They say that being a parent is the hardest and most important job you will ever have. If so, shouldn't the person you hire to help you raise, educate, and LOVE your children also be held in high regard?
Unfortunately this does not seem to be a commonly held view in busy New York City. Instead it seems that there are non-stop assaults on the nanny profession, taking what should be a very creditable career, and tarnishing it with stories of "bad eggs” in over sensationalized articles. The New York Post recently published one such article entitled, ‘The Rise of the Diva Nanny’, where the journalist paints the picture of the "hired help" acting entitled and spoiled.
I shared this story on my Facebook group page, NYC Professional Nannies, where New York City's career nannies gather as a community to learn about child development, NY industry standards, and the laws that have been put in place to protect our vulnerable profession. Our group strives to stop the erroneous assumptions and stereotypes about our valuable role as a nanny.
Reading the article's claims from these featured parents and lawyers about "diva nannies" all point to one sure thing: No professional career nanny would or should ever act this way. Our good nanny title is being misused and blemished by under qualified, unprofessional babysitters and those who choose to employ them. Calling a babysitter a nanny is like calling a first year medical student a doctor. These two titles are very different and should not be used interchangeably. Continue reading the full article here. Holly Flanders/Choice Parenting.
Have you seen an article worth sharing? Send it to us!
5 comments:
I am so glad she wrote this! I hated the article when I saw it. And the tone is really, "who does this nanny think she is" yet its perfectly okay for anyone in any other industry at the top of their game to ask for the best pay and perks. Bullshit. Nanny Envy much>
Totally agree, Lost in Yonkers. I guess we should settle for anything families offer. We should be humbled to be in their child's presence. God forbid if we are at the top of our game, and make high wages. Any other field people get congrats for raises, promotions or a nice bonus.
I worked many years doing childcare. What did I get in the long run? Total burnout I never want to go back in this line of work. I have nothing to show for it.
I think the enormous problem I had with this article was that it painted the people who populate my profession in an unfair light. Yes, I am sure there are indeed Diva like attitudes in the childcare arena, but I am also certain that these so called Divas are a very tiny percentage of the army of extremely professional caregivers out there. Caregivers who, I might add, frequently have to fight for basic rights of their employment such as sick days, paid holidays, health care benefits, deduction of proper taxes, overtime compensation and proper breaks through extremely long days. For any "Diva Nanny" this article speaks of, hoping for a house in the Hamptons to lie by the pool, I will offer up the very realistic situation of the nanny in the Hamptons house: a 12+ hour shift with no break, often with the children of the house guests, neighbors and visiting relatives thrown in, watching said children like a shark around so much water, missing ones home, regular routine and significant other.
As a long term career nanny, this article was not only shameful. It was insulting.
Thanks for sharing my blog on your website! Maxene did a great job! I work with parents in the NYC metro to educate them on how to best find a quality daycare, nanny or nanny share through personalized and affordable childcare coaching sessions. I teach best practices to find a great nanny and have a healthy, professional relationship including: fair and legal pay, benefits, clear expectations from start, regular reviews and communication, etc. While I am marketing parents for the business, I love nannies! I was a nanny for several years and am extremely passionate about the childcare industry. I would LOVE any feedback or assistance to spread the word about what I do! Thanks for posting!!!
Post a Comment