I Love My Nanny

 

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What Everybody Ought to Know About

A response to "Middle/Upper Class Blacks get snubbed by nannies. How screwed up is that?"

One of the female subjects of this story felt the author exaggerated her family's challenges in finding a nanny or au pair because of their race. (This comes from her husband who I have known since I was a child.)

I was glad to hear this! I placed nannies for six years+ and never had a problem placing nannies with families if color. It was my experience that parents were the ones who were "most challenged" by the race issue.

I never had a white or black nanny refuse an interview or job with a black family. They never seemed concerned about race. My nannies were almost all college educated women who had been live in nannies in the past. Their focus was on the children, their profession and being of service to the families who needed them.

"Like hailing a cab in Midtown Manhattan, searching for a nanny can be an exasperating, humiliating exercise for many blacks, the kind of ordeal that makes them wonder aloud what year it is." : Jodi Kantor - NY-Times

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How nannies responded to

Nanny 1

I'm a teacher with a Masters degree and I nanny during the evenings, weekends and holidays (including summer). I play with the kids, feed them, read to them stories, then put them to bed. I clean the house, put away toys, do laundry and dishes and I've had parents want me to take a pay cut (from 10 an hour!) and a few treated me like 'the help', ie. they ignored me when I said hello.  Needless to say, I don't work for these people anymore.  Good nannys need to NOT negotiate their fees! If you're good, take NOTHING LESS THAN $15 AN HOUR AND MORE IF THERE'S ANOTHER KID! Parents, if you can't afford a good nanny, ONE OF YOU NEEDS TO QUIT THEIR JOB AND STAY HOME! If you're single and can't pay a good nanny what she's worth, start combing the daycares.  No one put a gun to your head and said to have kids.  It is what it is so don't act like your problem becomes your nanny's.  We have problems of our own to contend with so if you want us to help you with your world, you'd BETTER help us with ours!

 

Nanny 2

I am a Jamaican nanny who works on Manhattan's upper east side, and as a professional nanny I am approached by moms in the playground and when I take my change to classes. These moms are desperate to find nannies who are engaging, caring, loving and trustworthy, and have asked me if I would consider leaving the family which I'm working for, to join theirs. My answer is always a resounding 'NO', as there's no way I would leave this family who respects me, value my services, and pays me a very decent salary.

I've been with them for 9 months, and I'm very happy and thankful that they are such wonderful people, as I've heard of nannies who are in very bad situations, and have become extremely bitter, distant and are just putting up a front and doing their 'job'.

I cannot imagine how some parents treat their nannies badly, and expect them to be happy, loving, caring and be all the things that a happy nanny is. I happen to also be a mom, and I love my child very dearly and would definitely have to treat my nanny well,(if my child were younger and I was able to afford one)keep an open line of communication, and respect her so that everyone who walks through my doors do the same.

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