Nanny in need is a friend indeed

On learning that her nanny was off for two days during the final weekend of April, my two-year-old baby protested by weeping. The fact that only her dad and I were left to put her to bed was too harsh for her to accept. Compared with her nanny, we are dispensable.

I told my little one many times that the nanny will come back. But, she kept on saying: "Ayi, ayi, ayi..." That's Chinese for nanny. And, that's child psychology too for you, a potential gold mine for the emerging homemaker services sector in China.

It's possible my baby mistook a temporary separation for a permanent loss. She wept and wept and sobbed into sleep, perhaps realizing tears don't always work.

My husband and I have been relying heavily on the nanny since our baby was born, as both of us hold full-time jobs. Our parents are not in a position to baby-sit all day long during the week. That leaves us no choice but to hire a nanny.

The nanny is a wonderful person, kind and sweet to my daughter, and skilled in taking care of infants and babies.

In big cities like Beijing, the typical monthly salary for a full-time nanny in residence is around 6,000 yuan ($869). Based on our requirements, homemaker services agencies recommended several candidates whose monthly salaries ranged from 5,500 yuan to 8,000 yuan.

After having a one-day work trial for each of them, I chose the most skilled and organized nanny who was in her early 40s.

She asked for 8,000 yuan a month, which was the upper limit of salary we could offer, but we finally selected her because she seemed a better choice over others in aspects relating to work, appearance, communication and integrity.

During the process of hiring, I got to know about the homemaker services sector bit by bit. In Beijing, nannies are generally paid better than fresh college graduates. Those who have good skills and many years of work experience usually earn at least 10,000 yuan a month. Even beginners without relevant experience ask for a monthly salary of 5,000 yuan to 6,000 yuan, as long as they have joined a homemaker services agency and received training.

The agencies charge them a fee for training and offer them job opportunities. Once the latter are hired, the agencies either collect a percentage of their monthly salary toward commission or levy a service fee on their clients (employers of nannies).

Although demand for nannies has been growing in recent years, the homemaker services sector still remains unregulated and lacks independent and trustworthy assessments of work.

I later found out that my nanny's resume wasn't entirely accurate or truthful. She claimed eight years of relevant work experience－turned out, she had worked as a nanny for just two years.

When I confronted the agency concerned, the agent did not deny it but said: "But she's skilled at her job. Otherwise, you wouldn't have hired her for so long."

I can completely relate to Prince William's "Welcome to the sleep deprivation society" remark after his younger brother Prince Harry and his wife Meghan Markle became proud parents of their first child recently.

Having said that, I do think that the salaries of nannies are a bit high, not in an absolutist sense, but in a relative perspective, considering the average incomes of the working class (who are no royals or billionaires), and the cost of living in big cities. In another sense, I readily concede that the services rendered by the ever helpful nannies are invaluable－priceless indeed.

I can only hope that young parents will find nannies whose credentials are reliable and services affordable.