Мэри Поппинс с доставкой в Россию: история одной английской няни

English Nanny is every parents' dream. We talked to the director of English Nanny, an international recruitment agency, about how easily such wishes can be fulfilled.

"My harsh days' friend" - that's what Pushkin called his nanny in one of his famous works work. And it is true that a good nanny is a friend and a teacher, and some nannies like Arina Rodionovna can be a kind of guide in the future life of the child.

And not only Pushkin's nanny had left noticable trace in the soul of the genius. Dostoevsky also often remembered Alena Frolova, a woman who raised his whole family and instilled the writer's love for Russian culture. And the nanny named Dunya, who raised the famous Russian theater figure Sergei Diaghilev, did not leave him even after he grew up, helping him in different affairs.

That nanny's image of a sacrificial woman who dedicated all her life to someone else's child seems unreal nowadays. But that doesn't mean modern parents don't want to see in their house a Mary Poppins who would sing songs to their children, teach them foreign languages and explained how to tell the good from the bad. Only wealthy families can afford having a live-in nanny for their children, even though finding the nanny requires more serious approach now.

Though, nowadays we have more opportunities and, therefore, we have no problem with finding nannies from England, France, Spain, Germany and even China. The advantages of such an employee are obvious - they help children speak and think in a foreign language through games and daily communication. How to find such a specialist? Valentin Grogol - director of the international Agency English Nanny that specializes in the selection of governesses from England and other countries - shared this information with us:

"Seven years ago, English nannies used to be the popular demand only in Moscow. Nowadays English governesses are found everywhere Russia. our company helped families from Kazan, Krasnodar, Izhevsk, Volgograd, Samara, Perm, Voronezh, Krasnoyarsk, Sakhalin and many other cities to find their perfect English or French nanny.”

As a result, the girl easily communicates with her English nanny: English language for children

According to Valentin Grogol, the secret of successful and long-term relationship with a foreign nanny can be found in the selection. Before coming to the family, the governess is supposed to understand specific conditions of such work. After all, such an employee is to work almost without breaks and be in some isolation - live in a private home in constant contact with children. But even English Nanny instagram account you can see how many foreigners are ready for such work. In Enlgish Nanny the selection stories usually end in success, which is confirmed by the story of British girl Emma, who came to work in a Russian family.

Emma is an English nanny who loves Russia.

Emma has already managed to work with two families. One family lived in St. Petersburg for half a year, and the other six months traveled to Miami, Nice, Monaco, London. Now Emma works in a family that lives in Perm, and for summer holidays moves to the Italian resort Forte De Marmi. She told us about her work and impressions of life in Perm:

“I have never been to Russia before, but I have always wanted to test myself in a different language environment and culture. Some friends recommended me English Nanny, and I was able to find a job not just as a nanny, but as a nanny, who should raise the child so that he spoke English as his native language. That's what I was looking for. Other agencies, besides English Nanny, usually do not know how to make visas, and leave it to employers, who also do not understand it. That's why it didn't work out with other agencies. English Nanny completely took up the issue of visa support. It was important for me - I wanted to be legal, working in another country, especially in Russia.

I really like being a nanny, but I can't sit still — I definitely need to be somewhere where I don't feel at home. England and France are like a second home for me, so I got bored staying there. English Nanny found me a job in St. Petersburg as the only British nanny for two children who were under 5 years old. Country life with the family was just great (I had my own place in the neighborhood). Children liked walking, so we regularly walked with them in the forest, communicating in English on different topics. Their progress in learning was great! My weekends were also great, because St. Petersburg is an amazing city. There are so many interesting places - I visited the Hermitage, Savior on Blood and other attractions.

Now I work in Perm with the best family in the world. Close contact with children allows me not to miss Ireland at all. Here I teach three children English and a little French. I learned Russian at a conversational level, I can write a simple letter. I got rid of the homesickness: I can talk to anyone here. I like Perm itself, too, and I find it much more convenient to live here than in big cities such as Moscow or St. Petersburg. I feel dedication and fulfilment from work, I see children's progress and I see that parents value my work. I love my job very much and I only regret not starting to work as a babysitting earlier."

Finding a foreign nanny who will become a child's friend is not easy. Therefore, for the selection is worth contacting the agency, where the candidate for raising children will be checked by professionals. And it is necessary to start as early as possible, so the child will not realize what was their native language.