Lise Scott is a high-profile maternity nanny with 18 years experience working with newborns and toddlers. A longtime sufferer of endometriosis, she also works to raise awareness of the disease. Her online profile gives a glimpse into her daily working life whilst sharing tips and tricks for parents and nannies alike.
What inspired you to pursue a career in childcare, and how did your journey into becoming a nanny begin?
I have since studied childcare but I was a nanny long before I walked through college doors. The story is somewhat out of a movie and I fully intend to make one someday. In short, I was working in Finance, in London and helped a complete stranger in looking after their child. That person is, to this day a well known British actor and the rest is history. One good reference leads to another and that was almost 2 decades ago.
What drew you to move to Paris, and how has working with families in Paris compared to your experiences in the UK and Berlin?
By the time I left Berlin I was really quite sad. Respect for the profession isn’t mirrored in salaries and so I felt I had to go where I could again feel like I was working and not just babysitting.
Before 2024, I’d already spent 9 years working in Paris plus a year in Milan. Nannying is a serious job in the UK. I would say the distinct difference between raising a child in Paris and Berlin is also the formality. Berliner parents are guilt-tripped into doing everything alone and are more prone to mollycoddling whereas a French parent can very much still maintain a CEO position and not have many questions asked about how their child is doing.
As someone who doesn’t plan to have kids yourself, was it a clear decision or something you came to terms with over the years of realisation?
It was definitely clear. It just took me a very long time to be confident in the decision. I have always been afraid of having to do that alone. With my job, it’s something I can enjoy on my terms and then live a childfree life the rest of the time. In (some) ways I am a mother, but to many.
What are the most common challenges you see busy mothers face, and how do you help them manage?
Sadly, I think the biggest challenge a mother faces is judgement from other mothers and women. I help by dismantling taboo and opening up conversations that most other people are perhaps shy to do.
What are your top three tips for parents trying to juggle a busy schedule while raising kids?
Top 3 tips: Firstly be kind to yourself. Looking after children is one of the most underrated jobs on the planet. It’s so, so hard! Ask for help and keep asking. If you’re in a couple, make sure the workload and child rearing is as balanced as possible. It’s not “womens work” to cook, clean and arrange. Make sure your partner is stepping up! Lastly, keep the modes separate more so if you work from home. Keep everything in an office or away from your child. There’s nothing more sad than a kid asking you to play a game and you’re doing it whilst also trying to draft an email. Either you’re parenting or working but choose.
What parenting trends or methods do you see as particularly effective (or ineffective) among your clients?
I’m going to be scolded for this but, it has to be “gentle parenting” Of course there’s a method in which a mixture of styles of parenting work but, there’s a fine line between being kind and being afraid of giving a child instruction. I’ve seen one set of impressionable parents do this well and I’ll never forget them: They sing rules to their kids! It works like the best magic trick but you really have to be quite inventive.
Have you noticed differences in parenting styles or attitudes toward childcare between British, French and German families?
I suppose this ties in with my earlier comment on the mollycoddling. French parenting is somewhat harsh and as for the British… It depends on what part of the country you go to. It’s such a small but funny island. A northerner will in no way raise their child the same as a southerner. I could put money on that comment
How has your background influenced your approach to childcare? Do you bring any cultural or personal elements into your work?
If anything I try to look after children in a way that (I feel) was not given to me. Unfair for my parents perhaps but, then it was the 80’s and my parents were 21 when they had me. I also always make sure the kids I look after are taught about race early. I talk about my skin colour and I choose Black or Asian dolls when possible.
If you could give one piece of advice to a new nanny starting out in this career, what would it be?
HAVE CONFIDENCE! You need it to progress and be taken seriously. To negotiate contracts, to be able to work in sensitive environments and to not be bullied into tasks that aren’t related to your job.
Have you ever faced situations where you needed to educate children or parents about cultural sensitivity? How did you approach it?
The country I experienced this the most has been Germany. Race and cultural identity, even today is a flabbergasting topic in Germany. I’ve had the most bizarre conversations with German parents but mostly, it’s come from a place of uncertainty rather than outright racism. There’s no excuse in this day and age on whether a parent chooses to educate themselves or not. You can no longer say “but I was raised to…” It just doesn’t work. Even I have to re-educate, read, ask younger peers and take today’s events and apply them to my daily life.
What advice would you give to parents about ensuring their children grow up culturally inclusive and accepting of diversity?
The simplest thing to know is that your child will never be accepting of diversity if you do not expose them to it. Books, a cartoon, play dates with kids from all creeds and backgrounds. Explaining a disability as you see it rather than having your child point and yell.
What do you do for self care ? What’s your favourite go to after a busy day?
It would be a lie if I said my back wasn’t destroyed from the years and years of baby lifting! I regularly go for massages and to the chiropractor. A fun glass of wine with friends is also my form of self care. It is my dream to look after a child of a vigneron.
You can find Lise on Instagram; @hellolisescott
