A London mother has ignited a fierce online debate after posting a job advert for a live-in nanny with a set of requirements that many have labelled as wildly unrealistic and unfair.
The Viral Job Listing
The controversy began on the popular parenting forum Mumsnet, where the mother, seeking help with her first baby, asked other users if her expectations were reasonable. She explained that she lives in a two-room house near central London and wanted to hire a nanny to become "part of our family".
The proposed conditions, however, quickly drew widespread criticism. The nanny would be required to share a bedroom with the newborn baby during the working week. At weekends, the nanny would have to leave the home entirely, ostensibly to visit family or friends. The role also involved sharing the family's main bathroom for showers and baths, with only a guest toilet available for separate use.
A Demanding Work Schedule
The job was described as entailing nine to ten hours of work each day. On top of this, the nanny would need to be on standby for babysitting duties two or three evenings a week in case the parents were delayed. While the position included travel, the mother clarified that standard working hours would still apply unless other arrangements were made.
In exchange for these duties, the caregiver would be offered an unspecified salary and the aforementioned half-share of a baby's room in London. The mother did state she would handle night wakings and would keep a sick baby in her own room.
Backlash from the Parenting Community
The response from fellow Mumsnet users was swift and overwhelmingly negative, with hundreds condemning the listing as exploitative. One incensed user replied: "You are f****** joking? No, it is NOT reasonable. If you have a live-in nanny you provide them with their own room, every night. You don't make them sleep in your baby's room for five nights and then kick them out for 2 nights."
Another commenter focused on the lack of personal space, stating: "Christ, you better be paying top dollar for that package. No proper personal space, no privacy, no real home since apparently, they aren't welcome on weekends."
Many highlighted the extensive hours and poor conditions. A third user calculated: "Working approx 60 hours + per week, sharing room, no room at the weekend, no bathroom of their own. The salary would have to be incredible for anyone to do that." The sentiment was summarised by another who simply declared the entire arrangement "completely unreasonable".
The incident, which occurred in January 2026, underscores the often complex and contentious discussions around fair employment conditions for domestic staff within private homes. It has sparked a broader conversation about what constitutes a reasonable live-in arrangement and the value placed on childcare professionals' time, privacy, and wellbeing.
