Deborah Carroll - Nanny 911: Expert Advice for All Your Parenting Emergencies

by Head Nanny Lilian Sperling

Ive always loved children. In 1958, after my own three youngsters were no longer little children, I decided that Id like to share some of the things Id learned as a parent with other families. Before long, I was hired by a London agency that immediately placed me with families from the British upper crust.

When I used to care for newborns and toddlers, it was a great thrill to watch human life develop from its earliest days. After all these years, youd think that Id be used to that or even have become bored with it. But Im not. In fact, Im just as amazed and thrilled watching how a newborn grows into a toddler, and how toddlers grow up, become teenagers, and finally adults.

Some of my job placements were wonderful. The parents were lovely, receptive individuals who easily integrated my suggestions into their own child-rearing ideas. They were open to new ideas, eager to learn, and fully involved in their childrens lives. And their children were full members of the family. Often, they took me traveling with them and their youngsters. We were all focused on developing healthy bodies and inquisitive young minds. Of course, there were other family situations that were less than ideal, either because the parents quarreled, were closed-minded, or had disorganized homes and lives. In some instances, it seemed as if the children were afterthoughts, and that mom and dad couldnt be bothered or werent interested in doing their jobs as parents. Still, what made each position enjoyable was caring for the children. I must have done a good job because I was always getting recommended by the families with whom I worked to their friends. By the time I left England for the United States in 1986, I had worked for about two hundred families.

Initially I came to the United States because I was working for a British family that had moved to America, but before long, I realized that I wanted to live here permanently. I love it hereespecially the openness of American society, the warmth of its people, its toleration of differences, and its casual lifestyle. Soon I was working again as a nanny. I was working through an agency, and once the managers realized that I was Britishalthough it was plainly obvious to anyone speaking with meit was decided to take advantage of this fact and mention it to all prospective employers. Once they found out Id worked for some members of the aristocracy, American families clamored to hire me.

Parents and their children in every country have similar needsto be respected, to be treated fairly, and to be well cared for, and it quickly became clear that working as a nanny for an American family was really not much different from working for an English family. Some of the parents I was now working for were marvelous, others inevitably less so. But for me the thrill was in caring for the children and in teaching nervous and frustrated parents how to become effective caregivers.

Today, even though Im almost eighty years of age, I still love taking care of newborns and toddlers and I still occasionally work as a nanny. Little did I dream that the job I love so much would result in my appearance on a hit television show. It has been a thrill to lend the knowledge Ive gathered through forty-seven years of experience to the people who watch Nanny 911 each week.

To work with these special families on Nanny 911 and to reach out to so many people in similar circumstances is a wonderful opportunity and a blessing for me and my fellow nannies on the show.

What can be more important than giving your child the right start in life? Chances are that during pregnancy the mother-to-be ate carefully, made sure to get enough rest, and observed all those other healthy habits that would help her child to develop safely and strongly. And once that baby has arrived, the mother will want as much expert help as she can find to raise the little one into a happy, well-adjusted adult. Bear in mind that no one is more crucial to a babys growth and development than the parents. And parents rely on family, friends, and books written by experts. But as youve seen on Nanny 911 , a sensitive and seasoned child-care professional can go a long way toward helping you become a more effective and relaxed parent.

In this book, two really excellent professional nannies offer advice and guidance to a wider public on how to deal with many of the questions and issues that face parents all over the worldissues that are by turn infuriating, potentially dangerous, and even quite comical. We have paid particular attention to examples that have arisen whilst we have been working on the television series.

One of the reasons I think Nanny 911 is unique is that the producers understood from the start that different nannies have different skills, insights, and experiences to draw on. Nanny Deb is strong and confident, but at the same time she has an intuitive ability to understand families, which endears her both to young ones and adults. She is so sensitive, in fact, that Ive observed tears in her eyes at times when she is faced with moving family situations.

Nanny Stella is also very strong and understanding. Her specialty is establishing orderly routines and systems for families. Although Nanny Stella is known for her tough love, shes also caring and demonstrative and instantly wins over children. And shes not afraid to confront parents who arent as easily won over. This book brings together their combined wisdom in an easily readable, highly accessible guide to parenting.

I hope that you enjoy reading Nanny 911: Expert Advice for All Your Parenting Emergencies and that its wise tips about child rearing will help smooth the exciting, often challenging, but ultimately rewarding journey known as parenthood. With your love and this books expertise, you are on your way to raising happy and well-adjusted children.

With love and best wishes,

Head Nanny Lilian

Theyre every parents worst nightmareKids completely out of control and taking over the household. These families have reached the end of their rope[s]. Theyre in desperate need of help. Can these families be saved? They have only one alternative left. Its time to dial Nanny 911.

Take heart, America. When your familys in trouble, Nanny 911 is there on the double.

Millions of you tune in to our show every week to see what out-of-control family has begged us to take charge and transform their chaos into serenityin only seven short days. No matter how loud the tantrums, how clueless the parents, and how unwilling these families may be at first to making the kind of sweeping changes we know they need, pretty soon they come to realize that we can help them turn it around. We teach them that their mistake is often to look only at whats going on today without thinking ahead to what will develop into far more complicated repercussions tomorrow .