The nanny is someone who provides care for your child inside or outside of your home. When you think about the role of the nanny in the home, you most likely think of a female who lives in the home and is responsible for every aspect of childcare for your children. Today's nanny is a little different than what you may think of when you think. Here is the history of nannies.
The First Nannies
The history of the nanny can be traced to the nineteenth and twentieth century when they were called nurses. Generally the nanny had a great deal of power and responsibility in the home. In wealthy families the nurse was given a part of the home to use for the care of the children and generally had at least one assistant in the care of the children.
In these wealthy families, it was not uncommon for a nanny to stay with one family for the entire length of her career. She would care for the subsequent generations of children that were born into the family. Often, she would care for the children of the children that she originally cared for when she began working for the family. For the children of these families, the nanny was considered to be a beloved member of the family.
According to author Mary Ann Gibbs, author of the fiction work, The Years of the Nannies [Hutchinson, 1960], these people, mostly female, were devoted to the families that they cared for. The nannies of this time period cared for the children with total control, and were often the only care that the children received. The mothers of the children often placed all the responsibility of the care of their children in the hands of the nanny and her assistants.
Today's Nanny Vs. Yesterday
The role of a nanny in today's world is a great deal different. Mothers today maintain the ultimate authority and control over how their children are cared for by the nanny. Nanniesdo not necessarily live in the household today, and many times the nanny is an at-home childcare provider for the times when the mother is not available to care for her children. In the past, the nanny would provide care for the children even when the mother was at home and able to care for her own children.
The care of children has taken a dramatic turn in modern times. Families are now more aware of the necessity to provide care for their own children on a much more personal level. Nannies are a wonderful resource to have, but they are not responsible for the upbringing of children. Instead they provide more of an assistance type role than the sole provider of care.
There is still room in today's society for the role of the nanny. As more women are working outside of the home than ever before, having a nanny in the home to assist in the care of the children is still greatly needed by many families. The tradition of the nanny will no doubt continue into the future as there is always a need for high quality providers for the care of our children.
 |
