Nanny knows

NEWS that nannies in the capital can earn £22,000 a year and enjoy perks such as a car, mobile phone, free gym membership and holidays abroad is bound to have tempted some women into considering full-time child care as a career option.

But can the job really be that lucrative?

In some cases, yes, says Alison Day, who runs the recruitment agency White Rose Nannies from Whip-Ma-Whop-Ma-Gate in York.

A shortage of nannies down south combined with higher London salaries accounts for the generous wages and package of perks, says Alison. But outside of the capital, salaries are more modest, she says.

Top-earning nannies in London can take home around £340 a week, while in the York area they are more likely to earn between £150-200 a week, depending on whether they live in or out.

Alison says the reality of a career as a nanny is far removed from media images of a well-heeled girl driving around in a posh car, fitting in coffee mornings and lunch dates around looking after someone else's offspring for a few hours.

"Nannying can sound very glamorous, but it is hard work," says Alison, who worked as a nanny for several years before setting up her agency in 1999.

Many nannies now have qualifications and see the position as a career rather than a fill-in job.

Twenty-six-year-old Emma Ladbrook, from Thirsk, is a professional nanny, at present working for the Hudsons of York.

Since qualifying from York College five years ago with a BTEC National Diploma in nursery nursing, Emma has worked in Italy and spent three years with one family. She is now in a temporary post with the Hudsons and plans to go to America in the summer to work in a summer camp with children.

She feels cross about reports of such a pronounced north/south divide over nanny wages.

"A lot of it is hyped up. There are perks - such as going on holiday with the family, but there are perks in a lot of jobs. It is not a glamorous job. I go home with baby food all over me!

"We're not all swanning around in a nice car, on our mobile phones. Yes, I've got a nice car and a nice phone, but they are mine and I pay for them myself!"

So how does the modern nanny fill her day?

Emma starts work at 8am and finishes around 5.30pm. She doesn't work weekends and commutes to York from Thirsk each day.

The Hudsons have four children: Alicia, five, Eleanor, four, Henry 18-months and Zara, eight months.

Mum Tarnia works at Minster School, where her eldest daughters attend, and dad Ben runs the York estate agency Hudson Moody.

Emma says a typical day begins with getting breakfast for the younger children followed by a trip to the park, or a local playgroup, where she catches up with friends who are also nannies.

Some mornings she will organise an activity for Henry such as drawing or reading a book.

She always prepares a cooked lunch, after which the children have a snooze. During this time, she will do some household chores such as washing, ironing and general tidying. She will make a light tea for all four children and help Tarnia with bathtime.

Emma says it is crucial that the nanny and the family set out their expectations and draw up a clear job description at the outset.

Tarnia Hudson is quite clear about what she looks for in a nanny.

"As a working mum, I want someone who would do everything you would do if you were at home. Not just the house duties, but somebody who will bake cakes with the children, get out the paint pots, take them for a walk - do things which are more of an experience for the children rather than make sure all the ironing is done and put away in the cupboard.

"And you have got to be realistic. I know I couldn't look after four children and do all the housework every day."

In terms of wages and perks, Tarnia says most families don't talk about what they pay their nannies. But she estimates half her earnings go on childcare - and is sure women in London fork out a similar proportional amount. Finding a good nanny is like "gold dust", she says. But having someone she can trust allows her to have the best of both worlds: a stimulating job, and quality time with her children when she gets home.

"I think it makes me a better mum if I get home at the end of the day and sit down with my children without having had them all day. I feel they benefit from me having a bit of time out.

"By not having the children all the time, my husband and I are better people and have got other interests."

As for Emma, she says she is not bitter about earning less than her counterparts in the capital.

"Working with kids is a perk for me. And getting paid for doing a job I love is the biggest perk," she says.

"Children give everything unconditionally. They make you laugh and I love to see how they change. It's just a joy to be able to see them every day."

White Rose Nannies can be contacted on 01904 541142.

For more information about nannies and au pairs, check out The Nanny Handbook by Karen House and Louise Sheppard (Simon & Schuster, £12.99) which tackles every issue from conducting interviews, to sorting out tax and insurance, coping with homesickness and stopping her being poached by a rival family.