White House Nannies and over one million other books are available for Amazon Kindle. Learn more

Buy Used
Used - Good See details
$3.28 & eligible for FREE Super Saver Shipping on orders over $25. Details

or
Sign in to turn on 1-Click ordering.
 
   
Kindle Edition
 
   
Have one to sell? Sell yours here
White House Nannies
 
 
Start reading White House Nannies on your Kindle in under a minute.

Don't have a Kindle? Get your Kindle here, or download a FREE Kindle Reading App.

White House Nannies [Paperback]

Barbara Kline (Author)
3.3 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (32 customer reviews)


Available from these sellers.


Formats

Amazon Price New from Used from
Kindle Edition --  
Hardcover, Large Print $28.95  
Paperback, Bargain Price $3.69  
Paperback, May 4, 2006 --  

Book Description

May 4, 2006
As president of Washington's premier nanny placement agency, White House Nannies, Inc., Barbara Kline has spent the last twenty years handpicking and delivering nannies to elected officials, cabinet members, advisers to the President, and the media who report on their every move. In this hilarious account of her life in child care, Kline discloses the mayhem that ensues when these powerful parents find themselves at the mercy of tiny tyrants-and the nannies who offer their only hope of salvation. Offering "an especially insightful insider's perspective," White House Nannies also "addresses more serious questions, from what nannies really think of their employers and their young charges to the tricks of hiring a great caregiver for your family" (Child magazine).

In this "very funny, very insightful, and very well-done" (Kirkus Reviews) memoir, Kline casts a keen eye on one of the most complicated of relationships under the sun: that between extremely busy people and their nannies. Following the major events that launch powerful D.C. parents into parenthood (discovering they're pregnant; hiring a fabulous nanny; giving birth; hiring a second nanny in a pinch when the first one is nannynapped), this book goes behind closed doors in our nation's capital to reveal the laughter-and of course, the tears-involved when overworked professionals attempt to raise a child.

Customers Who Viewed This Item Also Viewed


Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

As a working mother struggling to find good childcare, Kline turned her problem into a treasure trove, first by founding a small business, White House Nannies, Inc., that solves childcare problems for the nation's elite, and now by writing about their desperate, amusing cases. While the meandering pace of her book requires some getting used to-it takes 44 pages and several interruptions to find the first candidate, a nanny suitable for a prominent TV personality-readers will eventually appreciate that Kline is using this first narrative as a thread around which the rest of the stories are woven. And some of the stories are amusing. "A young nanny from California first realized she'd moved in with an unusual family when she heard the biotech executive mother put her children to bed via intercom: 'Lizzie and Carter, get into your jammies.'" D.C. cognoscenti will recognize many of the families Kline describes, but even readers outside the beltway will know at least one of the clients: political duo Mary Matalin and James Carville, who require help when their beloved nanny, Ella, dies while they're on vacation. But the book provides a lot more than just the gossipy pleasure of peering into famous nurseries. Kline offers trenchant insights about the callous way many parents view their nannies (i.e., "somewhere between a pet and an invisible life form"), the reluctance to pay properly for the work itself and the difficulties dual-career couples have while trying to juggle their ambitions and their loved ones. She also offers lots of wonderful, if indirect, advice about how to get along with your nanny and how to deal tactfully with outrageously demanding customers. Of interest to anyone who's ever hired a babysitter, Kline's will also intrigue aspiring nannies and small business owners. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

From School Library Journal

Adult/High School–After struggling to find good child care in the Washington, DC, area, Kline decided to open White House Nannies, which caters to the nation's most influential people. Over the 20 years that her agency has been in business, the author has managed to garner a collection of anecdotes and stories that are not only funny, but also serve as a lesson to anyone with, considering having, or taking care of a baby. Even those thinking about starting a small business can benefit from this book as they read about Kline's trials and tribulations. Over the years, she has become an expert on how difficult–and important–it is to find quality child care. She not only provides examples of good and bad experiences but also offers practical advice on a variety of issues. She explains that many parents view their nannies as somewhere between a pet and an invisible life form, seeming to forget that this is a person whom they have entrusted to take care of their child for 10 or 12 hours a day.–Erin Dennington, Fairfax County Public Library, Chantilly, VA
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

Product Details

  • Paperback: 256 pages
  • Publisher: Tarcher (May 4, 2006)
  • Language: English
  • ISBN-10: 1585424978
  • ISBN-13: 978-1585424979
  • Product Dimensions: 8.2 x 5.4 x 0.8 inches
  • Shipping Weight: 8.8 ounces
  • Average Customer Review: 3.3 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (32 customer reviews)
  • Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,489,578 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Discover books, learn about writers, read author blogs, and more.

