Nanny & Family Assistant

Real Work, Real Life

On this week's episode of Real Work, Real Life, I’m talking with Sarah, a nanny family assistant. You might also know Sarah as the Modern Nanny, her popular social media account that provides community for people in this typically coworker-less industry in information for employers and parents.

If you’re interested in the caregiving field, working as a Nanny if you find the right employers offers a ton of benefits. Many different schedule options, more freedom, often better pay, and the ability to focus on fewer children often for longer periods of time, which can create a deeper bond.Of course, as we talk about in the episode, there are many challenges with any kind of domestic work.

The roots of this issue run deep: from the Domestic Workers Alliance website: "During the 1930s, landmark New Deal legislation introduced basic workplace rights in the U.S., but domestic and farm workers were excluded due to a compromise with Southern legislators. The exclusion of domestic workers from workplace laws passed in subsequent years became the norm, and these racist and sexist exclusions continue to exist in local, state and federal laws in the U.S."

This has led to domestic workers being among the most vulnerable and exploited workers in the labor force. They often face long work hours, low pay, sudden job loss, sexual harassment, and physical or verbal abuse.

Despite being one of the fastest growing workforces in the nation, nannies, housecleaners and home care workers work in isolation, face challenges in negotiating for better working conditions, and have little to no recourse or ability to enforce the basic rights they have when violated.”

As you’ll see if you follow Sarah, she’s one of many working to improve these issues, you can even find her twice a year census of her followers to improve pay transparency in this field.

I interviewed the owner and operator of an in-home, licensed, accredited childcare two weeks ago, so if you didn’t listen to that episode, it would be a great pairing if you’re considering this general field.

This is also a great example of how so many people’s career’s progress in ways you might not expect. You start off in one field, in Sarah’s case as a Behavioral Therapist, see how a different role might actually suit your needs better and then move there, and with even more experience, identify a need in your industry that you can fill, even if it takes you into a pretty different job function.
If you’re interested in following Sarah, you can find her on Instagram, TikTok, and Facebook @the.modern.nanny
If you like the show, please rate and review on iTunes and Spotify (linked below) and please share with a friend! You can also follow the podcast on Instagram, LinkedIn, Facebook, or Tiktok. And if you’d like to be interviewed here, or there is a particular job you’d like to learn about, please reach out at [e-mail].
iTunes: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/real-work-real-life/id1673653251
Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/1Cp0w2BjOtS8NWfj0NhmIg?si=ece5b6ad45274b73
Transcripts are now available here: www.realworkreallife.com