Gabriela Ramirez

The Nannies: An American Icon

For centuries, parents have hired nannies to help them with the day-to-day activities and responsibilities needed to assist working parents in providing well-rounded care for kids. Nannies have filled in the role of an extra caregiver who is “on the clock” and equipped with the skills to offer babysitter duties like bath time and feeding time while playing an integral role in the child’s development with homework assistance extra educational tutoring time. Historically, the nanny has been known as the American version of the“governess” or baby nurse, a well-skilled babysitter and step-in parent when the biological parents are unavailable to watch over their children. 

Nannies have ranged from the college student looking for a summer job or a part-time gig after classes to a recent college graduate or an individual aspiring to become an educator. However, with the American economic boom, there has been an increased demand for nannies, which has alternated the qualifications of the nanny from minimal training and a well-developed motivation to play a role in the child’s life to a highly trained, skilled, and educated individual who is the perfect step-in parent.

The modern-day role of the nanny emerged in the late nineteenth and early twentieth century from the Victorian era Governess and baby nurse. In 1851, the UK's Census calculated 25,000 women were working childcare-related jobs. Many of them were live-in childcare providers tasked with home chore-related responsibilities. Having a governess at home was mainly for the upper class; however, in the 19th century, the middle class also began employing governesses. This shift also pushed for it to become a status symbol when using a governess; you had more than enough economic resources to have hired help for your childcare and at home-chores. (1) Modern-day conceptions of nannies in the twenty-first century have emerged from the Victorian-era Governess, given the demand for in-house babysitting rising with more working parents spending time away from their homes. The Governess was an “attentive” individual who accompanied the children on their park walks while providing at-home childcare, as seen in Vogue’s 1898 cover page. (2)

The role of the Victorian Governess continued to merge into American culture to set forth the exact expectations and qualifications of the highly qualified and trained individual with the latest skills in childcare. A significant difference between the British Governess and the American nanny was their training. For example, the British nanny underwent  two or more years of formal training and [had to] pass a national examination to qualify for what in England [was] considered a profession with status.” On the other side, the American nanny still underwent training, but it was far more laid back. They were allowed to dive into their “after just weeks of training.” (4) Despite their training not being as intensive as the British standard, training was still essential in creating the role and its qualifications. The Nanny schooling system in America still offered training that would allow the individual to be prepared to care for children and held responsible in case anything happened under their care.

Nannies continued to thrive in American society throughout the 1900s due to the evolution of the Victorian-era governess and baby nurses. However, in the latter half of the twentieth century, nannies began to use their highly regarded qualifications to establish themselves and their field. The 1980s witnessed the rise of a new movement within the field of nannies, “the American Nanny Movement.” In 1985, there were 12 accredited nanny schools with 600 nanny graduates. During the American Nanny Movement, there was a greater emphasis on higher-quality childcare in the homes. At a nanny conference, individuals gathered to uplift the field’s difficulties and educate the public on what the nanny was and their role in the family. In addition, these individuals aimed to change how the role was perceived by pushing the idea that the “nanny is neither an elitist commodity found in wealthy households nor a glorified babysitter--but a professional.” The American Nanny Movement resulted from the country's social and economic structural change and the "tremendous need for the services [nannies were] providing." (6)

Historically the role of the nanny had remained the same and essential in childhood development, but with the rise of standardized training and groups, the qualifications over time-shifted. The American Nanny Movement and the rise of institutions indicate a shift in the capabilities precisely that the role was no longer focused just on babysitting and watching kids. Instead, professionals and their qualifications trained the individual, allowing them to be credible and considered highly responsible for parents to trust their kids' lives in the hands of strangers. 

As the US economy boomed in the late 1990s, the field of nannies shifted to establish more credibility, which also resulted in shifts in their responsibilities and qualifications. By this time, it was common practice for parents to seek nannies to support them with childcare services and other housework activities; however, there was a shift in the qualifications and responsibilities of the nannies. There were far more expectations for nannies as their pay increased. For example, Jackie Williams, president of the live-in childcare nationwide agency I Love My Nanny Inc., alluded to parents' increased expectations, stating, "The expectation is, if their children wake up in the middle of the night, the nanny is going to get up." The demand for nannies at this time was increasing, which meant that there were more responsibilities they had to accomplish. The growing demand set the precedent that wages also had to rise because parents had to incentivize and pay nannies for their time and their roles in the house. (7)

During the end of the late twentieth century, the field of the nanny witnessed a flashback to the nineteenth century. In the nineteenth century, being an American family with a nanny symbolized wealth and high social class. The growing wages of live-in nannies during the late 1990s reemerged these symbolic views. However, it can be interpreted that this flashback is an indicator that the qualifications of the nannies remained the same throughout the late nineteenth century into the late twentieth. 

However, with the boom of overqualified nannies, the role of the nanny at the time became a product of the growing demand of expectant parents that, at the same time, continued to alter the qualifications nannies brought into the field. A 1998 New York Times article reiterates, "Most American parents cannot afford at-home child care, much less the expensive nannies who are hired through agencies and get paid on the books." (6) The once individualized role had been commodified into a career with numerous trained individuals and a middleman, the agencies. It was no longer solely a transaction between the parent and the nanny. In this period and due to commodification, the field of nannies also split into fragmented groups with different qualifications. 

