“A Gate at the Stairs” by Lorrie Moore is a fiction novel. The main character is Tassie, a college student moonlighting as a nanny, that stumbles into the emotional minefield of modern parenthood, racial politics, and unspoken grief — all while trying to wrangle a toddler and find herself. At first, as a nanny myself, […]
“Nanny Basics and Beyond: What I Wish I Had Known All Along” by Marcia Hall
August 23, 2025 1 Comment
As a nanny and family assistant with over three decades of experience, I’m always on the lookout for resources that both affirm the value of what I do and help me grow in my roles. “Nanny Basics and Beyond: What I Wish I Had Known All Along” by Marcia Hall does exactly that — and more. […]
“Nanny Knows Best: The History of the British Nanny” by Katherine Holden
August 2, 2025 Leave a Comment
“Nanny Knows Best” by Katherine Holden is not a how-to manual for nannies. This book is about British history. Katherine Holden’s book is an exploration of the British nanny as a cultural institution — equal parts moral compass, parental substitute, and Victorian child-wrangler extraordinaire. “Nanny Knows Best” charts the evolution of the British nanny from the […]
“Women’s Work” by Megan K. Stack — From A Nanny’s Perspective
July 26, 2025 Leave a Comment
As a nanny who has already spent three decades helping raise other people’s children, “Women’s Work” by Megan K. Stack hit me in a deeply personal place. This book is not a comforting celebration of modern motherhood; it’s a raw, honest look at the hidden cost of women’s professional ambition. The author is a former […]
“Such a Fun Age” by Kiley Reid – From A Nanny’s Perspective
July 19, 2025 Leave a Comment
Unlike the other books written by nannies, or about nannies, I’ve been reading this summer, “Such a Fun Age” by Kiley Reid is a fiction novel and New York Times best seller. “Such a Fun Age” follows Emira Tucker, a 25-year-old Black woman who babysits for Alix Chamberlain, a wealthy white influencer-mom who is progressive […]
“The Little Princesses” by Marion Crawford – From a Nanny’s Perspective
July 12, 2025 Leave a Comment
Working a nanny myself, I felt professional resonance reading, “The Little Princesses” by Marion Crawford. Reviewing “The Little Princesses” as a nanny is more than a dip into royal life — it’s an affirmation of the invisible, steady influence caregivers have on the next generation. Crawford’s role as a governess mirrors the emotional and practical […]
“Mothercoin: The Stories of Immigrant Nannies” by Elizabeth Cummins — From A Nanny’s Perspective
July 5, 2025 Leave a Comment
“Mothercoin: The Stories of Immigrant Nannies” is not a comforting read — but if you’re an immigrant in America it will be a validating one. Elizabeth Cummins Muñoz has written the book I didn’t know I was waiting for: a rich, unflinching exploration of the women behind America’s well-raised children, cleaned homes, and free time […]
Review of “Wanted: Toddler’s Personal Assistant: How Nannying For the 1% Taught Me About the Myths of Equality, Motherhood, and Upward Mobility in America” by Stephanie Kiser
June 28, 2025 Leave a Comment
I am reading as many books written by nannies or about nannies as I can this summer. Stephanie Kiser is a former nanny who worked for affluent families on Manhattan’s Upper East Side who wrote the memoir, “Wanted: Toddler’s Personal Assistant. How Nannying For the 1% Taught Me About the Myths of Equality, Motherhood, and […]
Mondrian Sidewalk Chalk Art
August 26, 2020 Leave a Comment
Creative Wednesdays Known for his Modernism abstract paintings, Piet Mondrian used the simplest combination of straight lines and right angles, creating geometric shapes of bold primary colors. After showing the kids paintings by Mondrian and reading “Coppernickel Goes Mondrian” go outside to make similar art using sidewalk chalk. Of course on a rainy day you […]
Summer is Summer by Phillis and Davis Gershato
July 13, 2019 1 Comment
Weekly Trip to the Library If the kids say they are bored this summer, visit the library and borrow Summer Is Summer by Phillis and Davis Gershato. The main characters in the book don’t need expensive vacations, video games, iPads, or cell phones to to enjoy the summer. The children enjoy all the basic summer […]
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