The reality of modern day Nanny Life

Reading the headline of the Insider article about nannies of color, I expected to be seen and validated in a fresh way by a major publication. In some ways, I did see a more realistic and balanced representation of the industry, but I didn’t exactly see myself, and that was disappointing. The truth is, these romanticized depictions of nanny life often come from younger babysitters who choose their hours, serve multiple families based on need, and may even be aspiring content creators or entertainers who take nanny gigs in the mean time. These are not career caregivers.

Another concerning theme in the article was the desire to be “treated like family” as opposed to a professional. For many of us, this is not a necessary or even desired benchmark of value when supporting a family. In fact, being treated like family can hinder the working relationship and lead to issues like job creep, burn out and generally blurred lines in responsibility. Personal connection is part of the job, but more so in bonding with the kiddos and learning the family dynamic in an effort to better support them.

Amber Noelle is a career nanny of nearly 12 years currently working full time for a family of five in Atlanta Georgia.

She is passionate about building community in the nanny industry, promoting sustainability and encouraging nannies from all backgrounds to live their best life both on and off the clock.

One theme I can confirm that runs throughout assignments in the private childcare industry is an imbalance in POWER. In some cases this is more happenstance than anything, stemming from the service nature and sometimes generalized description of our work, and in other cases, it’s outright abuse from families who feel money can buy you anything you want. Important to note, though, the power struggles are not unique to high profile/high net worth families, nor are they limited to caregivers of color. But upon considering the history of the industry in this country, the systemic racism still running rampant and the stigmas surrounding people of color working in this industry, the power dynamic just hits different.

My biggest disappointment in this piece was the erasure of educated folks of color electing to work in the nanny industry, like myself. I didn’t see any balanced or positive examples of nanny life in this day and age and I think that’s important to round out the story. This job is absolutely not low stress or particularly romantic, but it is magical and the work we do matters. Believe it or not, some of us have found ways to support families without losing our identity or faith in our purpose. We have worked over many years to establish industry standards, protocols of professionalism and a supportive community to lean on through it all.

Amber and her babies <3

For the past six years, Amber has served the same family and has had the pleasure and duty of witnessing these little people grow into independent personalities since the eldest was mere weeks old.

Like everything else on social media, most posts are the beautiful, idyllic highlights of a much more realistic lifestyle. Supporting families and helping to raise children is intimate labor that requires discretion and discernment, with the reward of a job well done hidden in the everyday cuddles, convos and connection. Just know that if it looks easy, you’re gazing through an untrained eye. Shout out to all the nannies sharing their journey, but also those who choose to keep their work in the office.