Here's my advice: why do you give a flying f*** about what people think about your job as long as you're happy?

You will always run into people who are judgmental and condescending. If they look down on you for caring for children, there is something wrong with them.

Those who argue that it is not a relevant field with a question: Imagine if every person who works with children under 5 years old would leave and do something else. What would that do to our society, considering how many women with children in that age group work outside the home? It's up to us to conduct ourselves in a professional manner. Then, others will begin to see us in a more professional way.

I challenge everyone who works as a nanny to not get offended when ignorant people respond in ignorant ways to our profession. Instead, inform them, stop settling for less than you deserve, and don't do any task that is not a nanny task. All advice that's giving daily on this site.

Anonymous wrote:If you enjoy being a nanny, that's awesome. But the reality is that nannying is a low level type of job like working in fast food. You can't climb up the corporate ladder, you don't need an education. Own it. Stop trying to fight for people to see it as a professional career when it's not. If want that type of recognition then finish school.

Could you stop posting just to be mean? It contributes nothing to the conversation at all.

If you enjoy being a nanny, that's awesome. But the reality is that nannying is a low level type of job like working in fast food. You can't climb up the corporate ladder, you don't need an education. Own it. Stop trying to fight for people to see it as a professional career when it's not. If want that type of recognition then finish school.

Yes today at the zoo. I was on a field trip with my own DS and the mothers visibly bristled, and then ignored me, when I mentioned I was a nanny.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

If more nannies thought of themselves as homeschool teachers for infants and toddlers, and put in the planning time to actually provide those services, the profession would get a lot more respect. The problem is that a lot of nannies truly are just in the business of playing with kids and going to lunch with other nannies and babies. There's nothing wrong with that, but it doesn't make you a professional and that is why people look down on what you do.

Bad, bad idea. Infants and toddlers do not need a homeschool curriculum because a 20 something nanny is embarrassed to tell her friends she is a nanny. You can't pretend that you are something that you are not. You have to accept who you are and ignore what other people expect you to be. This is hard when you are in your 20s but an important lesson to learn.

Young nannies should get ECE degrees not because they use them in their nanny work but because they may someday decide they want to do something other than being a nanny. The degree can give you more options down the road.

People probably look down at the nanny profession more for the reputation that nannies have for being complete unprofessional goof offs. If nannies would stop chatting with each other at the park all day, being glued to their cell phone, going shopping with their charges, napping during the day and watching NetFlix during nap time then the profession would be more respected. Ironically, the 20 something ECE type nannies seem to more guilty of these things than the late 30s/40s career nannies without a degree.

Quoted poster again. I am not suggesting that nannies should get trained and licensed as ECE homeschool professionals to save face, but your argument that they should do it solely to open other career options denies the important teaching role that a nanny with charges between 0 and 5 has an opportunity to play. My point is that licensure--with qualification based on completion of formal ECE training that is on par in terms of rigor with a degree program rather than a 2-6 week nanny course--would benefit the salaries and reputation of those nannies who have the drive to pursue training and licensure, while also benefiting families by making it easier to assess nanny qualifications. The likely result of widespread licensure would be a system of licensed professional ECE homeschool nannies and unlicensed paraprofessional nannies, with different expectations, roles and compensation levels. Parents could then choose one or the other based on their budget and needs. The problem now is that everyone who provides private childcare on a set schedule can call herself a nanny, so the worst of the bunch diminish the reputation of the whole field. And the sitter/nanny distinction doesn't cut it, partly because the linguistic genie has been out of the bottle too long and partly because there are very good nannies who still fall short of being private ECE teachers. The Brits have traditionally recognized a similar distinction, with the homeschool teachers known as governesses rather than nannies.

Just to be clear, a 2-year-old does not have a governess, even in England. Governesses don't become part of a child's household until they are ready for school.

