New York's first British-style nanny academy graduated its inaugural class of eight certified nannies last semester. While enhancing a babysitter's skill set through Absolute Best Care's new Nanny Training School is undeniably appealing, the $1,995 tuition isn't realistic for everyone. Plan B? Get the course textbook: Mrs. Starkey’s Nanny Manager, “The Key to a Successful Relationship for the Nanny and the Family" is available for $79.95 on Amazon.com.

Not that you can just hand off the book to your nanny and expect a transformation. Starkey told us, "It’s impossible for a nanny to complete without a parent, who will help her to create a highly organized, efficient work book." But regardless of whether you formally "workshop" the book together with your nanny or just adopt a few helpful nuggets from a careful read, Mrs. Starkey's Nanny Manager offers helpful, tangible nanny guidelines on everything from toys (sanitizing, rotating, teaching kids to take care of their belongings) to stocking the nursery (developing an organized inventory) to the Holy Grail of the nanny relationship: communication. For the record, Starkey recommends weekly meetings to discuss everything.