I
was a nanny...well, part-time anyway, and I can totally sympathize with the poor girl in "The Nanny Diaries." Let's just say that situations like that are not far-fetched at all. The girl who took over when I graduated had it even worse, though--she actually lived-in, and it got to where she was scheduling her classes and her life around the employer's schedule. The lady she and I worked for did not work, but she still thought she needed someone to get her children ready for school in the mornings and actually take them there, and then keep them in the afternoons and evenings as well. It was ridiculous...I think that girl was a couple years ahead of me in school, but from what I've heard she still hasn't graduated yet because she doesn't have time to take more than 12 credits at a time...yeeesh.
As someone who's been a nanny but never actually
had one, I have conflicting opinions on the subject. All the nannies I know are young women, college-age through 20-something, from good families. Most of the people I know who hire nannies or private babysitters are well-off, and usually the father works but the mother does not. Despite my best efforts, I have never been able to figure out what these women do all day--I'm pretty sure they lunch, go to the gym, shop, etc. but in theory those are things that would not prevent them from taking care of their children themselves. I guess if you can afford it, though, it's your business. The problem I have is that some people use nannies and babysitters so much that they rarely see their children. I know one little girl who thought her nanny was her mommy, and she called her that! When the real mother heard about it, she just laughed and said, "Oh, she gets confused."
That, to me, signifies a problem.