So, as a nanny I agree with a lot of what you're saying and I appreciate that you're making the distinction between babysitters who call themselves nannies and nannies who really work hard, but your overall argument is flawed because even the Brits "just" hire nannies for their babies - including the royal ones

Doesn't change my position. I mentioned the Brits just to illustrate that there is a difference between a professional homeschooler and a nanny, not because I think they've got it all figured out in terms of private childcare. My point is that there SHOULD be more professional homeschoolers available for hire for kids between the ages of, say, one and five, because there is a lot of play-based teaching and learning that SHOULD take place at that age. Some of that teaching can easily be done by a dedicated parent or sitter or nanny who is not trained as a teacher, but there is no doubt that a lot of it can be done better by an expert.

I don't mean to pick a fight, but I think you may have misunderstood my statements about "the distinction between babysitters who call themselves nannies and nannies who really work hard." I strongly believe that nannies need to move away from trying to use that distinction as a proxy for quality/level of service. You will never obtain a consensus on the difference between a sitter and a nanny except perhaps among a small group of nannies who want to think of themselves as somehow being better than other nannies.

There are nannies out there who are wonderful--loving, warm, hard-working and as skilled as can be with baby care--but in no way equipped to provide ECE at the level of a credentialed teacher. That doesn't make these women sitters or bad nannies. It makes them nannies who lack formal training to teach. There are also sitters out there who are head and shoulders above the vast majority of nannies in terms of qualifications and skill in working with children; they just happen not to be available for private hire on a set schedule. Rather than trying to resuscitate the word nanny, which, in the U.S., lost any aura of professionalism or elitism long ago, nannies should advocate for a new way of differentiating among themselves based on training and qualifications. In most industries in the U.S., this is accomplished through some sort of licensure or certification process, with an exam preceded by extensive training serving as a barrier to entry.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

If more nannies thought of themselves as homeschool teachers for infants and toddlers, and put in the planning time to actually provide those services, the profession would get a lot more respect. The problem is that a lot of nannies truly are just in the business of playing with kids and going to lunch with other nannies and babies. There's nothing wrong with that, but it doesn't make you a professional and that is why people look down on what you do.

Bad, bad idea. Infants and toddlers do not need a homeschool curriculum because a 20 something nanny is embarrassed to tell her friends she is a nanny. You can't pretend that you are something that you are not. You have to accept who you are and ignore what other people expect you to be. This is hard when you are in your 20s but an important lesson to learn.

Young nannies should get ECE degrees not because they use them in their nanny work but because they may someday decide they want to do something other than being a nanny. The degree can give you more options down the road.

People probably look down at the nanny profession more for the reputation that nannies have for being complete unprofessional goof offs. If nannies would stop chatting with each other at the park all day, being glued to their cell phone, going shopping with their charges, napping during the day and watching NetFlix during nap time then the profession would be more respected. Ironically, the 20 something ECE type nannies seem to more guilty of these things than the late 30s/40s career nannies without a degree.

Quoted poster again. I am not suggesting that nannies should get trained and licensed as ECE homeschool professionals to save face, but your argument that they should do it solely to open other career options denies the important teaching role that a nanny with charges between 0 and 5 has an opportunity to play. My point is that licensure--with qualification based on completion of formal ECE training that is on par in terms of rigor with a degree program rather than a 2-6 week nanny course--would benefit the salaries and reputation of those nannies who have the drive to pursue training and licensure, while also benefiting families by making it easier to assess nanny qualifications. The likely result of widespread licensure would be a system of licensed professional ECE homeschool nannies and unlicensed paraprofessional nannies, with different expectations, roles and compensation levels. Parents could then choose one or the other based on their budget and needs. The problem now is that everyone who provides private childcare on a set schedule can call herself a nanny, so the worst of the bunch diminish the reputation of the whole field. And the sitter/nanny distinction doesn't cut it, partly because the linguistic genie has been out of the bottle too long and partly because there are very good nannies who still fall short of being private ECE teachers. The Brits have traditionally recognized a similar distinction, with the homeschool teachers known as governesses rather than nannies.

Just to be clear, a 2-year-old does not have a governess, even in England. Governesses don't become part of a child's household until they are ready for school.

