This nanny nation.

Every time I go to collect a child from school, go to a play group or walk through a shop the first thing I notice is 60% of the children I see are white children clinging onto a black or hispanic woman, the next thing I notice as I walk past is 20% of the children are talking to a woman with a strong foreign accent then it is only the remaining 20% - if that - that appear to be with their biological parents. So who are all these other women with these children, surely adoption is not that popular over here, people do still give birth to their children and keep them for themselves? The answer is that all of these women with the children are all the Nannies; the nannies, the au-pairs, the babysitters, either way for some reason this is a really popular option for childcare over here. Now I am not saying this is a bad thing, far from it, I'd be out of a job if this were the case. 

71 % of mothers with children under the age of 18 work in the USA according to a study brought out in 2007, comparing this to the 68% of mothers in the UK in 2008, it is not like you can say it is because there is a huge difference in the amount of working mothers between the two countries. 

Some could argue that this is because compulsory education starts for children aged 4 in england compared to 6 in the USA so no nanny is needed, except for the fact that most of the nannies I have met have all been collecting their 2 year old from "School".

So why is this method trusted above childminders or other day care offerings that are used in the UK? It has been something I have been wondering about a-lot since arriving here. I think the main answer is the flexibility of an au-pair and the ability to really find out what this person is doing all day with your children, when they are in your own home.

Let me explain, if you have an au-pair that lives with you, doesn't go out much, and you really need to attend a function in the evening but don't want to hire a babysitter which can charge up to and above $20 per hour and don't have any family around, you can say to the au-pair, we are going out tonight and she (or he) will be there to babysit, and as they are not leaving their home to do this for you its not like you are asking them to go really out of their way, the only possible issue is clashing plans. The second point I made is referring to the invention of the "Nanny cam" I don't have one, but I know people who do. This is where the family set up cameras around the house and film the nanny so they can really find out what he/she is doing with your children in the time you are away from the home. The great part about this is it is 100% legal and you do not even need to tell your nanny or au-pair that you are filming them. 

Another great thing about having an au-pair or nanny is that they can focus on your children, they do not  have their attention shared with 8 other children, so they can get to know your children inside and out and they get to the level where they can be totally in sync with your child much faster than if they were with a childminder for example. The au-pair or nanny can be like a third parent in a way, they are there for when your child wakes up in the morning and can stay until they fall asleep at night. 

So why hasn't this culture merged its way into the UK? I still don't know, I expect this is much more expensive than a day care centre or a childminder, but when you think of the level of care they provide and the amount of hours they work, taking into consideration the agency fee of $7,000 you are paying the au-pair $3.10 an hour. Obviously the cost of housing someone is more than that, but purely based on the hourly wage, I can't see how any other option can be much cheaper.