Why doesn’t everyone become a nanny?
It had always been clear that I would go abroad for a while after graduating from high school, I wanted to see the world and experience lots of new and exciting things. Finally, escape the dreary everyday life of my small town, where every day was predictable. But I only knew exactly what this year abroad would look like once a good friend told me about her plans to become a nanny.
Being a nanny sounded too good to be true, especially for someone who had barely traveled beyond the borders of Germany and had only earned a little extra money from time to time through odd jobs. You lived with an American family for a year, earned around 200 dollars a week, studied at college, and had the opportunity to travel around the USA. In return, you looked after the family’s children and drove them to their activities. Or, as my later agency put it: “You find a new home, become part of a new family, and meet new friends from all over the world.” If you then got a nice host family, it could only be the time of my life! Work & Travel was too risky for me as my first big venture: a year of traveling and constantly looking for new jobs, but as a nanny, you were offered more security.
I was so enthusiastic about the whole thing that I immediately searched the Internet for agencies. The first one I came across was called AP and advertised that they would prepare every nanny-to-be for an eventful and unforgettable year and would always be there for them, no matter what happened. As it was the largest and leading agency in the world, with 60,000 successfully placed nannies and a twenty-year track record, it was confident that it could offer every nanny the very best year. The agency had offices and contacts in fifty countries, the best host families, and nannies. The agency is committed to the highest quality standards and said that the secret of their success lies quite simply in the fact that, even as a large global company, they take their customers as seriously as if they were personal neighbors. Everyone can be sure of the best possible support throughout the year. All of their employees have lived and worked abroad themselves and know how special this unique experience in life is. “We have experienced a lot in the last 20 years of nanny history. Living abroad for a year with an American family is a great opportunity. We do our best and are proud that the nanny year has made a big difference in the lives of so many of our clients. We know what you can expect from us and look forward to you becoming a nanny with us.” The best year of my life, perfecting my English skills and also the promise of personal growth and development. I was already in a state of euphoric exuberance. It also gave me a year’s respite before I had to think about my career. The numerous awards the agency had won seemed to confirm all the promises.
To be on the safe side, I compared the conditions with a few other agencies, but the pay was $195.75 a week everywhere. They all offered a 5-day preparation for the nanny time in New York, and you got up to $500 in tuition money. So I took a closer look at the AP homepage, which seemed the most promising so far. The general information was as follows: During a 5-day stay in a training school on Long Island, you would be well-prepared for everything, and within the USA there would be around 600 so-called Nanny Coordinators, NC for short, one of whom would always be on hand with advice and counsel. There is even a 24-hour hotline for emergencies. It was emphasized that the dense network of supervisors would ensure the best possible service and that you could contact the agency 7 days a week, 24 hours a day, with any questions or problems. The main office in Berlin would be there for you, especially in the early days, and would help you find a host family and communicate with your colleagues in Boston. You could turn to the program directors as local contacts if you needed them. However, the most important contact person would be the NC, who would be there for you in any situation. Host families, just like nannies, have to fill out an extensive application and are interviewed in person. AP would select them very carefully and there was also a unique placement model which ensured that the wishes of both the nanny and the host family could be catered for individually. All of this was to ensure that the nanny and family were a good match. The close cooperation with the US State Department would ensure that all regulations regarding working hours — no more than 10 hours a day and 45 in the entire week, with 1.5 days off in a week and a weekend off (2.5 days a month) and vacation (2 paid weeks a year) would be adhered to. The whole thing sounded so convincing that I had not the slightest doubt that I was absolutely right with AP. In addition, preparation meetings and workshops were offered so that I could learn a lot about what was to come while still in Germany. I immediately ordered the free information brochure.
The brochure arrived quite quickly in the mail, and I was able to delve into more details to get me excited. You would become an important part of the American host family, be a role model, friend, and big sister to the children, introduce a part of your own culture to the family, and get a new home in exchange. In your free time, you would attend college, meet friends, travel across the USA, experience lots of new things, learn English, of course, and experience the real America. The only requirements were to be between 18 and 26 years old, have a driver’s license, have at least 200 hours of childcare experience, have a good command of English, have a high school diploma or secondary school diploma plus training, be positive, flexible, independent, and responsible, have a clean criminal record, and be in good general health. In return, I was not only offered a great year but also a thirteenth month to travel around, allowing me to see a bit more of America. Finally, my life would really begin! I looked almost pityingly at my classmates, who were missing out on this exciting opportunity. Why didn’t everyone become a nanny?
On another page of the brochure were photos of young people who all raved about how becoming a nanny had been the best decision of their lives, how they had experienced and seen so much, how they had found a second family that they could visit again and again, how they had been able to develop in a very positive way, how they had always been supported, and how they were generally impressed by the friendliness of Americans. Soon I would be able to say exactly the same thing! The host families, carefully selected and prepared, are more than willing to welcome the nanny as a member of the family and are, of course, the most important support during the year. A typical AP host family consists of two working parents and two to three children, lives in the suburbs of a large city, already has experience with nannies, and is really looking forward to welcoming you. They all have one thing in common: an interest in other cultures, while they would like to share their own with you. One NC raved about how nice it was for the host families to be introduced to other ways of life through the nanny, to have the opportunity to discover the country, and to develop lifelong friendships between nannies and host families. One nanny once again emphasized that she believed that no agency could match what AP had to offer and that she too had the best year of her life. Despite the numerous countries from which nannies were placed, the host families probably loved the applicants from my home country the most. Many wonderful host parents want their children to learn more about German culture and are very happy about the fantastic German girls. If the Vice President was to be believed, then it was probably child’s play for a German nanny to find a family. Made in Germany still stood for quality.
