White House Nannies

by Barbara Kline

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.

From finding the "perfect nanny" to firing the "perfect nanny," from refereeing mommy-nanny disputes to keeping mum about family secrets, Kline casts a keen eye on one of the most complicated relationships under the 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 nanny-napped), 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.

The Nanny Diaries meets Primary Colors in this delightful ride on the bottle-and-bib-strewn Beltway.
 

Genres: Nonfiction, Memoir, Humor, Adult

256 pages, Paperback

First published May 5, 2005

Reviews

[Tatiana · Rating 3 out of 5]

Not unlike many of the children featured within its pages, White House Nannies has a case of ADHD: Inattentive. It's all over the place. Memoir. How-To. Tell-All. Chick-Lit. Washington D.C. Travel Guide. In 240 pages. Forget the nannies and toddlers and their overworked parents--I need a nap.

To be fair, this is a terribly easy read, like the gossip column--read, forget quickly. It starts sounding the same: the clients' demands, the nanny shenanigans, the advice. Was the chapter on mother-in-laws necessary, though? Or the chapter on pets? Or the chapter about nannies falling in love? Or the one about all the free therapy these parents need from Barbara?

That's not to say it wasn't interesting and often entertaining. Having been a big sister, babysitter, nanny, and now a teacher (which is babysitting with more demands and fewer perks), I could relate to many of the situations. You do fall in love with the kids, and the parents do get attached to you. I was asked to move with a family to South Carolina!

Just goes to show an author can have a story, but without a strong editor, there will be bumps in the road.

[Lori · Rating 3 out of 5]

Well, the title was a bit misleading in that this isn't the stories of nannies that have worked in the white house, but the story of a D.C. nanny service called White House Nannies. Once I got over the disappointment of not getting a behind-the-scene look at caring for Caroline and John John, hearing instead stories from the nanny placement service for the Internationally and politically powerful in D.C., it was an interesting read. Kline obviously changes the names to protect her clients' identities, so except for a few tidbits about happy clients like Mary Matalin and James Carville, unless you are a D.C. insider who intimately knows all the eccentricities inside the beltway who can see through her dissimulations, you're not going to be getting the nitty gritty on the Who's Who of D.C. A nice diversion, but most of it made me sad, showing how very little time the rich, powerful and influential spend raising their children.

[Jennifer Melnyk · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was an interesting look at an insider's view of high society and their child-rearing habits. While the book focuses on Washington, D.C., these same habits can be found anywhere that you can find over-achieving parents and children that need to be cared for.

I found that I was often distracted away from the story by simple typos that should have been caught in the editing process. One or two would have been easy to overlook, but ten to fifteen was kind of outrageous.

[Michelle · Rating 3 out of 5]

Got this from Dollar tree. Entertaining look at the real story behind the White house nannies agency in DC. The owner of the agency gives a humorous look at a crazy government that cant seem to function without their overworked nannies.
Cute book and a nice break from my recent chick lit books :)

[Erin · Rating 4 out of 5]

If you've ever been a nanny or babysitter, you should read this book. Hilarious stories that you can relate to that will help you to realize that you weren't the only one who went through this scenario!

[Christopher Allen · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book was very hard to put down. It was so interesting to read about people who have careers that run their lives so they need a nanny that can raise their children for them. This book was funny, frustrating, and fascinating because of the window into people's lives I will never understand. I only dropped it one star because the author jumps around a lot to seemingly unrelated stories. In all, I highly recommend this title.

[Carol · Rating 4 out of 5]

Enjoyed the stories about all the nannies and families she worked with.

[Malcolm · Rating 3 out of 5]

I didn't realize this was the name of the business. I thought this would be stories from White House servants. The anecdotes are nice enough. But hard to stay interested in.

[Kerry · Rating 1 out of 5]

The book is a dish on the Beltway nanny world. Sort of like the National Enquirer in book form. I thought t might be amusing if well and sensitively written. But it's mean hearted in some places, and although the author has a college degree, she must have failed geography because she keeps referring to Idaho, Montana and Wyoming as the Midwest. (where is her editor too?) Plus she's very condescending to anything not East Coast. There are some truly jaw dropping incidents in the book, and it's fascinating to see how the nannis actually have their own way of being more powerful than you would think.

[Kelly · Rating 2 out of 5]

I was one of Barbara's nannies. I had a fabulous family, but I know that there were more than the fair share of crazy ones who totally took advantage of the nannies. Let's be honest here, the parents are the ones who pay the fees, so the nanny's needs are usually put a little farther down the list. As far as the book goes, I think she is better in the office than as a writer. Washington, Idaho and Utah are not in the Midwest. I found that the book jumped around a little too much, and it was more about name dropping than the real things that go on in the households. That is just my opinion.

