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.

"Manny" is the term generally used for a male nanny.

History

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.

Nannies Today

Today, although many families employ or use professional child care, full-time nannies in the classic sense can only be afforded by upper-middle to upper class families.

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 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

Demographic

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.

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. 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

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.
Jane Eyre the lead character from Charlotte Bronte's classical novel Jane Eyre.
Harmeet Kaur, who served as nanny of 2 kids in hyderabad while in DELL.

The term "Manny" is sometimes used for a male nanny, especially in the US and the UK [1].