 

Customer Reviews

32 Reviews
5 star:
 (12)
4 star:
 (6)
3 star:
 (4)
2 star:
 (1)
1 star:
 (9)
 
 
 
 
 
Average Customer Review
3.3 out of 5 stars (32 customer reviews)
 
 
 
 
Share your thoughts with other customers:
Most Helpful Customer Reviews

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars For all parents with children and nannies. You'll laugh out loud!, December 16, 2005
White House Nannies tells stories of the interworkings of the nanny placement world that are worth telling. I laughed at Barbara, at White House Nannies, and at the families and nannies they bring together - some more successfully than others. As a working mother with nannies functioning as the 3rd parent in my home for over 7 years, I also laughed at myself as there was a story or maybe even two that "hit home." White House Nannies focuses on the humor in the struggle to balance work, marriage and family. The tongue-and-cheek syle of writing brings out the humor in every example (some typical and some not so typical) of this struggle. Very entertaining!
Help other customers find the most helpful reviews 
Was this review helpful to you? Yes No


8 of 10 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars Plight of the working mom, May 12, 2005
By 
Susan L. Jones (Washington, D.C.) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   
I think Barabara Klines' book is very funny and highly readable. It is also extremely educational. Barbara
has an excellent grip on what makes the nanny -mom relationship tick. They are both devoted to the same child and are on each other's radar screen constantly. Understanding where the other is coming from does not always come naturally but is essential if the duo are going to work. This book is rich in insight into that critical relationship. What makes this book rise above many of the other Nanny books, ( such as Nanny Diaries) is that the working mom is not demonized. Barbara is eminently sympathetic to the plight of the working mom, as she is a committed working mother herself , devoted to both work and children.
She manages to identify with them and value their dilemna and their needs and absolutely delights in coming to their rescue. She does not dismiss them as narcissistic,greedy, selfish shopaholics as they are pictured in Nanny Diaries. Instead they are real women trying to make their life work with the best childcare money can buy. She seems to truly value their desire to keep both balls in the air. Even with all the money to buy the best in childcare life doesn't fall into place so easily. This is all very real and Barbara feels uniquely sympathetic to both Mom and Nanny as they try to forge this unique relationship.
Help other customers find the most helpful reviews 
Was this review helpful to you? Yes No


10 of 13 people found the following review helpful:
1.0 out of 5 stars Self aggrandizing, July 15, 2005
If there is a Donald Trump in the nanny business Ms. Kline would surely be hosting the next Apprentice show except that she does not seem to have the same gravitaz that Mr. Trump demonstrates. Name-dropping and full bragging of how important she is to the "over achieving" parents who are basically folks trying to integrate work and family lifestyles does not make Ms. Kline a likeable decent person. (Whether you agree with how the parents are spending their time or not)
Instead of being empathetic, Ms. Kline comes across as a self-ordained I-am-a-very-important person in Washington. She brags about the fact she can choose you as a client and gets more important clients than she really cares for.

The book is a quick easy read, but there is no substance and a lot of snide remarks on Ms. Kline's clients make her a character that any parent should stay away from.
Help other customers find the most helpful reviews 
Was this review helpful to you? Yes No

Share your thoughts with other customers: Create your own review
 
 
 
Most Recent Customer Reviews











Only search this product's reviews



Inside This Book (learn more)
Browse and search another edition of this book.
First Sentence:
NO ONE MOVES to Washington to kick back. Read the first page
Key Phrases - Statistically Improbable Phrases (SIPs): (learn more)
prospective nanny, new nanny, former nannies, baby nurse
Key Phrases - Capitalized Phrases (CAPs): (learn more)
White House, Wilton Road, New York, Spring Valley, Chevy Chase, Homeland Security, Jeffrey Darwin, Ivy League, Janette Huntington, Maserati Man, Nanny Nation, South Africa, Air Force One, Capitol Hill, Hong Kong, Mary Matalin, North Lawn, San Francisco, Suzanne Taylor, Virgin Gorda
New!
Books on Related Topics | Concordance | Text Stats
Browse Sample Pages:
Front Cover | Front Flap | First Pages | Back Flap | Back Cover | Surprise Me!
Search Inside This Book:




What Other Items Do Customers Buy After Viewing This Item?


Tags Customers Associate with This Product

 (What's this?)
Click on a tag to find related items, discussions, and people.
 

Your tags: Add your first tag
 

Customer Discussions

This product's forum
Discussion Replies Latest Post
No discussions yet

Ask questions, Share opinions, Gain insight
Start a new discussion
Topic:
First post:
Prompts for sign-in
 


Active discussions in related forums
Search Customer Discussions
Search all Amazon discussions
   
Related forums



So You'd Like to...


Create a guide


Look for Similar Items by Category


Look for Similar Items by Subject