I SAW YOUR NANNY

Well, after about 7 years of nannying, it has all come to an end. There have been ups and downs, it has been quite a ride. After being used and abused, especially the last few years, I decided to get out, I am enrolled in college seeking a degree as a physician assistant, hoping to end up in pediatrics. As much as I have loved and adored and gushed over all my charges, the parents were not always as lovable, which is why I want out! My first position as a nanny was amazing, a dream job. In fact, the child was a little bundle of wonderfulness, and the parents didn't fall short of fantastic, if only I could have worked for them for the rest of my life, I would have been happy with that. But unfortunately I moved half way across the country, and nanny hell began.

The first family I worked for looked at me as their slave. I agreed to nanny their 2 children with typical nanny cleaning duties, and the pay was fair, so I thought, "great! I found another wonderful family, that was easy!" but it was not so. Typical nanny cleaning duties turned into deep cleaning, such as scrubbing the parents toilet (which children did not use) with a designated tooth brush. They were very demeaning, and treated me with no respect. I was walking past the living room to the kitchen to fetch my charge a juice box, when the mother surrounded by friends in the living room, snapped her fingers in the air to get my attention and asked me to fetch some iced tea and snack for her friends and grab a handful of movies from their collection for them to select from. Had she asked me in a respectful manner, I may not have taken issue, it was the sheer disrespect that led me to put in my two weeks notice the following day. The next family I worked for was very kind and respectful, and cared very much about how the children were doing in their educational and social development. I was heartbroken when they moved across the state 18 months later.

The following family I worked for was fairly similar to the first, I was their personal servant, and was treated as though I was a seething creature that should feel privileged that they were gracious enough to employ this poor soul. The next and final family drove me to be finished once and for all. I agreed on a certain salary based on a 45 hour week, after about a month, I was consistently working 60 hours a week. They would tell me in the am what time I would be leaving in the pm, and consistently 3 times a week at the least, they would call me a half hour after the said leaving time and tell me I would be there for an additional 2 to 4 hours. They never asked, they told me, with no offering of a sorry or a thank you. When I brought up grievances about being compensated, they would become defensive and say they would give me paid time off to make up the difference, this never happened. There were many occasions where I was there for 16 hours.

They recently moved, only telling me a month beforehand. I had been planning on quitting but since they were moving, I did not want to leave them stranded with no Childcare and forced to find a nanny for a month, so I worked until the end. Once it was over, I declared I would not be treated this way again and drove down to the college and applied and registered.

In conclusion, there are many wonderful things about being a nanny that other careers do not get to experience, all the special moments, watching a child's eyes light up when you've taught them something new. Our jobs are to educate, develop and most of all love the children we care for, what is more precious and noble than this? We nannys are truly blessed. But on the flip side, we are ridiculed, treated very poorly, and so underpaid. When did a nanny become a cheap alternative to Childcare centers? I realize that not all nannys feel taken advantage of, and for you lucky ones to be working with a family that you love, I am truly happy for you, cherish all those special moments. But parents need to realize that nannys deserve respect, we care for and educate their children, we don't turn on a tv and plop on the couch, we work very hard to make sure children are being challenged and guided. To all you nannys, do not let yourself be taken advantage of, your time and skills are valuable, be sure they are appreciated. Do not bend over backwards constantly if you don't receive respect from the people you are doing it for. Stand up for yourself, be true to yourself, and love yourself. If you do this, you will not end up in the situations I did. Good bye nanny life! - Anonymous