A Qualitative Study of Working Mothers’ Experience Employing Nannies
Abstract
The decision to hire a nanny is a significant one for many working mothers, as it has potentially far-reaching implications for the child and family. In contrast to a parent, the nanny serves as a temporary surrogate caregiver. Although many studies have been conducted on youth/daycare, little research exists on the effect on the child and mother of the child being cared for by a nanny. The purpose of the current study was to examine the subjective experience of working mothers employing a nanny, as well as their perceptions of the experience for their children. A qualitative methodology developed by Auerbach and Silverstein (2003) was used, consisting of six focus groups of 25 working mothers who had employed a nanny for a minimum of 2 years, with at least 20 hours per week in direct child care contact. Data were analyzed for themes and theoretical constructs emerging from participants’ narratives. Theoretical constructs developed from the data were: Business aspect of employing a nanny: Going beyond the role of the mother into the role of employer; Ambivalence: Having a nanny is valuable but threatens the mother’s position; The mother-nanny relationship is a dialectic of closeness and distance; Variability in the attachment between child and nanny; Handling transitions and ruptures of attachment; Hiring a nanny as a merging of two cultures—involving strain and expanded perspective. Bowen’s Family Systems Theory, Attachment Theory, and Goode’s (1960) Role Conflict and Role Strain Theory were used to inform the narrative that tied together the themes and theoretical constructs. The findings of the present study will help researchers, clinicians, and caregivers understand more about the experiences of employing a nanny for mothers and their children and may inform future research about this under-studied area of child care for working mothers.