The article referred, The New Nanny Dairies Online, is two years old, but provides a good example of the conflict between a nanny’s personal life and her job. The nanny in the article may not be showing good judgment in what she reveals about her personal life and where she does it. However, the issue discussed is a common struggle for most members of the profession, “How to perform the job and have an active personal life at the same time that doesn’t conflict with the job. How to find the energy and the attention needed for both without short changing the other.”
Sandy, a nanny, said, “I went on a date recently, and I found it hard to maintain a conversation. I have gotten to the point where I only know how to converse with parents and kids. It’s hard to talk with single people.”
The demands of the families that nannies work for are high and all consuming. There is a lot of overtime, weekends and traveling with very little personal time or space. Time-offs are almost impossible to get because there are no nanny assistants.
What’s worse is that many nannies work off the books and get no benefits. And like most service oriented professions, nannies are undervalued and underappreciated. Additionally, at the end of a long day chasing other people’s kids around, your ears are ringing, your temples are pulsing, and you have another day of it to look forward to. Every nanny should write a diary about their experiences. And organize. Nannies should revolt!!
I think that anyone whos around kids whether their the nanny or a mother have trouble communicating with adults when there always around children. I remember when I visited my neices and nephew during the break I was picking up their mannerisms and their routine having spent an entire month with them.