So, as a nanny I agree with a lot of what you're saying and I appreciate that you're making the distinction between babysitters who call themselves nannies and nannies who really work hard, but your overall argument is flawed because even the Brits "just" hire nannies for their babies - including the royal ones

Eh, people say shit like "it's not a real job", and that "I pretty much just babysit all day."

Anonymous wrote:

If more nannies thought of themselves as homeschool teachers for infants and toddlers, and put in the planning time to actually provide those services, the profession would get a lot more respect. The problem is that a lot of nannies truly are just in the business of playing with kids and going to lunch with other nannies and babies. There's nothing wrong with that, but it doesn't make you a professional and that is why people look down on what you do.

Bad, bad idea. Infants and toddlers do not need a homeschool curriculum because a 20 something nanny is embarrassed to tell her friends she is a nanny. You can't pretend that you are something that you are not. You have to accept who you are and ignore what other people expect you to be. This is hard when you are in your 20s but an important lesson to learn.

Young nannies should get ECE degrees not because they use them in their nanny work but because they may someday decide they want to do something other than being a nanny. The degree can give you more options down the road.

People probably look down at the nanny profession more for the reputation that nannies have for being complete unprofessional goof offs. If nannies would stop chatting with each other at the park all day, being glued to their cell phone, going shopping with their charges, napping during the day and watching NetFlix during nap time then the profession would be more respected. Ironically, the 20 something ECE type nannies seem to more guilty of these things than the late 30s/40s career nannies without a degree.

Quoted poster again. I am not suggesting that nannies should get trained and licensed as ECE homeschool professionals to save face, but your argument that they should do it solely to open other career options denies the important teaching role that a nanny with charges between 0 and 5 has an opportunity to play. My point is that licensure--with qualification based on completion of formal ECE training that is on par in terms of rigor with a degree program rather than a 2-6 week nanny course--would benefit the salaries and reputation of those nannies who have the drive to pursue training and licensure, while also benefiting families by making it easier to assess nanny qualifications. The likely result of widespread licensure would be a system of licensed professional ECE homeschool nannies and unlicensed paraprofessional nannies, with different expectations, roles and compensation levels. Parents could then choose one or the other based on their budget and needs. The problem now is that everyone who provides private childcare on a set schedule can call herself a nanny, so the worst of the bunch diminish the reputation of the whole field. And the sitter/nanny distinction doesn't cut it, partly because the linguistic genie has been out of the bottle too long and partly because there are very good nannies who still fall short of being private ECE teachers. The Brits have traditionally recognized a similar distinction, with the homeschool teachers known as governesses rather than nannies.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:If more nannies thought of themselves as homeschool teachers for infants and toddlers, and put in the planning time to actually provide those services, the profession would get a lot more respect. The problem is that a lot of nannies truly are just in the business of playing with kids and going to lunch with other nannies and babies. There's nothing wrong with that, but it doesn't make you a professional and that is why people look down on what you do. It's too bad, because it discourages women with degrees in ECE from working as nannies, when that path offers many benefits.

I really wish someone would start a licensure program for nanny/ECE homeschool teachers. I know there are already nanny training schools, but I'm thinking of something more on the lines of a governess training school.

Haven't you read the book, "You Are Your Child's First Teacher"? The "You" refers to either the parent or the caregiver.

Quoted poster here. I have not read the book, but it likely underscores my point. Nannies are, without question, in a position to teach. The problem is that many nannies don't know how to do this in a purposeful way, so the opportunity is squandered. I see a very heavy dependence by most nannies on store-bought toys and playground equipment. Those things are fine, but there is a big world beyond that. Does this shortcoming on the part of most nannies harm the kids for life? Probably not. Is it a lost opportunity to give the kids a big head start? For the naysayers, I'm not talking about sitting toddlers down with workbooks and flash cards. It doesn't take ECE training for that. I'm talking about the many subtle ways that a good, trained ECE teacher integrates learning into the most mundane activities, encounters, and experiences. At that age, it is largely a matter of how the adult speaks with the child. Also, ECE training helps the teacher/nanny acquire a repertoire of creative ways to teach in a variety of developmental areas using simple stimuli found at home or outside.

