tons of things that I would never do (bribing with food or new toys, making things take longer as punishment). I potty train the way that my mother, grandmother, great-grandmother potty trained their kids, with one small variation. My mother and grandmothers sewed ruffles on the seat of little girl's underwear and appliques on the hip of little boy's underwear. As long as the child stayed dry, they could wear the underwear during the day, but if they wet their pants, they were in a diaper for the rest of the day and could try again the next day. For messes, they were in a diaper until the next time the child had to go. When I potty train, I use character underwear and the child gets to put the dry underwear in the clothes hamper and put on a new pair each time they go; if they wet or mess their pants, they wear a diaper until the next time they go in the pot. I don't do bribery, it's just a way to teach children to want to change their underwear (and it gradually is scaled back once they are fully potty trained), and it's not a punishment to wear the diaper, it's just a way to make sure that we don't have to clean up a huge mess again.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

10.32 again. I debated about saying this, but I think I'm going to. Get off your high horse. Potty training books recommend tons of things that I would never do (bribing with food or new toys, making things take longer as punishment). I potty train the way that my mother, grandmother, great-grandmother potty trained their kids, with one small variation. My mother and grandmothers sewed ruffles on the seat of little girl's underwear and appliques on the hip of little boy's underwear. As long as the child stayed dry, they could wear the underwear during the day, but if they wet their pants, they were in a diaper for the rest of the day and could try again the next day. For messes, they were in a diaper until the next time the child had to go. When I potty train, I use character underwear and the child gets to put the dry underwear in the clothes hamper and put on a new pair each time they go; if they wet or mess their pants, they wear a diaper until the next time they go in the pot. I don't do bribery, it's just a way to teach children to want to change their underwear (and it gradually is scaled back once they are fully potty trained), and it's not a punishment to wear the diaper, it's just a way to make sure that we don't have to clean up a huge mess again.

UM, that IS bribery- with character underwear. Doesn't matter if it's underwear, gummy bears or a new toy for the potty -- it's all bribery.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

10.32 again. I debated about saying this, but I think I'm going to. Get off your high horse. Potty training books recommend tons of things that I would never do (bribing with food or new toys, making things take longer as punishment). I potty train the way that my mother, grandmother, great-grandmother potty trained their kids, with one small variation. My mother and grandmothers sewed ruffles on the seat of little girl's underwear and appliques on the hip of little boy's underwear. As long as the child stayed dry, they could wear the underwear during the day, but if they wet their pants, they were in a diaper for the rest of the day and could try again the next day. For messes, they were in a diaper until the next time the child had to go. When I potty train, I use character underwear and the child gets to put the dry underwear in the clothes hamper and put on a new pair each time they go; if they wet or mess their pants, they wear a diaper until the next time they go in the pot. I don't do bribery, it's just a way to teach children to want to change their underwear (and it gradually is scaled back once they are fully potty trained), and it's not a punishment to wear the diaper, it's just a way to make sure that we don't have to clean up a huge mess again.

UM, that IS bribery- with character underwear. Doesn't matter if it's underwear, gummy bears or a new toy for the potty -- it's all bribery.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I honestly do not care if my nanny is a "professional nanny." Reading up on childhood development? Gosh, if you're interested, but don't strain yourself. Breaking out some paints, letting my kids have at it, then clean it up, or schlepping them to a museum and making sure they come back in one piece, honestly, that's all I really expect. I feel like nannies on this board keep trying to elevate the professionalism of the job without really grasping that most parents are thrilled with you just being a fun, pleasant, semi-playmate.

If you want the dignity and salary of a true professional job, go to professional school like I did.

Hah, if you think that is true I would love to see you, or any parent for that matter, teach a child to poop on the potty. If you haven't studied and read up on this stuff you will be SOL.

And yet there are millions, if not hundreds of millions of adults who have managed to be taught this highly-complex behavior by parents who haven't taken a class or read a book....

Perhaps if some of those parents got some sort of instruction we wouldn't be desperately looking for diapers, excuse me "training pants" in larger and larger sizes.

10.32 here. Personally, I don't think the issue is just the parents. Pediatricians recommend that kids not start training until they are "ready"... but that could be 3, 4, or even 5 for some boys. Disposable diaper companies play on parents' fears of rashes and infections to keep kids in diapers that wick away moisture, so the child never has a chance to learn that they don't like being wet. Daycares and preschools won't potty train, so it's up to parents to try to do it all in one weekend. Nannies and babysitters don't pay attention to the child's cues or the clock, so the child gets conflicting messages. Parents want to take the easy route, so want to wait until the child shows interest and understands the difference between wet and dry.

Don't put it all on parents. Potty training isn't easy with most kids, but it's not rocket science either. And frankly, I've never had a problem teaching a child to poop in the pot; that was easier than teaching them to recognize the urge to pee.

I do. I'm a nanny. In fact, just the other day I told the kindergartner that I could tell that both she and her little brother needed to use the potty, so lets quit playing outside and go in the house and use the bathroom. She looked at me in amazement, and asked how I knew.