A fascinating memoir about nannying for NYCs one percenters. Told with empathy and humor it shines a light on capitalism, society culture and the outsourcing of child care. Think if the nanny diaries was real.

The author is a fantastic narrator and it’s extremely readable. The author treats the parents with sympathy and clearly appreciates how impressive some of the women are and how much they love their children while also showcasing the at times bonkers reality of the world of the rich. The author is also open about her relative privilege compared to other care givers which I truly appreciated.

This was absolutely fascinating! I am not normally a "peek inside the lives of the 1%" type of reader, but I found this story of nannying for the uber-wealthy to be interesting and engaging. When paired with the realities of Kiser's own childhood and life as a newly-minted Millennial, the dichotomy between the haves and have nots offered a surprisingly insightful look at socioeconomic realities that was painted with a clarity that emphasized without dramatizing the challenges inherent in a society that is so widely separated. Kiser's writing style is engaging and easy to fall into. The book offers just the right blend of dishy behind-the-scenes stories of excess and in-your-face brutality of financial hardship and racial inequity. It paints a vivid picture without preaching or finger-wagging, recognizing the bizarre nature of both sides of the socioeconomic divide without apologizing for it or glossing over it. I thoroughly enjoyed it and hope to see more from the author.

I was expecting to discover more about the life of the 1%, and instead, learned more about the author, which is not what I wanted to take out from this book. The author's personal life and background takes way too much space in the story.

At times the authors complaints about their unpreparedness for life was grating, it was realistic. It was a fascinating glimpse into how some folks live and parent in the 1%.

I liked this one - couldn’t put it down. It was insightful and a little depressing. I expected more “dirt” or fun and wild anecdotes of the rich but it all seemed very expected. The one family did sound awful (digby) - I was surprised at the end to find she seemed to use the real names of everyone. I thought this was interesting read on class, motherhood and race. I can see why people stay for the money and get stuck but I’m glad she was able to break out and do what she wanted to do all along - write! Also wasn’t sure why she didn’t just defer her student loan or use an low income driven payment plan - but maybe it was the type of loan she had, either way it was fascinating but I wanted more gossip, more celeb sightings, more crazy rich shake of the heads content/ can you believe?! Curious to see what this author does next.

I really enjoyed this! I think the author did great touching on issues related to race, class, gender and disparities between sexes with child rearing also known as the “2nd shift”. I’m glad it worked out for her in the end. This book was very informative.

I knew I was going to enjoy this book after having only been reading for 30 minutes and already finding myself at 20% complete. The writing was engaging, colorful, and artfully crafted to bring this story to life. The author shares with the audience her struggle growing up poor and with parents who didn't always have the means to put her and her siblings' best interests above all else. This gets juxtaposed with the world of the 1% whom she ends up nannying for. She hopes this will be a steppingstone in funding her new life in New York where she hopes to escape and rise above her upbringing, but when she remains saddle with student debt and little financial knowledge, she continues to struggle not only with money, but also emotionally as she faces how the other half lives on a daily basis. This reminded me very much of Maid by Stephanie Land, and if you enjoyed that book or the Netflix series you will definitely enjoy this as well.

This was not what I expected it to be! It’ is a - moving memoir which takes an intimate and informative look at the true reality of modern day life in today’s “Gilded Age or Downton Abbeys”. The author is thoughtful, and respectful to all families - her own and those she worked while disclosing detailed aspects of living with all. I can’t speak highly enough of it.

This was a book which I was greatly looking forward to based on its synopsis, and whilst I did enjoy it in parts it also felt a little flat overall.

I wasn't expecting so many retellings of Stephanie's childhood and the way these were interspersed amongst more recent happenings often broke the flow of the chapters. Her experiences growing up did however serve the purpose of highlighting how regardless of socioeconomic status, raising children still presents similar challenges.

The book did a good job of highlighting how racial and educational inequalities in household staff are seen and treated by the wealthy and rich in society. It was especially interesting to read how these differences became even worse (and downright horrendous in some cases) during Covid 19.

Overall, the book is insightful for individuals who aren't privy to that part of society and for that reason, I did find it an interesting read. But whilst Stephanie's prose is candid, it lacks the depth and reflectiveness that I expected to find, in light of the topics it voices.

Stephanie Kiser's memoir contrasts her time being a NYC nanny for several years after college with her own upbringing and the lives of the ultra rich she works for. While her observations of the families she nannies for are fascinating (who isn't endlessly fascinated by how the other half lives?), I found that her narrative is mostly just that: fascinating observation. Kiser writes about her own, very different, upbringing, but doesn't draw many conclusions. There is a fair amount of complaining about her college education (in TV entertainment), the cost of living in NYC (not exactly known for its entertainment industry and employment), and her student loans. However, because of her college degree she is ultimately able to make a living wage in a city that is astronomically expensive and yet Kiser seems to constantly feel like nannying isn't enough, or is somehow below her. While I loved a lot of the reflections on privilege, they did feel a bit hypocritical in light of her situation. Ultimately, I think Kiser was in an incredibly unique position and I found her ability to tightrope between worlds engrossing. I just wish it had been more reflective.