[Josephine · Rating 1 out of 5]

I grew up in the Baltimore-Washington area. After graduating from college, I chose to work in Washington, DC. These facts sparked my interest in the book. Having moved over ten years, I found the Washington-centric arrogance sparked nostalgia. That being said, I can’t say the expose-all tabloid-like book really kept me riveted. Frankly, I re-read books rather than finishing it.

[Lisa · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was a very quick read. I expected a bit more scandal and humor. This book was both interesting and depressing (i.e. you can't have it all!) but made me feel a lot better about not using a nanny (who needs the hassle?!). I'm sure that is not what the writer intended, given that she runs the premier (i.e. extremely expensive) nanny agency in DC.

[NATUI · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was an easy read, and if you have been around these kinds of families it gives you a good chuckle or two. It didn't feel like a dirty exposé, just a peek into both sides of the childcare coin. Definitely a good book to take on vacation because you can pick up where you left off with no problem.

[Margy · Rating 4 out of 5]

A very entertaining peek into the domestic lives of Washington D.C.'s elite, as told by the nanny guru of our nation's capital. However...as I read through various chapters I had to wonder why so many career/power driven couples even choose to have children if they have no intention of spending ANY time with them. That I found quite disturbing and distressing! But kudos to all the great nannies!

[Viktoriya · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was a quick read. Reminded me a lot about "Nannies Diaries", but told from a different perspective. I found a book a little disorganized, but in a strange way it worked here. I was hoping for a little more "dirt" and "juicy gossip", and after reading "Nannies Diaries" none of the so-called "shocking requests" really shocked me. All in all, a quick entertaining read.

[Nyss · Rating 2 out of 5]

It was interesting at times because you're reading from a business owner's point of view. Most of the time though it was boring. I would've wanted to read more about the experience of nannies ala The Nanny Diary. The writer sometimes was all over the place. She should have concentrated on a few interesting stories instead of trying to tackle so many topics.

[Annette · Rating 3 out of 5]

Fun, light, good-for-the-beach read. True stories of nanny life in Washington, DC - unfortunately for the children, sometimes a sad reflection of working parent's priorities (not all parents thank goodness). Told with humour and honesty, truly makes me appreciate my family, children, and 9 to 5 job.

[Jeannie · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was an enjoyable and quick read. Laughed at a lot of it and felt sad during most of it. I don't believe there is any job greater or more rewarding than being a mom. It is priceless. Sad that so many mothers don't feel the same way. But I do understand.

[Krista · Rating 4 out of 5]

i actually really liked this one. my nanny/domestic service reading continues, and this was a nice addition. written by an agency owner, it tries to cover both the parent and nanny side of the industry. it ends up being mostly about what a pain in the ass wealthy people with kids are. truth.

[Tina · Rating 4 out of 5]

What does it say about our society when we trust a stranger with your own flesh and blood creation but distrust a stranger with our luxury vehicle? The book highlights this and other light topics in the nanny circuit!

[Tori Pauling · Rating 1 out of 5]

DNF. I made it through 25% of this book and just couldn't go any further. I have several other books I want to read, and it seemed like a waste to keep reading a book that had no real content. The stories weren't exciting and the author came off as conceited.

[Denise · Rating 3 out of 5]

An entertaining read about the lives of Nannies and their employers. For those of us who have been Nannies, it is quite insightful!

[Renee · Rating 3 out of 5]

Didn't realize I lived in a city so full of crazies. Oh, wait. Yes, I did.

[Carrie Flatt · Rating 2 out of 5]

I believe this book is semi fiction. It really makes you think about the how hard it is being a mommy and working in DC is. Those people are truly work horses.

[Emily]

@ both.

[Jennifer · Rating 3 out of 5]

Kinds what you'd expect.

[Tori]

2007...Not actually about nannies in the White House, but rather a nanny-hiring firm. A bit misleading...

[Stacy Averett · Rating 4 out of 5]

Entertaining, easy read about a world that I don't understand at all.

[Nancy · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was so much for me. Barbara placed me in all of my nanny jobs in the DC area in the 90's. It was also fun to read about places I've been and places I took the kids as a nanny.

[Keli Wright · Rating 5 out of 5]

I had so much fun reading this book! I could relate to so many things in it. Nice, quick fun read especially for locals, especially for locals that are also nannies.