Continuity mistake: In the final scene in the lounge, there is a plaster bust on the hall table that appears and re-appears between shots.
Continuity mistake: When Fran and Sylvia are in Sylvia's kitchen, Sylvia raises her right hand when she says "Its reform". When the shot changes she has her left hand raised and her right hand is on her hip.
Answer: Mr. Sheffield needed someone to manage the kids, not necessarily babysit them. Brighton was a Bart Simpson type, Maggie was shy and awkward and Gracie had personality issues.