Revealing mistake: As Chloe Simpson is leaving the mansion at the end of the show, she trips over Fran's foot without touching her. She starts to trip about half a foot before Fran's shoe.
Continuity mistake: In the kitchen, while Fran is telling Maxwell about Brighton and Tiffany in the shower, the glass of juice on the counter appears and disappears between shots.
The Nuchslep - S1-E4
Continuity mistake: When the Chinese food is delivered, Fran's hair is very flat and the curls are loose. In the next scene, she goes to talk to Maxwell and her hair is noticeably curlier.
Continuity mistake: When Maxwell is talking to Brighton about the battle of the sexes, he puts his hands in his pockets. The shot changes and suddenly his hands are at his sides and he puts them in his pockets again.
The Butler, the Husband, the Wife and Her Mother - S1-E6
Continuity mistake: When Sylivia is telling Fran about her birth, she raises her right hand and has her left hand on her hip. When the shot changes her left hand is raised and her right hand is on her hip.
Continuity mistake: When CC takes the pile of showgirl resumes from Maxwell in the office, she holds them with both hands. When the shot changes, she is holding them with one arm under the pile and the other hand leafing through them.
Continuity mistake: In the second gym scene, while Fran is talking to The Gym Teacher, Maggie's arms change from being crossed to hanging at her side between shots.
Continuity mistake: When CC and Maxwell arrive at the wedding, CC has no scarf around her neck. When the scene cuts to her shortly after arriving there is a large brightly-coloured scarf around her neck, and two shots later it has disappeared again.
Continuity mistake: In the dining room, CC is wearing a scarf over her head as part of her "safari" outfit. When the shot shifts to a close-up of her looking horrified at the thought of taking the kids to the Zoo on her own, the scarf is suddenly around her neck.
Continuity mistake: In the kitchen at the beginning, Fran pours milk into three glasses. After she fills the third glass, she starts to put the milk down. In the next shot, she is holding the bottle up to the glass again and pours some more milk before putting the bottle down.
Continuity mistake: In the first office scene, when Fran picks up Allan Beck's resume and pages through it she is holding the pages in the middle. When the shot changes to Maxwell and he says "Yes, but I'm still flammable", watch Fran's hands in the corner of the screen. She's holding the pages by the corner.
Smoke Gets in Your Lies - S1-E2
Other mistake: Fran and Maxwell come out of the dining room and go into the living room. They come out of the door that normally leads to Maxwell 's office.
I Don't Remember Mama - S1-E22
Other mistake: Towards the end of the show, Fran has a tape of the Sheffield's which she removes from the cover and inserts into the player, upside down. It's quick but it's there. (00:21:30)
Continuity mistake: In the scene in the kitchen with Val, Fran takes two green cups and places them on the bench. She takes two teabags and places them in the cups. In the next scene the two cups are on the table with Val, and Fran carries the teabags over to them and puts them in. (00:01:55)
Continuity mistake: In the first gym scene, The Gym Teacher has a blue gym bag in her hands when she talks to Fran's face. When the shot changes and The Gym Teacher walks away the bag is suddenly over her shoulder.
The Nuchslep - S1-E4
Other mistake: About 2/3 into the show, Fran carries a box of cookies into Maggie's bedroom. The box's name brand is covered over but Fran says she brought the Mallowmars. However when they show an actual cookie they are eating, you can see it's a Snackwell Devil's Food Cake cookie, not a Mallowmar.
Visible crew/equipment: When Grace thanks her father for "The Scream" punching bag, just as Maxwell says, "Oh, I'm glad you like it, sweetheart," and a moment later as he says, "There's my big girl," in both of these shots the boom mic dips down into view at the top of the screen. (00:10:35)
Visible crew/equipment: In the beginning when Niles lets C.C. in the house and she puts an envelope on the table, you can see a crew member start to step out through the hall in the background and step back real quick. Then as C.C. starts to walk back to the door, you can see them step back out to cross over.
Continuity mistake: The smash vase is placed on the office desk by Niles, it keeps jumping back and forth between two different orientations between scenes. (00:10:34 - 00:12:57)
Revealing mistake: Ms Babcock enters the house and stands by the small table You can see Maggie in the hallway behind her come out for her scene too early and duck back out of sight, and then quickly re-enter the scene just as the camera pans away. (00:07:20)
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.