- In the seventeenth century, nannies in upper-crust households were a necessity to relieve the lady of the manor from having to supervise her own children. With her offspring under the care of a female spinster, the wife would not only always be lovely for guests but also energetic enough to receive her husband's advances. Mary Ann Gibbs traces the evolution of nannies from the 1600s to 1960s in "The Years of the Nannies," which profiles the personalities, references and skills nannies were expected to possess and shows how the development of nanny colleges has led to increased competition.
- A nanny's job ranges from weekday babysitter to live-in surrogate mom in single-parent households. Work hours and salary are based on duties. A nanny providing daycare and fixing snacks will be paid less than one who is also chauffeuring, tutoring shopping and housecleaning. A bedroom, car allowance and health benefits may be part of her compensation. Jessika Auerbach's "And Nanny Makes Three" examines the debate between love and money and the psychological mindset of mothers who employ nannies.
- What parent couldn't benefit from advice on restoring order to a chaotic household? Nannies Deborah Carroll and Stella Reid have encountered every behavioral problem imaginable and share tips in "Nanny 911: Expert Advice for All Your Parenting Emergencies." Their manual is a spin-off of the Fox TV show and advises nannies on how to deal with disciplinary challenges without overriding parental authority.
- Unlike the past when nannies were often retained to raise subsequent generations, a nanny's tenure today is generally of short duration. Nanny jobs attract candidates in their 20s who haven't decided on a career or retirees who have the flexibility to raise someone else's offspring. For globetrotting families, a nanny job is an attractive, temporary assignment for those who have the freedom to sublet their apartments and either live in their employer's house or accompany a family overseas for a few weeks to several months. Any employer, of course, can be dubious about applicants who view a position as simply a revolving door. Susan Carlton and Coco Myers divulge what goes into hiring decisions in "The Nanny Book: The Smart Parent's Guide to Hiring, Firing, and Every Sticky Situation in Between."
- Movies and TV abound with nanny characters who have fueled childhood--and adult--imaginations and fears. "Mary Poppins" could fly, dance with penguins and work magic. "Nanny and the Professor," "The Nanny" and "Who's the Boss" advanced a premise that employers and their nannies constitute a recipe for romance. "Nanny McPhee" serves up a fairytale about a snaggle-toothed nanny who might be a witch. In "The Hand That Rocks the Cradle," a nanny uses her employment for revenge. While real-life nannies are expected to respect employer confidentiality, it didn't stop Emma McLaughlin and Nicola Kraus from dishing about monster moms in the "The Nanny Diaries" and selling it as fiction.
- In a perfect world, children would never take tumbles, get stung by bees or run with scissors. Nannies, however, seldom operate in perfect worlds, and when accidents occur, you'll be expected to have a working knowledge of first aid. Nadine Saubers' "Everything First Aid Book: How to Handle Falls and Breaks, Choking, Cuts and Scrapes, Insect Bites and Rashes, Burns, Poisoning, and When to Call 911" is a definitive source for managing any crisis that befalls your young charges. While nanny colleges across the country cover emergency first aid and CPR as part of their curriculum, this compact text--coupled with "First Aid and Safety for Dummies" by Arco--is indispensable for entrepreneurial nannies learning the ropes on the job.
