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A child and her nanny

A baboe and the children in her care in colonial Indonesia. 1934

European children and their baboe. 1925-1935 period

A nanny or childminder is a person who looks after the child or children of another family. Childminding differs from nannying in that a nanny goes to the house of the child in order to care for it; childminders look after the child in the childminder's home. Modern nannies may live in or out, like other domestic workers, depending on their circumstances and those of their employers. The traditional nanny was a servant in a large household and reported directly to the lady of the house. A governess, in contrast to a nanny, concentrated on teaching and training children.

History

In the 19th and early 20th century, the position was usually known as a "nurse", and was, as for many childcare jobs, invariably female. In a great house, the nurse ran her own domain, a suite of rooms called the nursery, supported by at least one assistant, known as a nursemaid (or nurserymaid). Because of their role in child care, nannies were somewhat more indulged than junior servants. Nannies may have remained in the employment of the same aristocratic family for years, looking after successive generations of children.

Colonial era

Nannies were present in the households of the European colonial empires throughout the world. It was a characteristic feature of colonial society that the children of European administrative officers were entrusted to the care of native women.

Nannies in colonial times spent their lives in the home of their masters, often from childhood till old age, taking care of more than one generation, depending from the duration of the post. It was not uncommon for these nannies to be brought along with the family away from their native country when officers were posted somewhere else.

• In the British Raj nannies were known as ayah, after aia, nurse, governess (Portuguese). This term is presently part of the vocabulary of various languages of the Subcontinent, meaning also female servant or maid.

• In the Dutch East Indies the household nanny was known as baboe.

Nannies today

Today, although many families use the modern version of a nanny, child care, the classic more historic version from times past is rare. Uniform may still be worn in some cases, but a respectful standard of dress is more common today. Perks of the job may include a nanny flat and a car. Some nannies are highly trained,, but there is no restriction on the use of the word, so education, training, and experience vary greatly.

Tasks

A nanny may perform tasks such as:

• Providing childcare during the hours agreed upon with the employing family
• Supporting the physical, social, emotional, creative, and intellectual development of the children of the family
• Protecting the children of the family from harm and ensuring that they have a safe environment
• Preparing appetizing and nutritionally-balanced meals and snacks to the children of the family
• Maintaining good communication with the parents, informing them of each of their children's development and concerns in behavior
• Maintaining the cleanliness and neatness of the house as affected by the children of the family

Demographic

Typically, women in their 20s to 60's take up employment as nannies. Some are younger, though normally younger workers are nursemaids or au pairs rather than nannies in the traditional use of the term.

A few positions are filled by men; the term manny is sometimes used for a male nanny, especially in the US and the UK [1].

Associations

There are a number of national and international professional associations representing nannies and nanny agencies. The International Nanny Association (INA) was founded in 1985. INA is a non-profit organization which provides an educational association for nannies with placement, employment, and professional support. The Alliance of Professional Nanny Agencies (APNA) was founded in 1993. It is a non-profit organization that promotes professionalism in the nanny placement industry.

Childminding

In the United Kingdom, OFSTED define a childminder as someone who "provide[s] care for children under eighteen years of age, for more than two hours each day, on domestic premises, for reward."^[1] Childminding differs from nannying in that a nanny goes to the house of the child in order to care for it; childminders look after the child in the childminder's own home. The childminder and their house are both carefully assessed by OFSTED, with an inspection taking place every three years.

In the United Kingdom, the National Nursery Examination Board (NNEB) was founded in 1945 as the awarding body in qualifications for Nannies and nursery personnel. In 1994 the NNEB and the Council for Early Years Awards (CEYA) merged to form CACHE - The Council for Awards in Children's Care and Education, with their CACHE Level 3 Diploma in Child Care and Education providing the knowledge and undertstanding of child development and education needed to work as a Nanny.

Notable nannies

• St Josephine Bakhita (1869—1947), a black slave who worked as a nanny and later became a Roman Catholic saint
• Charlotte Bill (c. 1875—1965), known as Lalla, nanny of Prince John, son of King George V from 1905 until 1919, featured in the film The Lost Prince
• Marion Crawford CVO (1909—1988), known as Crawfie, nanny of the future Queen Elizabeth II and Princess Margaret
• Margaretta Eagar (1863—1936), nanny to the four daughters of Tsar Nicholas II
• Tiggy Legge-Bourke MVO (born 1965), nanny to Prince William of Wales and his brother Prince Harry
• Jo Frost, nanny who hosted a successful television programme, Supernanny in the UK and US, showing parents techniques to help with unruly children
• Deborah Carroll and Stella Reid, nannies from the show, Nanny 911 who have 27 and 20 years of experience respectively.
• Lillian Sperling, nanny of the British royal family, and the head nanny of the show, Nanny 911.

Fictional representations

Men

• Tony Danza in Who's the Boss
• Hulk Hogan in the movie Mr. Nanny
• Mrs. Doubtfire
• The Manny Files
• Angus Partridge in The L Word
• Vin Diesel in The Pacifier
• Scott Baio in Charles in Charge

Women

• Mary Poppins, from P. L. Travers's children's literature series set in Edwardian London.
• Nanny McPhee
• Fran Fine, played by Fran Drescher in The Nanny
• The BBC television drama series (1981- 1983), Nanny, starred Wendy Craig
• Phoebe Figalily in the U.S. sitcom Nanny and the Professor which starred Juliet Mills and Richard Long
• Nanny on Muppet Babies
• Peyton Flanders/Mrs. Mott in The Hand That Rocks the Cradle
• Mrs. Baylock in The Omen (1976)
• The Nanny Diaries
• Nanny in Eloise
• Nanny Hawkins, from "Brideshead Revisited" by Evelyn Waugh (1945).

Animal

• Nana, a Newfoundland dog, in Peter Pan

Television

Many television programs feature real nannies, many of which help parents discipline children.

• Supernanny
• Nanny 911

See also

• Nanny State
• Governess
• Au pair
• Nursemaid, an assistant to a nanny
• Chaperon, one who accompanies teenagers and young adults to social events
• Wet-nurse, a woman who breastfeeds another's baby
• Babysitter, another term for someone who takes care of a child or children

References

External links

• USA Today article on CEO nannies
• CACHE - The Council for Awards in Children's Care and Education