Before the influx of immigrants in the US, nannies were not commonly foreigners, but as the population grew, it became easier for parents to afford an immigrant nanny. For example, “a majority of women who work in at-home child care get paid under the table” and would earn less. Immigrants with limited English also emerged in the career and au pairs, “the foreign students who have traditionally provided inexpensive child care for American families under a program sponsored by the Federal Government,” and “premium nannies, college-educated women with experience and drivers’ license.” (7) These different titles and individuals all built up the career of the nanny as well as their qualifications. Some parents sought to pay less to the individual with fewer qualifications as long as they had childcare, while other parents invested in paying for highly trained and skilled individuals to ensure high-quality care and childhood development. With the emerging field of nannies in American society, the role of the nanny in nuclear families became a social norm, where parents were quick to be told to hire a nanny for additional support with the kids.

With the unfolding of the nanny as a social norm, the qualifications of the nannies and their integral role in early childhood have infiltrated into American popular culture and film/television since the late twentieth and early twenty-first century. The Nanny, a famous 90s sitcom, navigates Fran Fine’s recently laid-off bridal consultant role as a nanny to three kids of a wealthy Broadway producer, Mr. Sheffield. She shows up at the Sheffield doorstep selling cosmetics but is mistaken as the nanny sent by an agency. In the beginning, Mr. Sheffield is hesitant to hire her, given her lack of qualifications and experience. But, in his words, “I need help. More help than a door-to-door cosmetics girl.” Fran’s role as the nanny brings comical experiences in helping Mr. Sheffield deal with his oldest daughter’s first dating experience. Fran takes on the role of the nanny and the mother, frequently going above and beyond to care for the kids. (8)

Jessie, a Disney tv show, follows a small-town teenager who moves to New York and lands a nannying job for four children in a Penthouse with a butler. In the opening scene, we see the current nanny run out of the Ross household screaming in fear, and Jessie is recruited by the youngest child, Zuri, to become the new nanny. She’s vetted by the butler, who only asks her “if she poops on the floor.” Throughout the tv show, Jessie learns what a nanny means and how to adapt to help raise these children without their parents, who spend most of their time away from the kids. (9)

Although the two women are not the typical educated and highly trained individuals that shift into the role of the nanny, they both represent the shifts that historic qualifications have undergone with comedy. Most importantly, they explore nannies’ typical role in childhood development and critique the educational and training requirements/qualifications nannies have historically had. They also play around with the historic qualifications this role has had. Fran and Jessie are both unqualified with an educational background but bring compassion and empathy to the role of a nanny in each child’s life. Fran and Jessie’s portrayal as the nanny marks a shift from the nineteenth and twentieth centuries in what qualifications a nanny should have. They are successful examples of the nanny without the educational background and skills for childcare that historically, all nannies had been asked to be considered for jobs.

Throughout the early 1900s into the early 2000s, the role of the nanny in the American family has remained centered on the individual providing a childcare provider role to fill in for the working parent, who rarely spends time at home. Nannies have been homework helpers, babysitters, cooks, and bath assistants. Their responsibilities have remained at the core of providing childcare, and with time they’ve seen additional responsibilities stacked on to minimize disruptions to a child’s development and allow for working parents to work on their career development, especially with the boost the American economy has seen in the later half of the twentieth century. However, their qualifications have not remained consistent and evolved with the state of American culture and its evolution. As parents have furthered their careers, the demand for an on-call childcare professional has altered the qualifications parents set for their nannies. Some parents want CPR-trained individuals with a background in early childhood education, while others hire immigrants who solely provide childcare and can be paid cash or for lower wages. Qualifications shift to mold the demands parents have. 

At times, the qualifications for American nannies have blurred with the preferred nanny being a young woman with medical expertise to help the new parents to the nanny with a strong background in education and other crucial certified skills. In the different individuals making up the field, it remains clear that what was once a Victorian-era “trained governess” remains at the core of the nanny. However, with the rise of job opportunities for the working class, the demand for nannies grew and shifted the qualifications parents set out for nannies. Historically, their qualifications have not been consistent and have moved around to be the best fit for the demand parents have and the condition of working parents; these trends have been going back and forth since the 1980s with the addition of the nanny agencies. The modern-day nanny is now preferred to be qualified with a degree and other skill sets, such as CPR, that allow them to provide babysitting but also play an integral role for the children. 

Bibliography 

1. Kathryn Hughes. "The Figure of the Governess." British Library, UK. 15 May 2014. https://www.bl.uk/romantics-and-victorians/articles/the-figure-of-the-governess 

2. Ferla, Ruth La. “Mary Poppins Returns! Some Modern Families Seek a Governess.” The New York Times. The New York Times, October 8, 2020. https://www.nytimes.com/2020/10/08/style/governess-nanny-tutor-babysitter.html. 

3. “Baby Nurse Visiting Public Health,” 1944. https://www.ebay.com/itm/354191234261 

4. Isabel Wilkerson, “The Nanny School Seeks Solid Footing,” The New York Times (The New York Times, June 4, 1987), https://www.nytimes.com/1987/06/04/garden/the-nanny-school-seeks-solid-footing.html. 

5. Matson Lines SS Lurline SS Matsonia Ocean Liner. “Governess Trapshooting Ad,” 1960. https://www.ebay.com/itm/155457087240 

6. Gindick, Tia. “Nannies in America : Training and Need Spur the New Movement That Focuses on the Matter of Having Quality Child Care in the Home.” Los Angeles Times. Los Angeles Times, June 15, 1987. https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-1987-06-15-vw-4292-story.html. 

7. Eaton, Leslie. “Show Nanny the Money; as Economy Booms, Pay Rise for Child-Care Workers.” The New York Times. The New York Times, July 26, 1998. https://www.nytimes.com/1998/07/26/nyregion/show-nanny-the-money-as-economy-booms-pay-rise-for-child-care-workers.html.  

8. Fran Drescher & Peter Marc Jacobson. "The Nanny." CBS. November 1993 - June 1999.

9. Pamela Eells O'Connell. "Jessie." Disney Channel. September 2011 - October 2015.

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