Dear New Nanny...

Congratulations on your new position with the smartest, sweetest, silliest tiny humans in this entire city. I know you’re probably in the throes of learning both the tiny and adult clients, but I think it may be helpful to learn a bit more about me, their former nanny.

I am a career caregiver descended from a long line of caregivers. A nurturer by nature who made childcare my choice. In a nutshell, I function as a liaison between tiny humans and the adults in their lives. From baby babble and nonverbal cues to play habits and special interests, I’m conveying where we are and where we may be headed based on my daily observations. Over the last 15 years I have studied the tiny humans as well as their creators while honing my philosophy and approach. I’m a nanny who thrives on structure while being the silliest adult you ever encounter. Daily dance parties and sing alongs are always on the agenda as well as gratitude for each beautiful day. My car is always prepared with snacks for the hangries, band aids for the bravery and bubbles for the joy.

A day at the park never disappoints!

Taken by a 7 year old with a great eye

I value connection over entertainment and can never get enough of the healthy debates that ensue when a kid asks “but why?”. I believe rules should have reason and don’t mind explaining things on their level when possible. I am a flexible nanny with a few firm boundaries around safety, responsibility and the way we treat other humans. My educational background is in Developmental Psychology so I am always looking beneath the surface to figure out the catalyst to behavior and disposition.

As a nanny, I bring my entire self to each position. This may show up with my love of puzzles, reading stories, coloring pages, singing at the top of my lungs and sitting outside in the sun. My family members love to visit me at work and foster relationships with these kiddos as well, whether it’s my partner coming to play soccer, my sister helping to babysit or my mom popping in for some sweet snuggles.

I believe children are people from the very start and it is always my intention to give the tiny humans what they need while providing the support their parents want from a nanny. This sometimes means foregoing a break in favor of playing a game, taking lunch to the park and leaving the chores for nap time or even showing up on my off days for milestones and celebrations. The relationship may be transactional for the adults (childcare in exchange for wages), but the tiny humans get my whole heart in addition to my time and attention. Equity beats equality in my book, even if that makes my job a bit more challenging. I see this work as profoundly important and intrinsically multidimensional. I also try to remember how foreign the concept of work is to the littles. I take great pride in supporting families and even more in being a baby whisperer. As a child I was fortunate enough to always have at least one adult who sought to understand me and it is a privilege to be that adult for so many developing minds in this generation.

I’m wishing you all the success in assimilating into this home and community with grace and creating connections with some of my favorite people. I won’t pretend it’s an easy gig, but believe me when I say: if love was the only currency, you’d be the richest nanny I know.

Enjoy every moment,

The (other) Nanny

P.S. Nannies NEED Nanny Friends, so if you need to chat, I’m here for you, boo!