The nanny state

SHE is a formidable woman, Supernanny Jo Frost.

Her one-woman mission to tame the nation's most terrible tots has made for horribly compulsive TV viewing, as toddlers learn the hard way that tantrums are not going to get them what they want.

Harassed parents, however, obviously like what they see, because Channel 4's Supernanny is being credited with helping to fuel a boom in the nannying profession.

The number of professional nannies in the UK has topped 100,000 for the first time, according to a new survey.

And where in the past the nanny was often an inexperienced, overworked and underpaid young girl who could be bullied by parents and tots alike, today she is a qualified modern professional who demands respect.

There are a number of reasons for that, according to website sharingcare.co.uk which has conducted the survey.

There is Jo Frost herself, who reminded desperate parents that a bit of professional help could bring their terrible tot's tantrums under control.

But there are also changing lifestyles - the culture of long working hours has seen many salaries rise, but has also prevented hard-working parents from staying at home with their young children.

According to the survey for sharingcare.co.uk - compiled from more than 40 nanny employment agencies around the UK - some modern nannies can earn approaching £30,000 a year.

So much has the image of nannying altered, the survey claims, that some graduates are now rejecting careers in teaching and nursing and are choosing the most traditional form of childcare of all as a career option.

But is it true that nannies have become the latest professionals? And just how representative of most nannies is Jo Frost?

IF anyone can claim to be York's own 'Supernanny', it is Caroline Lee.

The Huntington woman first became a nanny eight years ago, at the age of 18.

Now she runs her own nanny agency - the Caroline Lee Nanny Agency - as well as the Sunshine Day Nursery in Huntington Road.

There is no doubt that, over the past few years, the image of nannying has changed, says Caroline.

When she started out, she earned £120 for a 50-hour week. Today, while the only nannies likely to be earning anything near £30,000 will be in London, even in York a good nanny can earn up to £16,000-£18,000, she says.

Nannying is recognised as a demanding profession, Caroline says - one which needs good qualifications as well as experience. A nanny has to be lots of things - a child psychologist, a teacher, a carer, and even a diplomat.

Jo Frost on the TV might get away with telling parents how they should bring up their children, but that's not recommended for most nannies.

"People volunteer to go on Supernanny, and they know that Jo Frost is going to deal with their children's tantrums and tell them what to do," Caroline says. "But most parents like to think they are doing the best job they can with their children."

So if a strange young woman comes into their own home and tries to tell them how they should be bringing up their children, they are likely to take offence.

A nanny has to be a diplomat, and learn to bite her tongue on occasion. "It can be hard!"

Caroline accepts that Jo Frost is great at what she does, but she does not agree with all her methods. She particularly does not like the "time out" room - the punishment space where a child is sent to calm down after misbehaving. Often, Caroline points out, it is the bedroom. "And then you are making the bedroom a punishment."

She prefers designating a step where misbehaving children have to go and sit. "You don't leave them for long, but you take them away from what everybody else is doing. It reinforces the idea that misbehaviours has consequences."

Being a nanny is a responsible job, Caroline says - you are invited into someone else's home to look after what is most precious to them, their children. And the way you handle both children and parents can have a great effect on how the children turn out.

Nannying is far more than child-minding, she points out. As well as looking after children, you are dealing with their bad behaviour, and also educating them. And you are doing all that in their own home, among their own things and with constant reminders of their own parents all around.

Discipline is vital, she says, and also organisation. As a nanny, she used to like to plan activities - everything from work projects in the home to days out at the park - around what she thought were the child's needs.

"I used to keep development files, files in which I'd write up where we were, what needed improving on, what I would be doing next with a child," she says.

Caroline welcomes the raft of new qualifications that are now available for would-be nannies and child-minders - everything from the level 1 and 2 NVQs in child-minding up to the BTech and equivalent qualifications.

But qualifications aren't always a substitute for experience, she says.

She is now seven months pregnant with her first child. "I had a lady that came to me not so long ago in her mid-50s," she says. "She was unqualified, but she had so much experience, and a reference from every single employer for the last 30 years. If I could afford a full-time nanny, she would be it!"

Caroline Lee Nanny Agency has nannies aged 20 to nearly retirement age on its books. Caroline visits all families before assigning a nanny. She will also arrange details of hours and salaries. Nannies can be provided for as few or as many hours as a family wants, within reason. Some families even share nannies.

Most nannies in the York area will cost between £5.50 and £8 an hour, depending on experience and qualifications.

The agency can be contacted on 01904 629865.

Updated: 09:17 Tuesday, April 18, 2006