What Is Wrong With Having A Nanny?

Since when is there so much stigma attached to having a nanny? Recently it occurred to me that a lot of women hide the fact that they employ a nanny, or try to justify it whenever the topic comes up.

When I found out I was pregnant with my son and I realized daycare would start costing an arm and a leg, I looked into different nanny services to see if maybe for a comparable price we could get a nanny instead. Unfortunately, we had no such luck, and I found that qualified nannies who you would actually consider leaving with your children cost more than we were prepared to spend, and far more than our already overpriced daycare was charging.

Needless to say, I did not feel ashamed for looking for a nanny. I saw nothing wrong with the idea of another woman watching my children while I was away at work. But looking into it a bit further, the majority of women who do feel the negativity are the ones who do not work, and are using a nanny to help them throughout the day. For me this would be beyond a luxury, but I would never begrudge it to anyone else. As far as I am concerned, if you have that kind of money (and it must be nice), then why not make your day easier? Why not have some added help with the children? Sure, there are other women who do it all by themselves, and I have done it as well, but would I turn down having a nanny if I could? Absolutely not.

What is the big deal with nannies? Is it wrong to have a nanny if you are a stay at home mom?

 

2 comments

  1. Nannies are asked to do so much more than provide childcare these days. I was one for about a year after having Jesse. I cared for three school aged boys and got to bring my two along with me. Back then, the going rate was $13-15 an hour. I took less, since I had my own children with me all the time, but was grateful to have a paying job that allowed me to be with my boys for that time.

    If I had the dough, I’d totally hire someone to help with house duties freeing me up for more fun time with my boys. They’re little for such a short time and I’m going to regret every minute I’ve spent cleaning, but it must be done after all. With so many of them running around (LOL), I have to vacuum and mop daily and we’re up to two loads of laundry and one dishwasher full a day, in addition to all the other “regular” cleaning required. If I won the lottery, the first thing I’d want to invest in would be more time with my little boys. Someone to help with house duties would certainly make that easier!

  2. As an understanding father, I do feel sorry for women who wish to enjoy motherhood but have to go to work and rely on nannies to take care of the kids.
    Now that schools are on the holiday there is plenty of inexpensive help available from teenagers who’d love to babysit. One can google “find babysitter by zip code” to get a list of websites (even free ones) that will connect parents to babysitters.

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