I read the nanny diaries and found it appalling. The nanny is a complete nitwit, who allows herself to be totally taken advantage of for no apparent reason. Only read it if you enjoy chick-flicks!
I agree with an earlier post; mega-rich parents probably aren't any worse than your average parents. The only difference is the mega-rich have staff to monitor and report on their every move, and it's the bad stuff the staff repeat!

Mabel, London, England

I liked this article. It does seem to be the typical lifestyle of the rich and famous. I agree with you -- how could you be trusted with the children and not with $10? I always find that amazing -Friends ask me to borrow my car and I say of course. Some of them seem surprised - then I remind them that I trust them to care for my kids why on earth wouldn't I trust them with my car?

Tracy, San Francisco, California

Just b/c an employer gets a million dollar bonus does not mean the nanny is entilted to a piece of it.

It upsets me that parents would want to pawn off thier own child but, I also have a problem with nannies who never seem satisfied.

What would the nanny have her employer give her as a responsibility when the kids are in school all day. Salary her to wait in the home?

Sara, New York,

Employing a nanny is unfortunately no longer an indication of obscene opulence and detachment from reality, for many it's just a hard and often difficult decision based on cold economics. And the extreme incidents listed in this piece are a small and unrepresentative fraction of general experiences... I've seen similar articles listing "nanny nightmares" as run-of-the-mill, leading would-be employers to fear a Louise Woodward lurking around every nursery door. There are nutters, egotists and cruelty all along the wealth spectrum, and on both sides of the employer/employee equation.

Huw, London, UK

I AM A NANNY WHY ARE NEVER STORIES OF GOOD RELATIONSHIPES BETWEEN NANNY AND EMPLOYER AND THE CHILDREN I HAVE BEEN A NANNY FOR 22 YRS AND THERE HAVE BEEN GREAT YEARS I LOVE WHAT I DO!!!

MICHELE, New York, NY

I am an avid reader of the ISawyournanny.blogspot.com where these and other trials and tribulations of nannies today are oft discussed. More importantly the dastardly deeds of nannies in widespread areas of the U.S. and even Canada are detailed by witnesses who report them to the blog in order that parents can be alerted to the sometimes negligent and harsh care that their children are being subjected to. I wish more readers from the U.K. would take part as I am sure there are many bad nanny sightings in Britain.

Kat Balmer, Ruidoso, New Mexico

I live in New York and I know some of these women who are incredibly wealthy and this IS (wth some rare exceptions) how they behave. The money that is in this city is unfathomable, you can buy anything, and people are just commodities. Why bother with listening to a child crying when you can pay someone to do it for you. That's the attitude. I have read the book and it's spot on. A great read.

Anro Moralez, new York, NY

If pay was so bad and working conditions so dismal, why didn't you leave and get, like, a real job?

charlotte, London, United Kingdom

intresting. some are lucky some are competent some are i suspect corrupt but who cares wealth follows some are capable to earn it some acquire it some inherit it some steale it but most of us do not care. be simple be honest be trustful be helpful but remain healthy and wise

s.sangaralingham, oshawa, ontario, canada

As they say in north America, Sean, you never see a U-Haul following a hearse.

Sarah, Dartmouth, Nova Scotia, Canada

What I find curious is the expectation that if you have a wealthy employer you should be paid more that a market rate, that the employer shouldn't check on the change which you bring home from a shopping trip (it's their money!), and that you should be able to afford Prada shoes...

Agnieszka , London,

A very entertaining piece! But really it is hard to feel sorry for any nanny when they are willing to work in such demeaning circumstances. With an English accent you could just as easily get a job as a PA or receptionist (and I'm sure for just as much money).

Jennifer, London, UK

When I was nannying in Greece years ago, a house wife in Athens asked if I had any plans for New Years Eve,
I said I hadn't and wondered if I could dare ask to bring a friend but the next day she said" It's OK, my sister is going to lend me her maid to help"

zena lazarus, San Miguel de Allende, Mexico

You do not have to go as far as New York to meet this kind of rich parents who think their children can be raised by nannies alone. I have heard similar stories from my frineds working as nannies in Austria. I guess it is the same with very rich people all over the world. I just dont understand why these people want to have children?

Sarah, Budapest, Hungary

Today in the USA there is little understanding of what a nanny is really supposed to do. Most of them wind up being overworked household servants. In the great houses of the 19th century she was a part of a large staff with clearly defined duties. This prevented the exhaustion and burnout that is so common today.

Charles , Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

I lived a wealthy middle-class life but am now earning a living as a servant-by-choice (although not for long if I can't find an honourable employer). I find that most ultra-rich (esp. celebrity or "wannabe") are indeed completely skewed by their "status". They do indeed live in a bubble and are surely the cheapest and most self-absorbed people I have ever encountered. Give me the solid middle-class family who knows the value and effort of real work and compensates accordingly without judgmental grudges. If being ultra-rich means having the paranoid-stick-it-to-'em mentality, you can keep it. I prefer to live my life with dignity and respect.

