Other People's Children

Author: Julia Wrigley
ISBN: 9780465053704

When parents hire nannies, housekeepers, or au pairs, most think they are getting the best child care money can buy. But are they? When parents become employers, what does it mean for them, their children, and the nannies themselves? While parents may dream of Mary Poppins, seldom do they hire professional British nannies. Instead, most hire untrained women who have few other career options. Coming from different worlds, middle-class parents and their children's caregivers may not share a language - either literally or figuratively. Most parents do not know what their caregivers truly think about them, their young charges, or American child-rearing practices. Based on more than 150 interviews with caregivers and parents, this book explores the hidden side of caregiving relationships. Julia Wrigley asks how parents learn to be employers and why some fail at the task. The book is an unsparing examination of the poignant situations and conflicts that can arise when parents and caregivers

Publisher: Basic Books
Publish Date: 1995

Subjects

This book is available in the following Community Centers: Women's Center (Location: Parenting)