Summer's Hot Reads -- Are Nannies "Just Like Family"?

Summer can be a tricky season for working mothers used to having their children in school. Childcare arrangements -- whether it's daycare, summer camp, or a steady babysitter -- are a huge concern for many women.

For families fortunate enough to have full-time nannies, summer isn't a problem; but other issues crop up in the delicate relationship between parents, children, and the nannies who care for them. Tasha Blaine does an exemplary job taking us into the lives of these women in Just Like Family: Inside the Lives of Nannies, the Parents They Work for, and the Children They Love.

'Love' may not be part of the job description, but nannies who spend their days with other people's children develop a deep bond and a fierce sense of protection toward their charges. Blaine gives us a glimpse of this relationship by closely following three different nannies from different backgrounds and lifestyles. Each has come to the profession for varied reasons, and each faces obstacles as she negotiates her relationship with the parents who've hired her.

Blaine, who earned an MFA in fiction writing from New York University, knows how to make this non-fiction book grab readers in with an engaging storyline. Whether they're at work or at home, you'll find the women's lives compelling and heartbreaking. Underlying Just Like Family is the hard question we ignore at our peril: if caring for the most valuable 'thing' in our lives -- our children -- is such vital and important work, why is the financial compensation so low for nannies, daycare providers, and others in the field...and why do they earn so little respect?

You don't have to have a nanny in your life to enjoy this book. I'd highly recommend it to both working and stay-at-home moms. It would be a terrific addition to any mom's book club and would provoke some fascinating discussions.

Related article: Just Like Family Book Review