Rent-A-Mum – Family Care

Portfolio & Press

Published in The Parents Journal: Download original feature in pdf format here.

When you ring Rent-A-Mum you immediately get an answering machine with a voice that asks you to leave your name and telephone number. The voice is deep, and it is reassuring, as it seems to exactly match your mental image of a nanny. It's kind of a cross between the British duo from Absolutely Fabulous, but with a distinctiveness similar to that of the main character from the American TV hit, The Nanny. That voice is the signature of Rent-A-Mum proprietor, Shirley Robinson. With the type of voice that makes you want to meet her, Shirley says when she's talking to clients on the phone many clients ask, "What do you look like?" This is probably largly because her voice seems to reveal an awful lot about her personality and is one that you would recognise if you heard it in the street, even if you'd never met her. But besides first impressions, one of the things that makes her business such a success is that when you leave a message, she always gets back to you and delivers life-saving, child-care tailored to your needs.

As the name implies; Rent-A-Mum is a baby-sitting and child-care service that aims to offer all the qualities a mum has whenever you need a child-care professional. With around 60 registered nannies, Rent-A-Mum offers a full range of services to Hong Kong's expatriate and Chinese communities. In most instances, with just a few hours notice, Shirley can arrange evening babysitting, daytime child-care, short-term live-in care as well as full time nanny placements. Most of the people Shirley employs are between 20 and 30 years of age and expatriate native speakers. All have had their references checked and have been carefully screened so that "only girls who are happy working with children and who are capable are employed." Many of her nannys can do extra things like help children with homework. Shirley explains that there are girls from all walks of life, many are hard-core nannies with training qualifications and years of experience, though others are simply nice people who you can trust will learn what's necessary to do the job because they love children and are confident.

Shirley, herself, is trained as a nurse, and had originally com to Hong Kong on a backpacking holiday - that was back in 1988. She worked here many years as a private nurse but also studied to recieve a TOFEL (Teaching of English as a Foreign Language) qualification from the British Council. Although Rent-A-Mum has been around for 15 years, and had previously had a new proprietor every 18 months, Shirley has owned the business for 3 and a half years. She says "it is a 24 hour job and because it requires placing strangers into others' homes, it has huge responsibility." Fittingly, she sees her business as being like a baby. She seems to get great personal satisfaction from her job and measures her success by saying, "if I've got happy children, then there must be happy clients and happy nannies." She has worked hard to turn the business into a successful entity by staying focussed and really putting everything into it. She says "she's given it 100%" but we estimate that it must be more like 150 or 180%!

Portfolio & Press

Why hire a professional nanny?

We all want whats best for our children. We understand the importance of giving them the best possible start in life, not only with the physical care that we provide for them out the phychological, intelectual and development aspects as well. As children are highly sensitive to what's going on around them, we must provide and reinforce positive role models, moral codes and behaviour when dealing with them.

Raising your children to be worthwhile citizens has always been and still is the primary role of parents. However, parents are now busier than ever - not only being parents, but also having to cope with time restraints put on them by work obligations. Hong Kong is no exception, which is why more and more parents are opting for professional help to care for their children by hiring a professional nanny.

What is a nanny or nursery nurse, to give it's real time? To many people, the term brings to mind a Mary Poppins-type character, supporting a big bosom and starched uniform. The modern nanny however has long superseeded this image. The profession is still predominantly female, usually single and in the age range of 20 to 45 years. Most are from UK, Australia and New Zealand, as these countries provide the type of study courses available to become nannies. Not all nannies are qualified however, but have gained credibility through experience.

The primary role of the nanny is to provide all aspects of care to the children in her charge. They are not expected to perform housework, apart from work relating to the children. One should always remember that a nanny is in your home not to substitute, but rather, complement the parent in the child rearing role.

Choosing the right nanny is obviously important. Most parents will register with an agency that in turn will provide suitable candidates for interviews. The following are a few important tips to consider in your search.

The nanny business is a very personal one. Get to know your agent and vice versa. He or she will be better able to assist you to find the best match for your family.

The personality of the nanny is of the utmost importance. Will the nanny fit into your family (not to mention your domestic help) comfortably? The nanny will obviously be party to some of the more personal dynamics of your household, and it is essential to be able to communicate effectively with her.

References are essential and although your agent will have verified these references for you, it is always a good idea to speak personally to previous employers. Qualifications alone do not make for a good nanny. Being a nanny is a vocation and although the courses available cover all aspects of the profession, it is important to get the right balance between qualifications, experience and personality.

Monthly salaries in Hong Kong for full-time nannys range from $18,000-$27,000, depending apon the working conditions, and the nanny's experience. These salaries of course do not match everyone's pocket, especially if one parent's not working. There is always the part-time option to consider, or even occasional nannies when the care giving parent needs time-out.

Whatever your choice, hiring a native English-speaking nanny is well worth the extra expense, for the benefits it brings to your family.

Shirley Robinson
Rent-A-Mum