Wanted: Toddler's Personal Assistant: How Nannying for the 1% Taught Me about the Myths of Equality, Motherhood, and Upward Mobility in America

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Saddled with crushing student debt, Steph Kiser jumps head-first into the lucrative but unglamorous and exhausting world of nannying for New York City's richest families, immersing herself in a world in stark contrast to her own impoverished childhood, in this emotional and insightful new memoir. What are the lives of America's richest families really like Their nannies see it all... When Stephanie Kiser moves to New York City after college to pursue a career in writing, she quickly learns that her entry-level salary won't cover the high cost of living-never mind her crushing student loan debt. But there is one in-demand job that pays more than enough to allow Stephanie to stay in the city- nannying for the 1%. Desperate to escape the poverty of her own childhood and jump social classes, Stephanie falls into a job that hijacks her life for the next seven years- a personal assistant to toddlers on Manhattan's Upper East Side. At first, nannying seems like the perfect solution-the high pay covers Stephanie's bills, and she's surprised by how attached she becomes to the kids she cares for, even as she gasps over Prada baby onesies and preschools that cost more than her college tuition. But the grueling twelve-hour days leave her little time to see her friends, date, or pursue any creative projects that might lead to a more prestigious career. Soon the shiny allure of the seemingly-glamorous job begins to dull as Stephanie comes to understand more about what really happens behind the closed doors of million-dollar Park Avenue apartments-and that money doesn't guarantee happiness. Wanted- Toddler's Personal Assistant is alternately poignant and funny, a portrait of a generation of Americans struggling to find work they love balanced against the headwinds of global uncertainty, overwhelming student loans, and an economy stacked against anyone trying to work their way up from the bottom. In this unputdownable memoir, Stephanie chronicles her journey from newbie nanny to beloved caregiver-and the painful decision to eventually say goodbye to the children she has grown to love.

Reviews

"Raw, vulnerable, and reminiscent of many young women chasing the NYC dream, Stephanie gives us a peek into her experiences navigating the foreign world of east coast elitists while searching for an authentic sense of self. It's the totally unapologetic coming of age story you never knew you needed." -- Deuxmoi
"Stephanie Kiser's emotionally honest memoir about nannying for New York's elite is a thoughtful meditation on the way social class separates our realities, even amid the universality of motherhood and maturation." -- Blythe Grossberg, author of I Left My Homework in the Hamptons
"I flew through the pages of this book! Stephanie's story about nannying for the upper class is equal parts juicy, funny, and insightful. Her career goals being derailed by the all-too-real need to make money will resonate with anyone who's had to make their own way in the world." -- Stefanie Wilder-Taylor, author of Sippy Cups Are Not for Chardonnay and Drunk-Ish