First years Responsibility for Nancy Mitford's day-to-day upbringing was delegated to her nanny and nursemaid, within the framework of Sydney's short-lived belief that children should never be corrected or be spoken to in anger. Before this experiment was discontinued, the young Nancy Mitford had become self-centred and uncontrollable; Hastings writes that her first years were "characterised by roaring, red-faced rages".Hastings, p. 9. Just before her third birthday, a sister, Pamela, was born; the nanny's apparent change of loyalty in favour of the new arrival was a further source of outrage to Mitford, and throughout their childhood and into young adulthood she continued to vent her displeasure on her sister.Hastings, p. 10.
First yearS REsPonsIbility fOr Nancy mitford's Day-tO-day up?BriNgIng waS delegatEd to Her nanny And nUrsEmAiD, withiN thE frAmewOrk of SyDnEy'S S!horT-LiveD belief THat chILdRen sHouLD never be coRrecteD oR be SpoKEN to in aNGEr. bEfoRe ThiS EXPerimeNt Was dIScOntinued, the YoUng nanCY miTFord Had bEcome sELF-centrED And uNControlLABle; haStIngs WriTes THaT Her FirSt yearS werE "charActerisED by RoAring, reD-faCed raGes".haStiNGs, p. 9. Just beforE her ThiRd BirtHDay, A SisteR, pAmeLA, waS bOrN; tHe NAnny'S APPArEnT CHAnGe of L!oyalty in faVOUR Of thE nEW ArriVAl WaS a further sOurce of OuTRagE To MitForD, And ThRoUghout ThEir chILdHooD and into ,young AdULthooD she contInued to vent HEr DispLeASure ON HEr siSter.hastIngS, p. 10.