My husband and I are lucky to be able to afford the luxury of a live-in Nanny. However, when such person starts to drive you crazy, to the point of loosing it completely, is it still a luxury?

Our Nanny is 65 years old. Now, to most people, being in their 60s is really like being in their 50s. But when the 65 year old seems more like an 85 year old then it would be safe to say there is a problem. My Nanny falls in the latter category. She has gone from a Nanny, who helps with the children, to an elder who likes to stand around and watch me cook, clean and take care of the kids. And if that weren’t enough, last Friday she stood around and watched as I asked my 7 and 4 year old boys to vacuum the floor because she, after working with us for seven months, could not figure out the vacuum cleaner.

Sigh! I’m exhausted but I don’t think it’s from the work. I think it’s from the mental exhaustion of dealing with a person who you pay to help but doesn’t. I am exhausted from having to explain things to her for the twentieth time, from having to do things myself cause I know it will be faster, and from worrying about my kids when I go to work.

So is having a Nanny really worth the price of your sanity? Because that is what it is costing me. I figure that in a few years, when my youngest child is old enough for school, I won’t need a Nanny but then I will have to use the money saved for therapy.