It has been a few months since my baby was born. As our parents were unwilling to lend a helping hand, we resorted to outside help. We quickly discovered that finding a suitable nanny is just as hard as finding the love of one's life.

Each of the nannies who have stayed and left had special features that amused or frustrated us. The diligent one surprised us by finishing all the work in one day; the slow one left us with a mess bigger than ever.

Sister Wang: After lunch, she would get up and waddle to her room for a nap, leaving the dishes in the sink. She said, since she couldn't finish washing them in a hurry, why not take a rest first.

Xiao Huang: She is bold. Whenever she spotted flowers or fruits she would climb up trees and over walls while holding my baby. I was so scared, I took my baby back and flew home. But she soon came back with a triumphant smile and an armful of fruits.

Sister Luo: She is the most capable and has the strongest nerve. While she busied about, she often gave me orders: "get the garbage out of the door", "save the unfinished dish in the fridge and throw the rice into the dustbin".

Xiao Bian: I've never seen any one so slow. It took her an hour to clean the dinner table and two hours to wash a shirt. While she worked for us, we had no choice but to dine out.