‘The Nanny Dilemma” by Susan Cheever
Introduction
‘The Nanny Dilemma” by Susan Cheever offers a glimpse into a social dilemma and challenges faced by Nannies in modern society. The article is based on the findings of the experiences of a New York-based nanny Dominique who hails from Trinidad. This article identifies the issue of social dependency on strangers to perform our parenting tasks. The modern society is facing challenges in performing their parental duty. This is the reason most urban parents who don’t have time to take care of their children have to seek the services of nannies. These nannies have no regulation to carry out the noblest of tasks in society and are a deep part of our society since they take care of our children for economic reasons. However, most of them are faced with dilemmas in their workplace, lack of respect from employers and indeed abuse of their services. In this article, I submit that nannies play an integral role in our society and therefore parents should support them by playing their parental role and respecting nannies as valuable professionals.
The Historical Context
The increased presence of the woman in the workplace has necessitated the increased need for nannies. However, it has not been the case in history as societal needs have been evolving. Nanny responsibilities have historically included childcare and housekeeping chores. The economic environment has affected the need for nannies as it is mostly linked to the availability of employment opportunities in urban areas. Thus nannies have existed ever since the settlement of people in urban areas. The roles of nannies have evolved with the family arrangement and more specifically the role of women in society. Women were viewed in society as having the role to just rear children and take care of the home while their husbands worked in offices or the army.
The 1950s American society was a period of great American prosperity economically, and thus most American could afford house servants. As more women began getting educated and pursuing professional careers and getting into the workplace, the need for nannies grew. The growth of suburban areas in the US further fueled the demand for nannies even as economic fortunes for most Americans dwindled while the woman was more liberalized and thus the profession continued to be of great help to working parents in urban areas. Today, nannies are an integral part of our lives as there are all types of nannies in urban settings. The nannies are greatly valued and respected in society just as they are needed more by society. Indeed, the evolution of the woman has had a significant impact on the development of the nanny and will continue to play an integral role in the future. Moreover, the economic development will affect the ability of nannies to earn as they depend on wages paid by the working class professionals.
Lack of regulation
There are no standards, no certification boards or even examinations that have been set by the government to regulate the sector. Indeed, it is a challenge since most of the nannies are immigrants on green cards or temporary permits. For example, Dominique is expected by her employees to arrive at work early, work for long hours while taking care of the infants, cleaning the house and also performing other household chores that may not even be beyond the basic nanny roles such as walking the dog and taking care of the employer’s kids. Thus the nanny service providers like Dominique are disadvantaged as they do not have specific roles that they play as well as professional bodies that can protect them from exploitation. Thus they are vulnerable to being misused by their employer or even overworked.
The Attachment Factor
Children and families remain emotionally attached to people who are temporarily in their lives. However, like Dominique, most nannies are careful not to be emotionally attached to their clients as it may raise the ire of the mother who values the bond with their children. However, these parents are too busy and require help, and that is where nannies step in to offer that professional touch. The services of a nanny may never reach that of a mother, but it better than nothing. Moreover, these nannies face a form of attachment to the children, and this leaves them emotionally wrecked after they leave their jobs after two years since most of the kids in New York start attending school at two years. Based on the article by Cheever, Dominique and her friends call it the attachment factor since most kids lose emotional attachment after nannies leave.
Remote Parenting
It is imperative that parents realize that they play an integral role in the development and upbringing of their children despite the pressure to also deliver in their careers and also achieve financial success. The father should support the infants by being present whenever possible to bond with their children. The mother should also ensure that the job description of the nanny is respected and not overlooked by assigning to them work that is not linked to their job description. Indeed, remote parenting needs to stop as parents should take a little more responsibility.
Conclusion
In conclusion, the work of a nanny is extremely challenging, especially in an unregulated sector. The government should regulate the sector to protect its interests while recognizing their collective representative bodies. Parents should play a proactive role in nurturing their young ones as nannies already do so much. The parent and not the nanny should be attached to their children to create trust while growing up. Indeed, with the modern needs of the career woman who has a lot of responsibilities, it is crucial to recognize that nannies are also women looking for better opportunity and thus deserve to achieve their goals just as well. The wellbeing of a nanny will translate to the wellbeing of the woman and the family as a whole.