A high ideal
Quite apart from the physical and moral care of her charges, the nurse must be adaptable, for it is not an easy thing to thrive in other people's houses; she must be discreet and never repeat to others what she hears; tactful with relatives and visitors, considerate to servants, patient with ignorant and tiresome nursery maids, immaculate in her personal appearance; she must take care of her employer's property, must be economical in the management of clothes and nursery stores; all this and more should be the equipment of the perfect nurse; and the beginning and end of everything is the love for the children, untiring love and endless patience. 30 December 1925
Bed time?
A Yorkshire Nurse writes: I should like to know at what time other reader of The Nursery World stop working, sewing etc for their mistresses. The other night my mistress came up to the nursery and found the fire out. She suggested that as it was cold I should go to another room with my work or whatever I was doing and light the gas fire there. It was 9.30 so of course I said I was going to bed. 16 June 1926
In demand
Appointment wanted for: Nurse-housemaid or Mother's Help, disengaged.
Superior, refined. Adores children. Clean, methodical worker, good needlewoman, knitter, cooks nicely. Four years' personal reference. 40. 11 December 1935
Blanket baths
Sick nursing in the nursery: Everyone caring for children should be able to give a blanket bath quickly and efficiently and above all with dryness. It can be made the greatest treat of a sick child's day. 13 May 1936
With affection
Alliance write: I thought it might be of interest to other nannies who do not like the name 'nannie' to hear how I feel and think about it myself. I prefer to be called Nannie for two reasons. Firstly because the babies and children I have loved and cared for have called me by that name, and therefore to me it has an affectionate sound. Secondly because I think the name may have been derived really like mummy and daddy from the baby's first sounds of speech, before it speaks intelligently. 7 December 1944
Sense of loss
My own darling nannie left when I was 13, and I suppose I never got over the loss, for whenever I see her even now (usually once a year) the moment of parting seems to re-open the old wound and I want to run away and weep.
Of the crisis itself I remember only dry-eyed numbness and great hurt that I was expected not to mind, or such was my impression. But then I did not know my mother as a flesh and blood person. She was someone to be idealised in poems. 10 January 1957
Age and stage
A nursery governess is expected to care for the general health of her charge and also to know the right occupations to provide for his particular age. First lessons are not advocated for children before school age nowadays, but the right toys and play material prepare a child for lessons. 8 January 1959
Many roles
Compromise writes: I often think a nannie needs to be an adult psychologist as well as a child psychologist, in some households, especially where there are servants who are likely to appeal to Nannie as intermediary. I am employed at present by a diplomatic family at present at an Eastern European capital, in charge of two boys aged 6 and 3. We live in an apartment, have no garden, always have to be quiet because of important visitors and take great care of furniture which isn't ours and which wasn't designed for children! 28 July 1960
Nannie in the house
In the early stages of infancy, Nannie takes over the dependency of the baby, even if the mother is in the home quite a lot of the time. Through all the stages of infant care, the feeding, the nursing, the training and the loving, Nannie virtually takes over the role of mother, and this the mother must be prepared to accept. 12 August 1965
Happy times
A nanny writes: Just over 12 months ago I completed my 21 months of training. I thought longingly of the various branches of nursery training at my feet as a holder of the NNEB certificate. But I wasn't too happy about the compulsory probationary year with a private family now looming ahead of me. I was told that nannies are often lonely and need to be dedicated people, but I can't see why. Our days are packed with tears and laughter, tantrums and jokes. I would never have learned that four such riotous children could give me such happiness. 16 April 1970
Wear it well
A nanny writes: Nannies are honoured and much sought after people, but we are not nurses and should not be called so, nor should we be made to dress up like nurses. A uniform, yes, but not similar to that worn by hospital staff. What about a leading designer being asked to design a nannie national uniform? I personally favour a brown dress (not often seen in hospitals) with ample pockets, but in the sides where sticky little fingers cannot explore. Over this would go a brown full-length cape and a smart hat or beret to tone. 7 June 1973
A royal arrival
Miss Mabel Anderson, the new Royal nannie, waited anxiously at Buckingham Palace for news of Princess Anne's baby boy last Tuesday morning. She is known to be very easy going and clearly prefers co-operation to confrontation. And far from presenting the image of finger-wagging, uniformed, rigid authority, Miss Anderson does not even wear a uniform, preferring instead to wear neat tailored dresses. One thing is clear; this lady is at the top of her profession. She will have all the latest skills, practices and techniques at her finger-tips and Princess Anne can do nothing but benefit from her reassurance and expertise. The baby will be seeing a great deal of the nannie, so it will be incumbent on her to offer a secure, comforting and stabilising influence in a rather unusual way of life. Nannie Anderson will be the formative force in his growth, bringing to him, probably, his first taste of Royal discipline. After all, who else can teach him to stand motionless for three hours on a cold, windswept balcony, while Grandmother takes the salute below? 24 November 1977
In opinion
Editor's comment: Girls who choose to spend their lives working with small children find it difficult to imagine why any mother should not want to be constantly with her own children and sometimes it is hard to conceal an air of moral disapproval. On the other hand, the career woman, the one who most frequently needs to employ a nanny, might secretly feel contemptuous of the woman who does want to spend her working day with her children, and allows that to affect her attitude to her employee. 14 August 1986
Centenary celebrations
Despite experiencing many crises throughout its history, the Norland Institute, now known as Norland College, celebrated its centenary in September 1992 at its present home, Denford Park in Berkshire. But whereas Norland nurses were originally expected to be employed in only the most superior families, nowadays their posts take them to institutions as far away as India and Romania, and involve them with day nurseries, work with under-privileged children, or care of the children of professional working women. 25 November 1993
Tax credits
Early years organisations have broadly welcomed government plans to extend financial support for parents using home-based childcare and other types of provision that have so far been unregistered.
On Monday, Margaret Hodge, minister for children, announced a consultation that could see families earning around 43,000 eligible to claim tax credits towards their childcare costs from next April. 20 May 2004
Supernanny
Nannies have finally been getting their due professional credit in the media this month in the form of the 'Supernanny' series on Channel 4.
Supernanny Jo Frost - who humbly says she doesn't consider herself any better than any other nanny - has been overwhelmed by the response she's had on the show. Parents contact her to say they're now using her techniques with their children and nannies say how grateful they are that somebody is telling it like it is for them. 'I think it recognises that nannies sometimes aren't given the chance to talk,' she says. 'I hope this show brings out a bridge between nannies and parents.' Professional Nanny, July 2004
