Who needs Mary Poppins? Top nannies and their grateful clients share reality-based tips with a magic all their own

We love "Supernanny" Jo Frost, and in a pinch we'll even watch "Nanny 911."

But with kids who don't hang from the chandeliers, draw blood on a regular basis or throw two-hour tantrums, we sometimes feel a tad left out. From reality TV to Disney's "Mary Poppins," the focus always seems to be on families with big, bold problems, as opposed to those of us battling a host of petty annoyances that all come to a head at oh, say, 6 p.m. on the average Thursday.

In the interest of correcting that imbalance, we asked real-life supernannies and the employers who love them for lessons that ordinary — and even extraordinary — parents can learn from professional caregivers.

Drama vs. reality

Kellie Geres, the International Nanny Association's Nanny of the Year in 1997, weighs in on notable nannies in pop culture:

Mary Poppins: "It's fantasy. We all wish you (could) snap your fingers and the bedroom's going to be clean. Doesn't happen! I could stand there and snap my fingers all day. It's fantasy vs. reality, and I live in reality."

"Supernanny"/ "Nanny 911": "Watching these shows is going to give people creative ideas, but (change) is not going to happen overnight."

Maria ("The Sound of Music"): "She had many, many challenges but was a very strong personality and persevered. She showed a lot of creativity, a lot of determination, a lot of patience, which as nannies we all need and have."

Fran Drescher (star of "The Nanny"): "That (show) … just kind of brought awareness to nannies. Not what today's nannies do, but the limelight or celebrity side of it. We all don't work for that (very wealthy) employer. We don't all marry our employer. But it brought the term out, and made people aware."

Mr. French ("Family Affair"): "I really wouldn't lump (him) in with nannies (any more than) Alice from 'The Brady Bunch.' They were butlers and housekeepers and then the children came into the scene. They cooked and they cleaned and made sure everything was taken care of — but (that's) not what today's nannies do." Same goes for Uncle Charley on "My Three Sons," she says, adding, "But it kind of sets the tone that a male can fill those roles.

Keep calm

Whitney Wingerd of West Chester, Pa., learned the power of patience from watching nanny Christina Simeone handle Wingerd's son, then 3.