Super Nanny at Walgreen's in Glenview, Il

Received Monday, June 22, 2009

DATE: June 22, 2009
TIME: Approximately 1:00 p.m.
LOCATION: Walgreen’s at northeast corner of Waukegan Road and East Lake Avenue, Glenview

To the parents of Sam (girl of about six) and Jack (boy of about three): You and your children are very fortunate; you have a truly exceptional nanny.

While browsing in the greeting card section of Walgreen’s during my lunch period, I heard this delightfully energetic voice say, “No, honey, I don’t think my mom wants a Raiders of the Lost Ark card for her birthday. Do you want to try to find another one?” The children eagerly chose different cards and proudly presented them to their nanny, who promptly read each one and responded with, “That’s a good one. That would be perfect!” or “That’s funny! Nice job.” Charmed by the attentive, loving, and engaging manner that the nanny displayed with the children, I struck up a conversation with her. I learned that her name is Doris and that she has been employed with your family for four months. It was clear that she genuinely loves her work. (She appeared to be educated and articulate, so I wasn’t surprised when she revealed that she is a former schoolteacher. She mentioned that she loves keeping your children’s minds stimulated.)
At one point, your little girl asked Doris, “Why are you talking to a stranger?” Your nanny gently replied, “It’s okay, honey, for adults to talk to strangers. I figured out that she’s a nice lady, so I decided to talk with her. But you’re right: children should not talk to strangers.”

As Doris and I were looking at greeting cards (we both were purchasing birthday cards for our moms), she would spell aloud words from random cards and ask your children, e.g., “What does D-A-D spell?” With each answer, she declared, “That’s right. Very good.” A quick shopping errand that might have otherwise been routine and perhaps humdrum in the hands of another nanny was certainly not so for your children. Doris made them an active part of the shopping process while stimulating their minds at the same time. The three of them clearly were having a good time together.

With so much negativity in the world these days, encountering Doris with your children was a heartwarming experience that I had to document. Simply put, your nanny is worth her weight in gold!