Dee Cesare, Toronto, Ontario

Right on point! Remember it isn't easy to the be the employer either, give out your heart and get it handed right back to you.

Jim, lighthouse Point, FL

I also worked as a nanny in my twenties in Boston. Thankfully, it was for a British family who were down to earth (with a sense of humour) my nanny friends weren't as lucky and one woman my friend worked for would take to her room all day as she couldn't 'bear the noise'. Why oh why oh why do these people have kids in the first place.....buy a bloody dog and be done with it!

Sandy, Cheltenham, UK

I am actually surprised to read that people in the east pay a premium for nannies with English accent. Here in Texas, all of our nannies are Hispanic from down south Mexico. I confess that me and my wife had the privilege to hire one a few years ago before our kid went to elementary school and yes she spoke broken English at best and has no papers. But it's an open secret here....unless you are actually standing for public office otherwise your nannies, gardeners or whatever are all illegals.

Mr A, Dallas, TX , US

Then, of course, there was the deranged nannie in Boston who killed the child she was to watch.

Herbert, new york, ny

No wonder the country is in the shape it is in.
The Upper West side may be even worse.

James, Jacksonville,

I really enjoyed reading the article, it reminded me when I was 19 years old and working as an au-pair (but with hours more like a nanny)The mother thought nothing of buying a jar of honey (although she did not particulary like it) that costed more than what she paid me a month! Could give hundreds of similar examples to the article the only difference that it was in Frankfurt Germany instead.

Maria Thompson, Nottingham, England

i`m surprised families find anybody who does such a job. the idea of living together with your employer is most peoples` vision of hell.

Asta, Hamburg, Germany

Americans ... don't you just love them!

John O'Donnell, Bolton, UK

I hate how these types of stories always portray wealthy people as completely insane, or having broken families, or being involved in the ridiculous disputes, or having children who are ill. They always make it sound as though the average family has none of these problems and every wealthy family suffers from them. They are always completely skewed views of reality.

eljo, London,

Thats funny this story is up here, I am British and currently dealing with a Nanny agency in Manhattan to find one of these special jobs!
I suggest if you haven't go read " the nanny diaries" book too.

Michelle, USA,

None of what you have said comes as a surprize to me. I have worked in wealthy families homes for the last twenty years. I find in order to stay sane in these situations, you have to be happy with yourself, & what you have, plus I take a year off every four to five years to travel, do volenteer work and reconnect with who I am.
I started out nannying to be able to live in San Francisco (I'm an Iowan by birth). I've had tittles like nanny, cook, House manager, personal assiant, event cordinator. I worked for billionairs, Rockerfellers, famous/ non famous people. You have to become whatever they want at the time; their best friend one day, someone to yell at about their frustrations the next. I know it is never their fault if something goes wrong.
My favorite line is "you don't appriecate what we do for you!" One woman wanted me to fly to France to take care of her childrein, and thought that the fact that she was paying for the flight was enough payment. I didn't go.

Maria, San Francisco, Ca

Please find out how Scandinavian au pairs and nannies fare in the UK! That would be a good way to go on with your revelations.

Sigge the Swede

sigge bock, Krylbo, Sweden

Excellent piece, a great insight and an enjoyable read !

Chris, New York, New York

I used to be an au-pair in London. The woman was terrible. She wanted someone to look after her kids while she was at work but as soon as the children were in bed in the evening I was supposed to disappear into my little bedroom which had a small TV for entertainment purposes. She did not want to be disturbed. The whole reason for me to be there was to learn the language and this is a bit difficult if you are supposed to be invisible. When I had planned to go out in the evening she would hang about with serving dinner to make sure I had to leave before she would serve it. She would cancel my days off at really short notice and when I had an accident and ended up in hospital she was at my bedside - demanding her front door key back and telling me that she had moved all my stuff out. She really was an awful woman.

Katrina, Berlin, Germany

This amusing, telling article casts the outwardly enviable existence of the uber-rich in a less attractive light.

Not to be confused with the existence of middle class parents with and au pair in a semi in London though!

Kwev, London,

The rich, by their very nature, value things more than people. Whether those people are their nannies or their own offspring doesn't really matter. The quest for the brass ring consumes all.

The working people of the country have always done the hard labor of raising families, putting food on the table and going to war. The rich think they are exempt since they can hire someone to do those things for them. One can almost feel sorry for them because one day they will be on their deathbed still clutching expensive handbags, titles to fast cars and wads of cash. For what?

Sean Huff, bloomington, USA

Get the lazy yanks to clean up their own messes

Oliver, Brighton,