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[quote=Anonymous]Mormon nanny here:

First, know that when you are getting an LDS nanny through a specific agency Often it is more like an au pair than a nanny.  Utah, Arizona, and Idaho are not particularly prosperous states and girls from “Mormon” families who have a lot of kids and maybe can’t pay much money for out of state college think that it would be a great adventure to go live in a big city at the other end of the country and earn some money.  These young women are coming from low cost of living states as a live-in so are often willing to accept much lower wages than a nanny local to a major metropolitan area.  Just like with the au pair program, parents often look at the price tag without thinking about the responsibilities and the culture shock they will have to deal with.

The culture shock isn’t just about being “Mormon.”  Utah and Idaho (I haven’t spent as much time in Arizona so I can’t confirm this is true there as well) both have very lax restrictions on parents. People there feel strongly that every parent should be allowed to decide for themselves how to raise their kids, and there is a culture of trusting others and not worrying too much about things.  When I was last visiting a friend with kids in Utah, she had her 5yo walk her 2yo down the street to the neighborhood playground to play.  Unsupervised.  Literally no one thought that was odd but me.  When I was a nanny in that part of the country the mom asked me to run to the grocery store before picking up her daughter from school and if the baby fell asleep in the car she told me to just leave him in the car with the engine on while I ran in for milk and diapers.  It is a VERY different parenting culture than what we have in most major cities on the coasts.

Additionally, people who are LDS and grew up on the East Coast make fun of “Utah mormons” with good reason.  It is so homogeneous that they often just have no social skills around the idea of interacting with cultural, ethnic or religious diversity, which is a huge factor in navigating a place like DC or NYC.  They may have trouble with the idea that normal, good people do things like drink alcohol regularly, or wear revealing clothing or swear.

In conclusion, if you like the idea of an LDS nanny because she doesn’t drink or smoke and has solid values and is responsible and family-oriented, that may all be true, but getting a sheltered 19yo is going to come with major downsides.  If you are hiring via agency, only accept candidates who have lived away from home for at least a year.  Ask a LOT of questions about the level of supervision she feels kids need.  Ask about her life experiences and look for someone who has had some outside of the UT/ID/AZ bubble.

If you would rather hire an East Coaster, hire someone who already lives in your city.  To do this you probably need to know someone who is LDS and ask if there is a “YSA” listserve in your area and if they would be willing to post a job listing for you.

—Born and raised on the East Coast, raised in the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints, nanny for over a decade, have nannied for Hindu, Buddhist, Christian and atheist families and have worked for a gay couple for the last 5 years.[/quote]

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