Nanny

From Encyclopedia Jr, free information reference for Kids

This article is about the personal child manager. For the female goat, see Goat. For the sitcom and movie see The Nanny.

A nanny is defined as "a child's nurse". The traditional nanny was a servant in a large household and reported directly to the lady of the house. Nannies were always female and this remained the case through most of the 20th Century Today a few men do hold the role, although normally under a more generic title such as childminder, or occasionally manny. This role currently stands firmly as a sector of early childhood education.

In the 19th and early 20th century, a nanny in a great house ran her own domain, supported by at least one nursery maid. Because of their role in child care, they were somewhat more indulged than junior servants. Nannies may have remained in the employ of the same aristocratic family for years, looking after successive generations of children.

Today, although many families employ or use professional child care, fulltime nannies in the classic sense can only be afforded by upper-middle to upper class families. 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 children
• Protecting children from harm and ensuring that they have a safe environment
• Preparing appetizing and nutritionally-balanced meals and snacks
• Maintaining good communication with the parents, informing them of each child's development and concerns
• Maintaining the cleanliness and neatness of the house as affected by the children

Typically, women in the 20 to 30 age bracket take up employment as nannies. Some are younger. In many poorer countries, many teenage girls also work as nannies. Nannies typically earn low salaries. Sometimes the employer requires their nanny/nannies to wear a uniform. This happened often earlier during the 20th century, but since the 1990s many nannies instead can wear clothes that are comfortable for their work. A nanny uniform can include a dress or blouse and skirt.

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. The INA assists nannies with education, placement, employment, and provides professional support for in-home child care providers. 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.

A governess, in contrast to a nanny, concentrates on teaching and training children.

According to leading nanny agencies in the United States "Typically top nanny candidates can earn $1000 per week, but most jobs start between $500-$700 per week."^{[citation needed]}

Famous fictional nannies include:

• Mary Poppins
• Nanny McPhee
• Fran Fine, played by Fran Drescher in The Nanny
• The BBC television drama series, Nanny, starred Wendy Craig in the title role, and ran from 1981 to 1983
• Phoebe Figalily in the U.S. sitcom Nanny and the Professor which starred Juliet Mills and Richard Long.
• Nanny on Muppet Babies
• Nanny in The Nanny Diaries.

[edit] See also

• au pair
• nanny state
• nursemaid
• chaperon
• wetnurse