To further illustrate all the happiness to come, they had even made a promotional video showing nannies with cute, innocent-looking children playing on the beach while a friendly female voice was playing: “We are looking for someone special, someone who is positive, adventurous, always up for a challenge, loving as well as fond of children, someone who wants to experience the American dream.” On the right side of the screen, various faces of beaming teenagers quickly appeared. “Is that you?” the woman asked. “Then you’re the perfect candidate to become an AP nanny!” We now saw the Golden Gate Bridge, nannies running along the ocean with their hair blowing, and a beautiful national park, while the woman announced that AP would show just a hint of how great our next year could be. Choosing to fly with AP was the start of a fantastic experience. It all started with finding the right family because “you are unique”, and they would use all their resources to find the host family that was the perfect match. To prove it, eager employees were shown in an office and even interviewed: “We are a fantastic team that matches families and nannies on a one-to-one basis to determine the best family for the coming year. The NC visits the families in person to get to know them and make sure they have the same interests as the nanny. We really are experts in the matching process.” A nanny from the Czech Republic was shown and immediately enthused that her host family was very open to any form of discussion.
Next up was the impressive training school on Long Island, where you would meet other nannies from all over the world and learn more about childcare. One teacher glowingly announced that the time at the school was very important and that she wanted to teach the nannies that they were a gift to the host family, as they would teach the children a lot about life. One nanny emphasized how cool she thought it was at the school, as she had already met a lot of new friends. New York now appeared on the screen, and the woman’s voice rang out that you had the chance to see the city that never sleeps with new friends and then meet the family who were more than excited to finally embrace you. To understand the joy that awaited you, you could see smiling nannies running towards beaming children and hugging each other. The camera panned around and a host mother in a chic blouse rejoiced that AP matched her needs so perfectly and that she could learn a lot about other cultures thanks to the international exchange. Another nanny said how much her host family helped her and showed her so many things.
But that wasn’t all, because the aim here was to really dispel any doubts. Next, the typical daily routine of a Swedish woman with a two-year-old child was shown. In the morning, there was breakfast, then the little one watched cartoons, then it was off to the playground or beach, followed by lunch and a two-hour nap (for the child, not the nanny). When this was over, they would either decide to go on another outing, or the two of them would do arts and crafts and paint peacefully. If you were looking after older children, you would help them with their homework and spend plenty of great quality time with them. One Brazilian nanny reported how much fun it all was, while in the background you could see her host family’s impressive pool sparkling in the sun. With unwavering enthusiasm, the background voice continued that they would also meet another very important person, the NC, who was there to give the nanny the guidance and support she needed. One girl announced that she had a very good relationship with her NC as she was extremely nice. Of course, a happy NC also spoke up herself, emphasizing how important it was for her to help the nannies and always be available so that they had someone to talk to. In addition, as an NC she was responsible for organizing monthly meetings, where they also had the opportunity to meet friends from all over the world. After this promising statement, the background voice took over again: “Living in America, that’s what it’s all about. The free time is perfect for experiencing more, relaxing with a morning coffee, going shopping, seeing the sights with friends, or going to the beach. Every day, you experience the ‘American way of life’ and speak English.” Nannies told us enthusiastically that they spend every weekend with friends and always discover exciting new things. Six credits of study were required, but the college was very interesting, you could take courses that would be useful for your future career and, of course, get to know American students.
The incessant enthusiasm of the voice increased to a euphoric exclamation: “Let’s travel across the USA! You have 2 weeks of paid vacation and a whole month of travel. What will you choose? Surfing and having fun in California, walking the Freedom Trail in Boston, hiking in Yosemite, or admiring the Grand Canyon?” In any case, it would be a “year to remember”! The Vice President of the agency also had something to say and assured us that the nanny would benefit from the many advantages of the program and live in the heart of an American family. “What will you remember most? Pumpkin carving with the host family? The first view of the Statue of Liberty? Friends from all over the world? Your new home? Walking hand in hand with your host children?” One NC went on to talk about how much the nannies were developing, gaining confidence, and forming a strong bond with their host family. One girl laughingly announced that she wished she could take her host child back home with her. The Brazilian girl, who had already been seen in front of the impressive pool, affirmed that she loved her family because they were very good to her. The host mother in the blouse was also allowed to have her say: She had had a great year, the nanny had really become part of the family and the children loved her more than anything. Finally, the background voice cheerfully intervened again: “A year as an AP nanny will enrich your life and give you a lot of special memories. So, why don’t you? Let’s start finding the perfect family for you today!”
Yes, why not? After seeing all this and studying the brochure, I wondered who could in good conscience pass up this opportunity. At least it was exactly what I wanted: See a lot of the USA, live a new life, meet interesting people and, as the icing on the cake, find a second family and earn good money.
So it was clear. I would become a nanny and start preparing for it today. America was waiting for me. I would take it by storm.
If only I had known a little of what was in store for me…