Nanny

Colonial era

A baboe and the children in her care in the Dutch East Indies (now Indonesia). 1934

Nannies were present in the households of the administrators of European colonial empires throughout the world. It was a characteristic feature of colonial society that the children of European administrative officers were entrusted to the care of native women.

Nannies in colonial times spent their lives in the homes of their masters, often from childhood till old age, taking care of more than one generation, depending on the duration of the post. It was not uncommon for these nannies to be brought along with the family away from their native country when administrative officers were posted "home" or to another colony.

• In British India a nanny was known as ayah, after aia, nurse, governess (in Portuguese). This term is presently part of the vocabulary of various languages of the Subcontinent, meaning also female servant or maid.
• In Chinese she was an amah.
• In the Dutch East Indies the household nanny was known as baboe.

Live in nanny

A "live-in" nanny is much less common than it once was though still ideal for a woman or man looking to move interstate or abroad for either a short period of time or to set themselves up. Typically, a live-in nanny is responsible for the entire care of the children of their employers. This includes anything from washing the children's clothes and tidying the children's rooms, to supervising homework and preparing children's meals, as well as taking children to and from school and after-school sport and/or activities. The job may include a separate apartment (sometimes called a "nanny flat") and a car. While a live-in nanny was commonly available 24 hours a day in the past this is much less common now and often they are 10-12 hours on and the remainder of the day off (essentially while the children are awake and the parents are at work). A live-in nanny is nowadays more common amongst wealthier families, because of their possible flexibility while they live where they work. A live-in Nanny will have all her living expenses paid and provided by the employer.

Nanny share

Some families use what is known as a 'nanny share', where two or more families pay for the same nanny to care for the children in each family on a part-time basis.^[1]

Night nanny

A more recent addition to the role of the nanny is that of the night nanny. Sleep specialists or consultants typically work with older babies and children. The night nanny usually works with a family anywhere from one night to seven nights per week. A night nanny generally works with children from newborn to five years of age. A night nanny can provide a teaching role, helping parents to establish good sleeping patterns or troubleshooting the sleeping patterns of a child. Roles and qualifications vary between countries. The Night Nanny works together with the family's requirements and philosophies. The qualifications of a night nanny are usually in mothercraft nursing (see sleep guidance specialist or early childhood development). Pay rates vary from country to country but are usually well paid in comparison to the general nanny, as the night nanny is seen as a specialist or expert in their field.

Maternity nurse/newborn care specialists/confinement nanny

Historically, European women were confined to their beds or their homes for extended periods after giving birth; care was provided either by her female relatives (mother or mother-in-law) or by a temporary attendant known as a monthly nurse. These weeks were called confinement or lying-in, and ended with the re-introduction of the mother to the community in the Christian ceremony of the churching of women. A modern version of this rest period has evolved, to give maximum support to the new mother, especially if she is recovering from a difficult labor and delivery.

In the US these specialty maternity nannies are also known as Newborn Care Specialists (NCS, disassociating this specialty from medically qualified nursing). Certified Newborn Care Specialists or maternity nannies are highly educated and referenced specialists who work with infants. They are highly experienced in all aspects of newborns aside from medical issues. They might work 24 hours a day, seven days per week, but most work five nights/days a week for the first three months of a newborn's life. The role can consist of assisting parents with feeding guidance, nursery set up, premature infant, multiples, colic, reflux, and sleep guidance/training. There are various training organizations that offer non-accredited certifications, however, in an unregulated field parents should ensure that the qualifications of their maternity nanny are legitimate and accredited. The Newborn Care Specialist Association (NCSA) (http://www.ncsainfo.com) is one of many self-appointed certification entities for Newborn Care Specialists in America. Some doulas specialize in postpartum care for mother and baby.

Chinese and related East Asian traditions practice a form of postpartum confinement known as zuo yue zi "sitting the month". Newborn care specialists are referred to as yue sao.^[2] They have specialised knowledge of both baby care and Zuo Yue Zi, which are the Chinese traditions and customs regarding recovery from childbirth. In Singapore and Malaysia, newborn care specialists are better known as confinement nanny.^[3] They assist the mother in taking care of the baby in order to let mother have a good rest. Confinement food will be prepared to help with the recovery. Confinement agency or the parents will need to apply for confinement nanny work permit^[4] if they want to engage the nanny from Malaysia to work in Singapore. Usually, the employment period will be about 28 days up to a maximum of 16 weeks.

