Rating: 
Summary: Very parent-friendly
Review: I really enjoyed the no-nonsense approach that the authors took in this book--particularly their willingness to focus on things that can go wrong in a relationship. Not all nanny-parent relationships are made in heaven! While I enjoyed the chatty style, the book was sometimes a little lacking in specifics. That's why I recommend that parents also consider picking up a copy of The Unofficial Guide to Childcare--a fabulous book that covers the do's and don'ts of hiring a nanny in considerable detail and that boasts the best nanny contract I've ever found anywhere. Armed with these two terrific books, a parent can't go wrong.
Rating: 
Summary: great advice for babysitters and nannies!
Review: I saw this book in an article in the New York Times a few weeks ago...at just the same time I was hiring yet another new nanny. I love this book. The advice is straightforward and there are all kinds of great stories from both parents and nannies about how to get along. The chapters on hiring, salary needs, time off (do you pay for President's Day?), and sorting out the household chores have all come in handy. If you are thinking of making a change--or are hiring for the first time--I highly recommend this book. We've bought our new nanny a copy too!
Rating: 
Summary: parent-friendly, not nanny-friendly
Review: Look, I feel sincerely sorry for families who wind up with nannies from the dark side, as profiled in this book. But some of the advice doesn't take the nanny's POV into consideration at all. For example, if, as the author describes, your child bites her nanny hard enough to leave a bruise, and the nanny jokes about spanking the child, STOP being so shocked that the nanny would JOKE about such a thing and listen to what she's really saying, which is, How do you want me to discipline your child? Because I do NOT deserve to be bitten. Trust me, I've been there when Mommy says, "Aw, that's my rambunctious little guy!" right after I've gotten through explaining that my glasses are NOT a toy to be pulled off my face....
Rating:
Summary: parent-friendly, not nanny-friendly
Review: Look, I feel sincerely sorry for families who wind up with nannies from the dark side, as profiled in this book. But some of the advice doesn't take the nanny's POV into consideration at all. For example, if, as the author describes, your child bites her nanny hard enough to leave a bruise, and the nanny jokes about spanking the child, STOP being so shocked that the nanny would JOKE about such a thing and listen to what she's really saying, which is, How do you want me to discipline your child? Because I do NOT deserve to be bitten. Trust me, I've been there when Mommy says, "Aw, that's my rambunctious little guy!" right after I've gotten through explaining that my glasses are NOT a toy to be pulled off my face....
Rating: 
Summary: Lots wrong with this one -- More annoying than helpful
Review: The book isn't organized very well. A list of good questions to ask during an interview would have been very helpful, but you won't find it in this book, nor will you find many pages that summarize the authors' tips (What were those forms again that I need to fill out? ) While the chatty Q & A style works for the What to Expect books, it does not work for this Nanny book. It could benefit from more substance and less chat. I suppose you could say, like the other reviewers here, that reading the book is like talking to a friend -- if you have a really vapid, annoying, and culturally insensitive friend. The mothers interviewed for this book are supremely irritating (One woman, for example, wanted to discourage the nanny from talking about the child she had to leave in another country to become a nanny.) The mothers also seem too helpless and unable to work through the most basic problems. I am truly hoping these interviewees came from the writers' imagination. Lastly, the book seems to have a peculiar East-coast slant. Here in California, most of the nannies are Spanish-speaking with very limited English skills. A little lesson in blending two cultures would have been nice. Rather than relying on this book, we're better off using good old common sense.
Rating:
Summary: Nuanced and clear-headed advice on a complex subject
Review: The relationship between nannies and their employers is both incredibly important and complicated. I actually disagree with the previous reviewer about this book's approach. I found the conversational "structure" easy to navigate. I've been continually struck by how little consensus there is about some of the most basic ground rules in the nanny-employer relationship. It's really hard not to feel as if you're winging it. And I thought this book is a good antidote to that feeling. I found the tone really accessible, and not fussy. The idea of including both perspectives-of employer and employeee-also seems crucial, and useful.
Rating:
Summary: An excellent, practical resource for parents!
Review: This book is a "Must Have" for anyone with or looking for a nanny or long-term childcare provider. Carlton and Myers offer no nonsense coverage of a vast array of the issues and dilemmas one faces in hiring a caregiver and creating a satisfactory, workable relationship. Anecdotal "real life" examples are discussed in a clear, concise manner giving useful advice enabling the parent to apply the approaches suggested to many situations that may arise. The information on the rules of dealing with a nanny, including pay, overtime, family vacations,transporation costs, etc. have been enormously helpful to me - a busy lawyer and first time mom! The book is a fabulous resource sure to come in handy over and over again.
Rating:
Summary: An excellent, practical resource for parents!
Review: This book is a "Must Have" for anyone with or looking for a nanny or long-term childcare provider. Carlton and Myers offer no nonsense coverage of a vast array of the issues and dilemmas one faces in hiring a caregiver and creating a satisfactory, workable relationship. Anecdotal "real life" examples are discussed in a clear, concise manner giving useful advice enabling the parent to apply the approaches suggested to many situations that may arise. The information on the rules of dealing with a nanny, including pay, overtime, family vacations,transporation costs, etc. have been enormously helpful to me - a busy lawyer and first time mom! The book is a fabulous resource sure to come in handy over and over again.
Rating:
Summary: Helpful, user-friendly, reassuring and practical handbook.
Review: This terrific handbook is user-friendly and easy to read. The authors pose and answer questions that most nanny employers have struggled with, but have been afraid to ask. I read the book in one sitting, just as I was about to switch nannies, and it greatly reassured me about this monumental decision. I would highly recommend this book to other nanny employers -- it reads as if you are having a conversation with a wise girlfriend!
Rating:
Summary: This is savvy, easy to read advice - an instant classic!
Review: Two weeks ago, my favorite nanny/housekeeper gave me notice. What a shock. Coincidently, I spotted a rave review of this book in the May issue of "Mirabella" magazine. Even though I consider myself an experienced employer (three nannies in nine years), I thought the timing was too good to be true and I checked it out. I can't get over how on-target the advice is and how easy it is to read. I feel like the book was written by a group of my most savvy friends. It's amazing how many of the situations they highlight have actually happenned to me or a friend of mine. And since their advice as to how to reconcile those situations is so close to how I eventually handled them, I know I can trust them on those experiences I've yet to have. This book is a gem. A must-have for anyone even considering hiring a nanny. The "Mirabella" reviewer was right when she said it deserved a place right next to Dr. Spock, Penelope Leach and the "What To Expect When You're Expecting" books.
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