Essay on Negative and Positive Effects of Nannies as Children Caregivers

A nanny is child caregiver who is either living with a family whose kid or kids she takes care of or spends approximately between 40 to 60 hours per week in the home of the childrens family she is providing care. In most cases, families will employ nannies if the parents are working. Being a role model to the children a nanny is proving care for is part of being a nanny. While providing kids care, nannies partner with parents in providing kids development structure, discipline and nurturing. Live-in nannies have a special and intimate relationship with the family as they become part of almost all family activities including vacations, family meals, and school activities among others. Nannies are important in providing children with personal care services that prevent dangers such as feeding the babies, changing the babies clothing, washing them, playing with them and ensuring safety.

Although nannies can be good substitutes while parents are away working, there are several issues that parents face while deciding to employ a nanny. There could be challenges in trusting and relying on strangers to provide care for your kid. Parents are concerned about the psychological development of their children, qualifications of the nanny to provide the required child care, legal issues in employing a nanny, and building a strong, intimate and close relationship with the nanny. Finding and keeping a good nanny takes employers efforts to be a good employer. Nowadays, it is obvious that early childhood care has a major role in childhood development and providing support to families with kids. Research has proven that reliance on nannies as children caregivers has had more negative than positive effects on the cognitive capacity, social relationships, and adjustments as well as childrens health (Rodriguez, 2012). Parents remain the most influencers of children well-being and development, and that is the explanation why children brought up by other people rather than parents are not; social, empathetic and are usually cold and callous.

Identification of the Audience

This paper aims at providing help and recommendations to working parents, parents who are planning to work and employ a nanny to provide child care to their children. Before deciding on employing a nanny, it is relevant for this group to understand the implications of this decision to the psychological development and future of their children. With such knowledge, this group and the society at large will be able to demand the highest possible child care from nannies. Parents will, therefore, be able to check on the qualifications and suitability of a nanny before they can employ them. In return, parents must meet legal requirements involved as well as compensate nannies appropriately. This audience is very sympathetic since their children can potentially become subject to social evils such as sexual assaults, alcoholism and drug abuse among others should parents fail to employ the right and best nanny to care for their children.

This paper will bring insights regarding the risks that innocent kids are susceptible to in the absence of their parents. Due to the high cost of living, womens desire for financial freedom and changing gender roles, both parents are forced to work living the kids behind under the care of nannies for them to maintain a high standard of living for themselves and their children (Lesser, 2015). Many types of research have been conducted to provide information and awareness of the pros and cons of leaving babies with nannies. Nevertheless, in the recent past, parents have continuously bought the idea of nannies more increasingly than never before.

Purpose

Following the findings from numerous studies, a consensus has been reached upon that the social and emotional developments structures of babies who are cared for by their parents especially mothers are better compared to those kids who are cared for by other care providers including nannies, friends, group nursery care or other relatives. Children cared for by other people other than their mothers have higher aggression levels and are susceptible to becoming more withdrawn, sad or complaints. For those reasons, I think parents should completely avoid nannies. However, there are other justified reasons why it would be better for mothers to leave their babies under the care of other care providers such as nannies. It is not obvious that children cared for by their mothers would do better than those cared for by other caregivers. For instance, kids whose parents have other priorities than parenting or those who have psychological disorders such as depression are worse than those cared for by nannies. Mothers care therefore not the gold standard of childcare. Therefore, it would be sensible for parents to employ nannies in such circumstances. Parents must, therefore, do a thorough background check and qualifications of nannies before employing them. These facts compel me to believe that parents are at crossroads when it comes to the wellbeing and happiness of their children. The failure by parents to prioritize their children development issues render them as a future liability to the society rather than assets.

Lately, there has been growing awareness about children matters regarding the future of our country. All spheres of the society require children for prosperity and continuity. Far much beyond the normal cliche that children are the future of our society as well as the leaders of tomorrow, children are the custodians of a countrys workforce, talent pool, consumers, generation continuity and future nations success in all dimensions. Raising and nurturing children that will positively impact the society is every parent wish and dream. Many parents have achieved it while some have not. The reasons behind parents failure to bring up useful kids to the society could be their failure to try or lack knowledge on how to do it or what and when to give to their kids. Surprisingly, some parents are just unimaginable as they fail to succeed in upbringing their children simply because they are jealous and dont want their babies to experience better lives or parenting than what they received from their parents. They urge that if they never got it, there is no point to struggle and to give it. What such parents dont understand is that raising their children equips them with all the necessary mettle that presents them as useful members of the society (Jenner, 2014). When children become successful in future, they bring praise, joy, and pride to their parents in return. Parents must understand that all other priorities in life can wait, but the children cannot wait. It is in their early ages that kids are physically and intellectually being formed to face the society. We cannot say tomorrow to raising kids all we can do is nurture them today or it might be too late.

Strategy (Ethos, Pathos, Logos)

By using of logos, pathos, and ethos, parents will be persuaded and convinced to ensure proper upbringing of their children. Since parents and their children are emotionally connected, pathos will create positive emotional responses as they get convinced that their children matters than anything else. Likely, nannies would get frustrated and burdened by their efforts to providing child care since to them providing child care is more of presiding over the kids growth rather than parenting. Parenting is not only presiding over the growth of a baby. Parenting is an opportunity for mothers to realize personal growth and therefore becomes a creative and affirming lifes experience. Parenting can also be a mutual growth process for both children and their parents. In historical times, parents did not rely on parenting advice from health experts or psychologists but relied on ethical and logical reasons. Similarly, using the ethos and logos can convince parents that despite providing material provisions and high standards lifestyle to their children who are cared for by nannies, no childminders can replace mothers in upbringing useful kids to the society. Use of logic evidence and statistics from research findings as well as advice from psychologists and other experts will truly make sense to parents.

Research from psychologists reveals the following about children upbringing:

If children are brought up with criticism, they learn to rebuke;

If they live within a hostile environment, they learn to be violent and aggressive;

If they live with ridicule, they become shy and have low self-esteem;

If they live with shame, they learn the feeling of guilt;

If they live with encouragement and approval, they develop confidence; and

If they live in acceptance, friendships, and love, they learn to find love and appreciate people and the world.

Conclusion

The rising cost of living and changes in gender roles have not only led the mothers to go to work and provide for the family as a breadwinner in the same manner as fathers but has also led to the separation between families and relatives. As a result, it is unlikely that mothers can leave their children behind under the care those relatives as it was in the past. Therefore parents have increasingly sought the help of baby care givers such as nannies who can be left behind at home with the children as parents attend businesses or work. However, nannies cannot be replacements for parents. Mothers are the only people who can understand best how their children communicate. Children left under nannies supervision are susceptible to risks and threats such as harassment, torture, and sexual abuse. As a result, such kids have exhibited negative developmental behaviors in the society such as aggressiveness and violence, anti-social characters.

With such worrying implications, the lives of the children who are the future hope of the society are subject to great risk. If the future of the globe is to be preserved and protected, then, we must protect the lives and future of our children. Childrens growth and future are determined by their upbringing. Parental care remains the only option that assures successful child upbringing, and thus it is the only way that we can secure the future of our children and ultimately the worlds future.

References

Jenner, E. (2014). Keep Calm and Parent On: A Guilt-Free Approach to Raising Children. The Simon and Schuster.

Lesser, R. L. (2015). Who's Going to Watch My Kids? Turning stone press.

Rodriguez, B. (2012). The Organic Nanny's Guide to Raising Healthy Kids: How to Create a Natural. Da capo press.