I don’t think I’ve ever read such a deeply depressing humor book. My God – I got the thing looking for a fun, Bridget Jones type read but I spent most of the book crying for that poor little kid. I know we have a former nany or two on the board – somebody please tell me that the authors (former nannys themselves) were exaggerating a lot.
Jess (off to read Little House on the Prairie to get the taste out of her mouth)
i’m with ya jess, that poor little kid. at least the puppy will be all right.
it is rather accurate. i was a nanny for a summer. it is amazing how little attention people will give their children, and how much advantage they will take with “the help.” it may be different for professional nannies over “just getting though school” nannies.
I think it’s exaggerated, but not as much as you might think. Although I’ve never been a full-time nanny, I’ve done a lot of babysitting in really upscale neighborhoods. Sometimes I’ve looked around at the guy mowing the lawn, the lady cleaning the house, the guy walking the dogs… and then there’s me, watching the kids. And I thought, do my clients even live here?
It’s pretty accurate. I was a Nanny for a child of a wealthy friend for 6 months. The whole time I read the book I was nodding, saying ‘Yup, been there, done that.’
Even the not getting paid bit. If my boss wasn’t a friend, I’d make more of the missing wages.
A friend of mine was a professional nanny for two years for a wealthy family. She essentially raised those two children. The parents trotted the kids out for parties and events like pets.
Another person I know did the same thing, raised a persons two boys like her own. Parents were/are very career driven. She went with them on vacation.When she eventually left her job to get a job in the real world, she wept over the fact these kids were going to be plopped in front of the TV by the granny-nanny the parents could find. Interestingly enough, this person is expecting her 4th child and is having her mother raise her children for her because her career is more important than her children. I guess her compassion for her own children is not nearly as great as for when getting paid to raise someone else’s.
Cadbury No, people who live in those massive houses, or not even the Life Styles of the Rich and Shameless style houses, just the standard McMansions, no one lives in them. They are too busy and too tired to take care of such a big house. So they hire out someone to do it for them, which makes them work more hours to make more money to afford these things.
I do not want to keep up with the Jones’. I want to shop at their garage sales and bankuptcy auctions. 