Originally posted here.
Out of all the names I’ve been called…I like NANNY the best
- You get to be a kid all day.
Who wouldn’t want to play in a kiddy pool or a ball pit for two hours? Do you know how many cool children toys are out there nowadays? A lot cooler than when we were younger I’ll tell you that much.
- You learn to multi-task
“Your job is so easy…all you do is sit there while the kids play.” WRONG. The baby is screaming because she’s teething, the two-year-old is hanging upside down off the counter pretending to be a monkey, the dog is throwing up from the kids sneaking him chocolate, oh and the fire alarm is going off because you burnt something on the oven. But no big deal. It’s called a day in the life of a nanny. You learn you can hold a baby, 4 toys, a bottle, a plate of fruits and vegetables, and a new box of diapers, because suddenly you have 8 hands as a nanny. You also learn that you have gorilla feet and can pick up almost anything with them when need be. Multi-tasking becomes your middle name.
- You get to see tiny little hands and tiny little feet turn into tiny little people that talk and love.
As a nanny, you get so excited about the littlest things. The baby finally takes his first step so you clap your hands and jump up and down like a crazy person for a good five minutes. The baby is starting to talk and each new word they learn from you, makes you feel like you’ve won first place in the Olympics. When the preemie who came home on oxygen and a feeding tube is allowed to feel freedom for the first time, your eyes swell up with tears and your heart has never felt so full before.
- You can no longer yell for the adult in the room to do the annoying, scary, or gross stuff for you. Time to be a big girl!
Because guess what?! YOU’RE THE ONLY ADULT. That means that gigantic spider on the wall is all yours. You have to grab the napkin and squish it yourself before it eats you alive. The baby threw up in his crib? You better go grab some cleaning supplies before the baby rolls in it. Yay, the kids are finally asleep. I can relax and watch some Netflix now! Think again. There is a stack of dishes in the sink, laundry that needs to be folded, and a toy room that looks like a tornado went through it. Good luck with all that. One day you’ll look back and be thankful that being a nanny helped not only the kids grow up, but you as well.
- When you’re having a bad day you count down the minutes until you can see the kiddos smiling faces again.
For kids, you are their whole world. They see you as perfect and nothing less. You walk in the door and you see the big smile on their faces as they run and hug you and it’s like suddenly nothing else in the world matters.
- You learn a whole lot of patience.
Immediately when you walk in the door the baby is screaming his head off because of how much pain he is in from teething. Then it lasts UNTIL the parents come home 6 hours later. The average person would have wanted to rip their hair out and run out the door. Instead, as a nanny it becomes almost like white noise for a little while, and then when it becomes irritating to the crib we go for nap time. The two-year-old will ask you to the read the same book about five times every single night before bed. You practically have it memorized by now. But it doesn’t bother you because he loves it and that’s all that matters. There are times when the kiddos insist on walking to ice cream instead of being in the stroller or letting you carry them. “I’m a big boy, I can do it myself.” A five-minute walk turns into a stressful walk at 2pm wondering if you’ll ever get there before dark. I definitely learned patience and that life doesn’t need to be so rushed and so serious.
- You get to be someone’s hero.
There are no better feelings than seeing those little blue eyes look up at you and see you as someone they want to be just like. You start seeing them copy you and ask to come everywhere with you. They don’t want you to leave and then they anxiously wait until you come back. The words “I love you” from their little hearts feel so differently than hearing it from anyone else.
- You get to play mom without all the financial costs. (lol).
You get to watch them grow, teach them new things, and celebrate each new stage in their life right alongside them. Being a nanny means you can get the full mommy experience before you have your own kids and feel as though you are the most equipped person ever to become a mom one day.
- You can shop in the baby section and everyone will give you judgmental stares.
Sometimes I even get moms right next to me saying “oh my gosh she’s way too young to have kids. I wonder how mad her family is.” HELLOOOOOOO I am right next to you; I can hear you!! And that is my cue to turn to them and flash a smile because little do they know I have the best job in the world as close as I can be to a mommy. Yes, I skim through all the baby clothes, shoes, hats, strollers, pacifiers, bottles, diaper bins, teething toys, blankets, and sometimes even baby medicine. Always have to be prepared. Call me crazy, but I love every minute of it.
- Best of all…the kids make a bigger impact on you than you on them.
Thank you to the three families I nanny, for letting me love on your kids. (five precious kids). Your children have grown me into the woman I am. Your children have given me more joy than I could ever express. They show me what real innocent love is. Your little angels have changed my life.