The good, the not so good and the amazing of being a Nanny
Stories from the Front Lines of Nanny-ing
Throughout my career as a nanny, I have made so many nanny friends. They have all been so kind in sharing the trials and tribulations of being a nanny, stories that range from amazing to horrifying! We talk about our experiences, in the hopes of shining a light on the childcare industry, to determine its strengths and its need for improvement. I start with my own story:
The good:
I have been able to make my living as a single mother for fifteen years. My daughter is now in College and she is eighteen years old now, I began working as a nanny when she started kindergarten. I have always made a strong salary and the families I served were always generous and kind to me and my daughter.
The Not so good (or as I like to say: Live and learn)
I have had several mishaps throughout the years. Although they were bad experiences, I learned from them and turned them into lessons for myself and others. My biggest lesson came from my first few jobs. I accepted the positions from my new employers with very loose parameters and limited discussion about the jobs. I only knew how many hours a week I would work, where I was working and the schedule I was working. I never bothered to ask about federal holidays like Christmas, Fourth of July, Thanksgiving etc.
In March of 2002 I accepted and started a new job. It was going very smoothly until…. early December when I learned the family was going to Hawaii for 2 weeks for Christmas. I was told I would not be paid for the time they were away. I explained to the mom boss that if I didn't work I wouldn't eat. She got very upset, she didn't understand. When I resorted to pleading, she wrote a check for the 2 weeks and threw it on the floor for me to pick up. I never felt so humiliated in my whole life! I picked the check up, left it on the coffee table, said goodbye to the baby girl and left crying. Later that evening they realized I had not taken the check and dad boss called me explaining that mom boss had had a very hard day at work. He apologized to me and begged me to come back for the check. I did. Mom boss was waiting for me at the door with arms wide open, with a nice card and the check. In all of my interviews after that I told prospective employers that I expected to be paid for 52 weeks of the year regardless if the family was traveling. After that experience, the longest I’ve been paid while a family was traveling was fourteen weeks. That was wonderful!
The amazing:
I can’t even count or start telling every single wonderful thing that has happened to me as a nanny. First and most importantly, the unconditional love I was offered by the children I cared for. Their hugs, kisses, cuddles, countless hours of play, of watching them grow, starting to talk, to walk, calling my name. The thousands of hours of book reading, stroller walks, visits to the parks and libraries. The intangible world of our hearts and memories I will keep forever. I will share specifics later in the blog dedicated to my nanny diaries, the details of every single child.
The trips or The Tangible Amazing: One of the most amazing parts of being a nanny is the traveling. Although I couldn’t accommodate much in the beginning of my career I was eventually able to start traveling with families. I am so grateful for that ability because when you travel your eyes open to the world and I concluded that this is a small but beautiful world. Everywhere I went I made nanny friends and they all share the same goals, situations and experiences. My nanny jobs have taken me to Hawaii, New York, South of France, Sydney, Australia, Montreal, London, Mexico and the list will go on. Not only were the locations spectacular but the journeys were also extravagant. Flying on private jets, staying at the fanciest hotels around the world was such an experience!
The thing that keeps me nannying though are the intangible experiences. All the love every child shared with me and the sweet memories. My satisfaction is to know that I touched a family and that I made an impact on the child’s life forever. For this child was treated with reverence and respect while I was his or her nanny. It will always be the joy of my life to share my life with all of them.
Would you like to be featured in this blog? Send me your stories! I want to hear! Other nannies want to hear, we are a big family together!
What is the country of your residency and work? How long have you been a nanny? How many children are you in charge of? What is the good the not so good and the amazing of your nanny job? Thank you for sharing with us!