Thank you to Netgalley, Sourcebooks, and Stephanie Kiser for the ARC.

While this had some funny moments it wasn't one I would normally read, It was quite raw and honest and I related to much of the book. Candid , clever and written in a way that if you are a Mom, you get it !

Loved this book about the lives of a nanny in NYC. Is interesting to hear the differences in how the parents and children treat the nannies and what is expected of them.

Thoroughly enjoyed the book.

I received an advanced copy of this book and really enjoyed this lighthearted read! Stephanie takes you throughout her journey into becoming a nanny to the NYC elite. She takes you through her own emotions with each family and her style of writing is easy to follow and leaves you wanting to read more.

This book was one I was looking forward to reading because I actually know the author! I couldn’t put the book down. as it was well written, funny, and vulnerable. Steph dives into her upbringing, the major transition of attending a wealthy private school as someone who did not grow up wealthy, moving to New York as a young millenial with her best friend, the major life decisions we make in order to survive and get ahead, and the things she learned and observed along the way while nannying for New York’s elite. This book touches on class, privilege, gender, and mental health and identity struggles many readers may face.

tw / discussions surrounding suicidal ideation, self harm, & abortion

Thank you to NetGalley and Sourcebooks for my ARC and to Steph for your vulnerability.

5 stars - I loved this book even more than I thought I would!

Stephanie Kiser has lead a very contrasting life - growing up in the 99% and working for the 1%. While her parents are asking for money for a toilet, the kids she nannies wear Versace.

The writing and execution of this book was extremely well-done. I was locked in and engaged the entirety of the book. The stories are impactful and the writing adds to the punch.

I highly recommend this memoir to see a glimpse into a world most people will never experience. You'll also get to see Stephanie's takeaway from her experiences as a nanny, friend, personal assistant, and aspiring writer.

funny and witty, this memoir offered a fascinating glimpse into the daily lives of children of the elite, and the lessons learned while caring for them. the differences between stephanie’s upbringing and those of the children she nannied were jarring and eye opening.

i absolutely devoured this book- thanks to netgalley for the advance copy!

Wanted: Toddler's Personal Assistant
by Stephanie Kiser
1 star
I did not finish, I just could not tolerate it any longer. I was really looking forward to this book as it sounded fascinating. It's not. She comes off as mad at the world because her life didn't turn out like she expected it too.
Very passive-aggressive and exceedingly judgmental about others, which is surprising considering she was raised poor. She acts if she is too good for low income people, and she characterizes them as one giant stereotype, for example: they smell like smoke and are missing teeth. This is 9% into the book, too!
I do not recommend and I do not understand the positive reviews.



I received a complimentary copy of this book from the publisher and Netgalley.

really interesting and fun memoir about nannying for the 1%. the ideas were def well done as were the general concepts. thanks for the arc

This memoir is about a woman, Stephanie, who becomes a nanny in Manhattan out of financial necessity despite her degree and dream to write. She compares her own upbringing filled with struggles to that of Manhattan’s elite. Interestingly, motherhood appears to be difficult regardless of socioeconomic status. The assortment of families Stephanie nannied for was certainly entertaining in terms of parenting styles and name dropping. Stephanie’s stories were insightful, though several times I felt too intrusive reading about her processing her background. Additionally, sometimes the structure of the chapters was difficult to follow. However, some readers may appreciate that depth of vulnerability and detail in assessing her experiences. This memoir highlights the emphasis placed on education, the weight of student loan debt, and the value of friendship no matter one’s situation.

Thank you NetGalley and Sourcebooks for this advanced copy. All opinions are my own.

I flew through this one - maybe because I felt like I related to part of Stephanie’s memoir. I kept flipping through the pages curious what would happen next. The best part about this memoir is that it gives us a glimpse into two completely different worlds - the world of Upper East Side nannies and the world of working class paycheck to paycheck families. Stephanie straddles both. And yet she acknowledges that she is able to excell in the nanny circle due to some of her own privileges - being white and college educated. There’s definitely some social commentary here and a lot about why our education system and value system is corrupt. The debt from college is what plunges Stephanie into the nannying world anyway, because her liberal arts degree pushes her into entry level jobs in NYC that she can’t pay rent, her student loans and still be able to feed herself. There are also lots of tender moments here where we see her familial past as well as her relationship with the families she nannies for. I really enjoyed this and could see it becoming a talked about book like Educated. I’m glad Stephanie finally achieved her dream of breaking into writing!