In Pakistan’s upper-middle and elite urban circles a disturbing reality unfolds quietly in homes, restaurants, malls, and on social media: very young children—sometimes as young as eight, ten, or twelve—are hired as nannies. They look after toddlers belonging to families who can afford every comfort, yet their own childhoods are sacrificed in the process.
What makes this practice even more troubling is how normalized it has become. On social media you can often see families dining at expensive restaurants, parents eating comfortably, toddlers in high chairs, and behind them an underage nanny sitting on the floor or standing silently with a baby in her arms. Sometimes she receives leftovers; sometimes nothing at all. The employers may be wearing designer lawn prints worth fifty thousand rupees, while the child with them is dressed in worn clothes, with dry skin, cracked heels, and a posture shaped by exhaustion.
This contrast is not just financial; it is deeply moral.
A culture of normalized exploitation:
Cases of violence against child domestic workers appear regularly in the news, and each one briefly shocks the nation before fading from public attention. Children have been beaten for eating from an employer’s fridge, punished for letting a pet escape, or hurt for mistakes no child should be responsible for. While the most extreme cases end in tragedy, the everyday reality is also harmful: long hours, constant scolding, limited food, and the burden of caring for another child before they are old enough to care for themselves.
Yet society rarely labels these young nannies for what they truly are: child laborers. We condemn children working in factories or workshops but ignore those performing domestic labor simply because it happens inside a home. A child nanny is no different from a child working in a brick kiln or workshop. Both are deprived of education, safety, dignity, and childhood.
The invisible psychological and physical toll:
My research on child labor and its psychosocial effects shows that children employed as domestic workers face chronic stress and emotional strain. They often experience constant anxiety due to unpredictable punishment and the fear of making mistakes, which can develop into long-term depressive symptoms such as withdrawal, low self-worth, and disrupted sleep. Prolonged separation from their families affects attachment and emotional development, while the expectation to care for another child forces them into adult responsibilities before they are ready.
Physical neglect is widespread: many children suffer from malnutrition, stunted growth, fatigue, and untreated health issues because of irregular meals, long working hours, and limited access to healthcare. Educational deprivation further reinforces their social isolation, leaving them feeling left behind while their peers attend school. Collectively, these factors create a cycle of psychological, physical, and developmental disadvantage, teaching children that their needs and aspirations are secondary to the demands of others.
When a child is hired as a nanny, she is forced into a developmental role reversal: instead of being cared for, she is responsible for caring for someone else. This is not only exploitative; it is psychologically damaging.
Why society looks away:
Child domestic labor is often framed as helping the poor. Employers believe they are giving a child shelter or opportunity while benefiting from her vulnerability. Social media has made this practice more visible and more normalized. Underage nannies appear in family photos and videos almost as accessories—symbols of comfort and privilege. Their presence is treated as routine, acceptable, and unremarkable. Silence is complicity. Looking away perpetuates exploitation.
The need for accountability and change:
Although Pakistan has laws against child labour, domestic work is poorly regulated and nearly invisible to enforcement agencies. What occurs behind private gates rarely reaches the legal system until it becomes a tragedy. The employment of underage nannies in wealthy homes is not a cultural tradition or a social practice — it is a violation of childhood, dignity and basic human rights. Every time a child is overworked, underfed or treated harshly, society allows exploitation to continue unchecked.
Real change requires more than legislation. It demands a shift in societal conscience, confronting class privilege, social hypocrisy, and the excuses used to justify child labor. Addressing this issue means recognizing that children are not laborers, caregivers, or property. They are entitled to safety, education, and a childhood free from exploitation.
“There can be no keener revelation of a society’s soul than the way in which it treats its children.” — Nelson Mandela.