I don't doubt that some nannies have cobbled together ECE training or taught themselves a lot through reading. Unfortunately, this is rare. A lot of parents would pay a premium for a trained, licensed ECE homeschool professional, because we would have a better sense of what we're getting for that premium price. Of course, there will always be a market for unlicensed nannies, some of whom are and will continue to be wonderful.

8:48, please stop posting this on every thread. It's not the PP's "problem" that nannies have a bad reputation for being unprofessional. It's the nannies' problem.

Anonymous wrote:

If more nannies thought of themselves as homeschool teachers for infants and toddlers, and put in the planning time to actually provide those services, the profession would get a lot more respect. The problem is that a lot of nannies truly are just in the business of playing with kids and going to lunch with other nannies and babies. There's nothing wrong with that, but it doesn't make you a professional and that is why people look down on what you do.

Bad, bad idea. Infants and toddlers do not need a homeschool curriculum because a 20 something nanny is embarrassed to tell her friends she is a nanny. You can't pretend that you are something that you are not. You have to accept who you are and ignore what other people expect you to be. This is hard when you are in your 20s but an important lesson to learn.

Young nannies should get ECE degrees not because they use them in their nanny work but because they may someday decide they want to do something other than being a nanny. The degree can give you more options down the road.

People probably look down at the nanny profession more for the reputation that nannies have for being complete unprofessional goof offs. If nannies would stop chatting with each other at the park all day, being glued to their cell phone, going shopping with their charges, napping during the day and watching NetFlix during nap time then the profession would be more respected. Ironically, the 20 something ECE type nannies seem to more guilty of these things than the late 30s/40s career nannies without a degree.

Your problem is you do not understand the difference between a nanny and a sitter.

If more nannies thought of themselves as homeschool teachers for infants and toddlers, and put in the planning time to actually provide those services, the profession would get a lot more respect. The problem is that a lot of nannies truly are just in the business of playing with kids and going to lunch with other nannies and babies. There's nothing wrong with that, but it doesn't make you a professional and that is why people look down on what you do.

Bad, bad idea. Infants and toddlers do not need a homeschool curriculum because a 20 something nanny is embarrassed to tell her friends she is a nanny. You can't pretend that you are something that you are not. You have to accept who you are and ignore what other people expect you to be. This is hard when you are in your 20s but an important lesson to learn.

Young nannies should get ECE degrees not because they use them in their nanny work but because they may someday decide they want to do something other than being a nanny. The degree can give you more options down the road.

People probably look down at the nanny profession more for the reputation that nannies have for being complete unprofessional goof offs. If nannies would stop chatting with each other at the park all day, being glued to their cell phone, going shopping with their charges, napping during the day and watching NetFlix during nap time then the profession would be more respected. Ironically, the 20 something ECE type nannies seem to more guilty of these things than the late 30s/40s career nannies without a degree.

Anonymous wrote:If more nannies thought of themselves as homeschool teachers for infants and toddlers, and put in the planning time to actually provide those services, the profession would get a lot more respect. The problem is that a lot of nannies truly are just in the business of playing with kids and going to lunch with other nannies and babies. There's nothing wrong with that, but it doesn't make you a professional and that is why people look down on what you do. It's too bad, because it discourages women with degrees in ECE from working as nannies, when that path offers many benefits.

I really wish someone would start a licensure program for nanny/ECE homeschool teachers. I know there are already nanny training schools, but I'm thinking of something more on the lines of a governess training school.

Haven't you read the book, "You Are Your Child's First Teacher"? The "You" refers to either the parent or the caregiver.

I use to get a lot of crap from my mother about "babysitting" and "not a real job". She has only worked a few years of her life and her opinion is not valid.

Some people have opinions about what kind of person is a nanny. Their assumptions are not my problem.

I love my job and the many different things it entails.