The feminist movement aided in herding mothers out of the kitchen
and off to work—but the progressive minds behind this idea may not have
fully considered who would tend to the children as mothers set out to
reclaim their identities in the workforce. Enter the Nanny—a fixture once
prominent only in the homes of the seemingly well-to-do has now become a
necessity for many working moms. There has been a resurgence of memoirs,
exposes and novels all focusing on the nanny phenomenon—White House Nannies
and Searching For Mary Poppins both highlight the culture from two different
standpoints. But nanny lit emerged over one hundred years ago, with Henry
James' and Charlotte Bronte's essential character—the governess.
Besides administering love and care to children, nannies are also known for dishing the dirt on
the families who employ them—the more eminent the family, the better. In Washington D.C., a location
often coined with the terms deceit and scandal, exists the premier nanny—placement agency, White
House Nannies, Inc. President Barbara Kline takes us inside the private lives of elected officials,
Cabinet members, and advisors to the president in her book White House Nannies. As a woman who runs
a nanny employment agency—a matchmaker of sorts—Kline isn't afraid to share the inside scoop from both sides
in this written expose. Her are some "parent categories" she's devised over the years:
- The Slave Driver
The Slave Driver uses the words "flexible hours." This is a bright-red-flag term. It means: "Our help is expected
to work whenever and however long we want them." Paying overtime is not in the Slave Driver's vocabulary. Why do
so many Washingtonians forget the law about a forty-hour work week?
- The Analytically Inclined
"Children need a lot of emotional space to express themselves, and we expect our nanny to be comfortable
with all their moods and forms of self-expression. Tiffany doesn't always like to wear clothes, so as long
as she eats a balanced meal, we let her come to the table naked."
- The Hyper-Vigilant
"Never disarm the security system, even when you're home, and check all cabinet and toilet latches as
well as safety gates at all times. Our children must not talk to strangers. Do not give our personal
phone numbers out to anyone, and clear all personal visitors to the grounds or in the house with us first.
Do not sort our mail or touch our trash. Most important, even if others think you're being paranoid, let us
know immediately if you sense anything at all wrong with Richard of Jennie. Call us or the doctor for even
minor symptoms. We'd rather you overreact than put them in harm's way. Don't forget the #62 sunscreen!"
- The Harvard-Obsessed
"Every moment of the day is a learning opportunity, from the classical music on the radio to singing to our
son in your native language, or teaching him to play the piano. Make use of our educational games and flash
cards. Georgie helps us count out change in stores and measure ingredients for brownies. Please read, read,
read him the intellectually challenging literature we supply, and converse with him as much as possible to
improve his communication skills. Television is limited to PBS channels 22 and 26, not to exceed a half hour
daily. Don't let our youngest son watch any television. Only baby Einstein tapes."
- The Discipline-Phobic
"Emily has a great deal of energy and needs to run free. She's in a daredevil phase and experiments with risky
behavior, so watch carefully when she walks on the table or the kitchen counters. Please gently stop her if she
bites you or others, and make sure she doesn't play too vigorously with her baby sister, or put marbles in her
mouth. Explain to Emily why her behavior isn't working and ask her to try harder at cooperating. We don't believe
in punishment or time-outs. We never, ever use the word no."
The relationship between nanny and child, and nanny and mommy presents an entirely new set of problems that
stay-at-home mothers never had to consider. Can I trust this relative stranger with my precious children?
Will my little one take to his nanny better than his own mother? Will my nanny leave me for another family?
These are just a sampling of questions that may be milling about in a mom's mind when thinking about hiring
a nanny. In Searching for Mary Poppins, a handful of prominent women writers report on the current trends in
the nanny world and address universal concerns through stories of their own experiences with nannies.
The governess was the super-nanny of the past. Young women were hired to care for, educate and train the children
of affluent families. The interaction between privileged children and the common women sent to take care of them
served as a popular subject for 19th century novels. Penguin Classic authors like Henry James and Charlotte Bronte
were both fond of the governess narrative.
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