Customer Reviews

Searching for Mary Poppins: Women Write About the Intense Relationship Between Mothers and Nannies

5 star:		(3)
4 star:		(2)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

I was quite excited to read this book having been a (British) professional nanny for a long time. I found the book to be very touching and felt like I could go on reading about the relationships between mother's and nannies forever, it was really interesting to take a glimpse into the lives of these families. (I was hoping for a great story about a Brit nanny and mother relationship). I really do recommend that parents and nannies read this fabulous collection of stories.

This book is FABULOUS. I was sad when it ended. It's good for a few reasons: it consists of short stories, so you can read when you only have a few minutes, it brings out the feelings you didn't know you had about having a nanny (besides sometimes guilt), you see life and motherhood from many mom's perspectives, and you find yourself saying, "yes, I know!" to many statements made. It's a great read.

Much more than a book about nannies. These stories really go to the core of what it is to be a mother and how we all struggle and shine in that roll. Fabulous read.

This book contains essays by mothers who have employed nannies (most illegal) in the past. It analyzes the relationship between mothers and nannies and really explores the wealth of emotions that mothers go through. Highly recommeded!

I was eager to read this book when I found it and was absolutely riveted and drawn in by the forward and introduction. The honest and thorough depiction of the Mother/Nanny relationship resonated with many of my experiences. I was a bit taken aback by the vast majority of difficult endings. Many nannies leaving a family with no notice or information as to why. Nannies with secrets, both of their own lives and of how they care for children. Yet through it all, the mothers seemed quite able to be grateful for the good while still not entirely forgiving the bad. This book challenged me to take a long hard look at myself and the career path of being a nanny. I find myself thinking that I am quite different from all of the nannies represented in this book. What would my employers' essays look like? How would they describe my influence in their family? I have had a few jobs end painfully but on the whole, I remain in touch with and on good terms with the families and children I once loved--and quite honestly probably always will love. I recommend this book to the thoughtful reader but fear that to some it might give an unbalanced harsh picture of what having a nanny is like. But perhaps I am not entirely aware of my own experience and would be shocked to discover that my employers have felt similarly about me as many moms in this book did about their nannies. I might not ever know- which leaves me quite unsettled.

My daughter needed a nanny. Neither of us knew anything about it. Based on the reviews, I got her this book. I haven't read it myself but years later, my daughter quotes from this book, having forgotten where it came from. She has kept her nanny, who is like a member of the family. When things don't come naturally, a good book can bridge the gap. These insights help on a daily basis. When Amazon put this title on my list of purchases, I ignored it, thinking it was a mistake. I didn't connect Mary Poppins with nanny. Because of this and the fact that I haven't read it, the book gets four stars.