cover image Secrets of the Nanny Whisperer: A Practical Guide for Finding and Achieving the Gold Standard of Care for Your Child

Secrets of the Nanny Whisperer: A Practical Guide for Finding and Achieving the Gold Standard of Care for Your Child

Tammy Gold. Perigee, $16 (288p) ISBN 978-0-399-16988-5

A parent coach and licensed therapist, Gold addresses this comprehensive guide to parents setting out on the journey of finding—and keeping—the perfect nanny. She asserts that half of modern American kids are in childcare, yet many parents who plan on employing a nanny don’t have any strategy for finding the right one. Gold, who has made the study of nannies her business (she calls it nannyology), believes gut instinct is simply not good enough. She urges readers to define the job responsibilities first, conduct telephone interviews for initial screening, and then meet face-to-face with likely candidates, following up with reference checks and two full-day trials. This, she claims, will help parents avoid common pitfalls (including overworking the nanny and making unreasonable demands) and increases the chance of a perfect match. While some people may resist doing so much legwork up front, Gold’s method appears likely to pay off in the long term. Parents setting out on the nanny quest will surely benefit from this practical handbook. Agent: Andrea Barzvi, ICM. (Jan.)