There are many reasons why people hire nanny / maids. It is all very personal subjected to individual family dynamics and temperaments of the people involved. My mom had to care for four kids, help run business, cook 3 meals a day, go to the market daily to get fresh produce for the family. She had a full and busy life and liked her domestic duties just fine. Not all her daughters would want to do the same though. How come? Humans come in different temperaments. And also lifestyle trend changed over time. It just is. Not sure if there is a point in arguing which way of life is better or worse.
Well, this mom hired a nanny as she found childcare too boring. So the person she handed over the child to will find it more interesting? For many, it is a job, a way to put food on the table. So would it surprise anyone that many nannies do get distracted by cellphones and such while on the job? Although one may be lucky to find nannies who love kids and it is a job of their own choosing. And in her case, it worked out.
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/femail/artic ... nanny.html
It is actually fairly common in parts of New York to have full time nannies, even with a stay-home-mom. This article is writen in 2010. Things may have changed. Recently read about this mom who moves to New York taking her child to the playground. She is the only mom there, the other caregivers are all nannies.
http://www.mommasgonecity.com/2010/06/p ... -observer/
Many nannies in USA are new immigrants as they are the ones who would consider childcare a full time career (vs high school kids looking for part time gig). Depending on the part of the country, you may see hispanics or European au pairs. They are also the underclass "immigrants living on the minimum wage with no sick pay, holidays or health benefits." Maids in SG get healthcare coverage.
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/femail/artic ... wards.html
These domestic workers have a home to go back to after a day's work. However, in SG, the maids do not have this luxury. It becomes very problematic with no clear divide of duties / boundaries / personal space.
All kinds of dynamics in the employer-maid relationship. It is not always about only one person (in power) oppressing the weaker one. One gonna look at it case by case.
My mom hired a maid to help with dad in wheel chair. After he passed away, maid is still with mom. More to keep her company than anything else since my mom do most of the household chores. She likes it that way. Maid spend a lot of time watching Taiwanese soap opera and would clue me in on the development of the drama whenever I am back in SG. You know some of those soaps can run into 100s of episodes and if you don't watch it from the very beginning, you miss the juicy details and connections

. Maid is bored working for my mom, an elderly lady. She wanted to go find employment in Hong Kong, more exciting and higher pay. Unfortunately, there was some tiff between HK-Philipines at the time. Which dissuaded her.
Maybe my mom could have given her a raise. Maybe she did? Not sure. However, mom is limited in her finance. It is her kids chipping in to pay for the maid as my siblings do not want her to fall into depression. She is in her 80s. Spend most of her time at home as she is not the social type. Only join the senior activites once a month and not incline to go out with friends. She mostly likes hanging out with her kids and family but my siblings all have to work and try to visit her when they can.
She is the one and only maid my mom hired and had been with her for maybe like 8 years. On the other hand, one of my sister goes thru maids like what, change every two years. These maids do not like to work for my sister and they fired her, lol. One of her maid told me she did not like working as a maid and did not like working for my sister. She was a teacher back in Philippines and she wants to see the world and have fun.