A former teacher-turned-nanny whos been caring for west Londons elite families kids shares her story about the high-paying yet demanding job. After moving from Vienna about 15 years ago she found her place among investment-banker parents earning around £50k yearly
Her live-in position includes a full daily schedule: morning prep breakfast school-runs and educational activities (thanks to her teaching background). The parents – both high-powered finance pros – are often absent til late evening missing their kids bedtime
Living with employer families creates some odd situations: running into parents at night awkward bathroom encounters and overhearing private arguments. Its challenging to maintain work-life balance while residing in someone elses multi-million pound home; however she enjoys exploring London by bike during her off-time
The wealthy families life-style comes with a price – emotional distance between parents and children. The older child once said: “I dont want the nanny here anymore I want my parents“ which shows the real impact of their absence. Despite generous compensation these situations create work-related burn-out
- Manages morning routines and school prep
- Organizes educational activities
- Handles meal-times and bedtime routine
- Gets Monday and weekends off
- Goes on family holidays
The job provides good savings opportunities since living expenses are covered. However after seeing multiple families dynamics she questions the long-term effects on children growing up with minimal parental presence – its a trade-off between career success and family time that many seem willing to make
I know more about the kids than their parents do and am closer to them
Her previous nine-year position ended with a touching gift: a new bicycle showing that some families value their nannys dedication. Yet she considers career changes due to emotional strain and intense work schedule that comes with raising other peoples children