![]() Nannies are the snuggly presences in nursery lore, the workhorses of childcare who take children on outings, supervise their play, keep their pinafores tidy, and refine their table manners. ![]() The word "nanny" is a close synonym of "nurse", and may derive from a babytalk diminutive. Nursemaids were nurse's underlings and probably got the nastiest jobs. Polly Toodle of Dickens's Dombey and Son is a classic wet nurse, standing in place of a mother and passing on a bit of lower-class affection along with her milk. Nurse was in charge of the nursery regime - the diapers, the baths, and, especially in the case of the wet nurse, the nourishment. ![]() Can you tell your nursemaids from your nannies, your tutors from your governesses? The childcare arrangements of the nineteenth-century British upper crust have spawned a dynasty of classic literary characters. This article relates to The Mysterious Howling ![]() Nurses, Nannies, Governesses, Tutors, and Companions: A Taxonomy ![]()
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