British royal family

• Charlotte Bill (c. 1875–1965), known as Lalla, nanny of Prince John of the United Kingdom, featured in the film The Lost Prince
• Clara Knight, known as "Alla", nanny of the future Queen Elizabeth II and Princess Margaret
• Tiggy Legge-Bourke MVO (born 1965), nanny to Prince William and Prince Harry
• Lillian Sperling, head nanny of the show Nanny 911

Other royal families

• Margaretta Eagar (1863–1936), nanny to the four daughters of Tsar Nicholas II
• Louise von Sturmfeder (1789 - 1866), lady-in-waiting to the House of Habsburg and aja (then rendered "nurse", now nanny) to Franz Joseph I of Austria and his brother Maximilian I of Mexico

Other

• St. Josephine Bakhita (1869–1947), a black slave who worked as a nanny and later became a Roman Catholic saint
• Elizabeth Ann Everest, beloved nanny to the young Winston Churchill
• Deborah Carroll and Stella Reid, highly experienced nannies from the show Nanny 911
• Jo Frost, nanny who hosted a successful television program Supernanny in the UK and US, showing parents techniques to help with unruly children
• Yoselyn Ortega, nanny accused of stabbing to death children Lucia and Leo Krim in 2012.
• Sandra Samuel (b. 1964), an Indian nanny who saved the life of a child during the November 2008 Mumbai attacks in which the baby's two parents were murdered; later honored with honorary Israeli citizenship.

Animals

• Nana, a Newfoundland dog, in Peter Pan

Women

• Mrs. Bird, nanny and housekeeper to the Browns in Michael Bond's classic Paddington Bear series
• Mrs. Baylock, in the film The Omen (1976)
• Virginia "Virgie" Fane (played by Wendy Craig), the nanny in the film 'The Nanny (1965)
• Phoebe Figalily, in the U.S. sitcom Nanny and the Professor which starred Juliet Mills and Richard Long
• Fran Fine, played by Fran Drescher in the sitcom The Nanny
• Peyton Flanders / Mrs. Mott (played by Rebecca De Mornay), the nanny in the film The Hand That Rocks the Cradle (1992)
• Nanny, a character in Kay Thompson's 1950s Eloise book series and its adaptations
• Nanny, on the television series Jim Henson's Muppet Babies
• Nanny Hawkins, from Evelyn Waugh's book Brideshead Revisited (1945)
• Nanny Hutchinson, in the novel The Nanny Diaries (2002) and its sequel Nanny Returns (2010), by former nannies Emma McLaughlin and Nicola Kraus
• Nanny McPhee, the titular character in the film Nanny McPhee (2005), based on Christianna Brand's Nurse Matilda book series
• Clara Oswin Oswald, a nanny in both the present and Victorian era, in the British science fiction TV show Doctor Who
• Mary Poppins, from P. L. Travers' children's book series, set in Edwardian London, and its film, played by Julie Andrews and stage adaptations
• Jessie Prescott (played by Debby Ryan), a nanny in the Disney Channel sitcom Jessie
• Amelia Hernández, played by Adriana Barraza in the 2006 film Babel

Men

• Andy the Manny (played by Adam DeVine), in the television series Modern Family
• Sean Armstrong (played by Hulk Hogan), an ex-wrestler in the movie Mr. Nanny (1993)
• Lynn Aloysius Belvedere (played by Christopher Hewett), in the sitcom Mr. Belvedere
• Charles (played by Scott Baio), a 19-year-old student and live-in babysitter in exchange for room and board, in the sitcom Charles in Charge
• Daniel Hillard / Euphegenia Doubtfire (played by Robin Williams) a voice actor and father of three young children, in the movie Mrs. Doubtfire (1993)
• Joseph Paul "Joe" Longo (played by Joey Lawrence), a former executive and commodities trader with an MBA who lost his job, money, and marriage and agrees to be the live-in nanny to assist his girlfriend, politician Mel, and give advice to her niece and nephew in the television series Melissa & Joey
• The Manny, in Christian Burch's books The Manny Files (2006) and Hit the Road, Manny (2008)
• Tony Micelli (played by Tony Danza), a retired baseball player and single father, in the sitcom Who's the Boss
• Angus Partridge (played by Dallas Roberts), in the television series The L Word
• Lieutenant Shane Wolfe (played by Vin Diesel), a United States Navy SEAL assigned to stay at the Plummer residence, to search for a secret project hidden somewhere in the house, and meanwhile to look after the family's five children, in the film The Pacifier (2005)
• Grant Gordon (played by Justin Chatwin, secret identity of superhero "The Ghost", works for reporter Lucy Fletcher as a nanny in the Doctor Who Christmas Special The Return of Doctor Mysterio.