1. You look at your fridge and notice its now covered in pictures your charge colored for you rather than your latest vacation pictures
2. You look through your purse for your lipstick and have to dig through the diapers, toys, pacifiers and wipes to find it
3. The cd player in your car has 5 disney CDs in it and only one adult CD
4. On your vacation you spend your time finding the one thing your charge asked you to buy him
5. On your day off you absentmindedly open the back door of your car to get your charge out only to realize your charge isn't there
6. You name your dog after a disney character at the insistence of your charge and then pretend not to hear the snickers from your neighbors when yelling at buzzlightdog to come back
7. You can name every person on the fresh beat band and you know what color each one likes
8. You know which fast food place has the coolest toys that week, and you know that Chic-fil-a lets you trade it in for ice cream
9. You've read Where the Wild Things Are so many times you've got it memorized
10. Your Iphone has more kiddie apps than adult apps
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Thank you TC!
1. Not applicable to me. I save the drawings by scanning them.
ReplyDelete2. Those things only improve my backpack. You never know when you might need a hand wipe. As for diapers, they make for a natural security system. No one is going to break into a car to steal a backpack with a diaper hanging out of it.
3. Well no, I have no adult CDs. The Disney storyettes CD is all I have in there.
4. I wanted to read it too.
5. Hasn't happened.
6. Not applicable to me. No dog.
7. Laurie Berkner yeah, but I don't know who Fresh Beat is.
8. I avoid fast food, but I do track other things. I track when the newest Elephant and Piggie book is due out or when it is free build day at the Lego store.
9. No, but yes to Green Eggs and Ham, and Don't Let the Pigeon Drive the Bus.
10. YES, it absolutely does.
I'm not sure if I agree with your contention that these are indications that it has become more than just a job. To me these are indications of a job done right.
For being a nanny is already more than just a job.
wow silly nanny crabby much? It was a light hearted list that I came up with off the top of my head. It wasn't supposed to be taken seriously.
ReplyDeleteI figured if it made someone laugh I did my job, guess that went way over your head.
TC,
ReplyDeleteHopefully silly nanny was just saying these things in jest, but who knows. I liked your list! Very cute, lol.
11. You ringtone on your phone is 'ring ring banana phone" and you background is picture of your charge
ReplyDelete12. You dance around your apartment singing children's songs to your boyfriend
re:
ReplyDelete12. You dance around your apartment singing children's songs to your boyfriend
Don't do that. You're conditionning your boyfriend to associate children with sex.
Monica, that's the most ridiculous thing I've ever read. Should mothers only sing to their children while their husbands are out of the house so they don't turn into pedophiles, too?
ReplyDeleteI would also like to add if you work with school age children, you find out more about what they like and don't like, such as Disney shows. This past summer, one of my girls came in with a book about the "who's who" of Disney: one of my boys, 7, kept talking about Selena Gomez. I finally figured out who she is by watching "The Wizards of Waverly Place" while babysitting a 10 year old and her 4 year old brother. One sign you love your charges, or in my case class: keeping abreast of the trends and kid friendly shows.
ReplyDeleteI think it is great to love your charges but I do think some of the things people have written on this thread are a bit over the top. A bit, shall we say...sickening.
ReplyDeleteI love my nanny, she is wonderful and is great with my child and kind and loving and attentive but if she said some of the things people post here (has my child's picture as her phone wallpaper) I would think it was irritating and weird. It's like: get a life: this is your job. My nanny is professional enough to know that this is her job and while we value her as an employee, we respect her privacy and the knowledge that she has a life outside of our child.
I think many nannies who are young and don't have children go overboard on the "I'm part of the family" thing and that's all well and good but at the end of the day, there is such a thing as boundaries, and enough is enough.
Mary, this post it not serious. I don't actually have my charge as a background on my cell, although I do have a ton of pictures saved because I send pictures to his mom everyday. I also don't have ring ring ring banana phone as my ringtone.
ReplyDeleteJust because some nannies actually care about their charges and make do things to make them happy, doesn't mean their unprofessional. I love my job and it doesn't feel like work. a lot of people can't say that, you seem to be one of them. I know I'm not part of the family and I like it that way but that doesn't mean I can't love what I do and go the extra mile.
I am not a creepy nanny but i do have a picture of the three kids i nanny for as my phone wallpaper. i took it on the first day they all played soccer on the same team three years ago and it ws a nice moment and i noticed itwas still there a few months ago and used it. I would be very hurt if their mom was annoyed at me for doing that. and i'm generally very careful about electing myself 'part of the family'
ReplyDeleteAs a mother who is completely confident in her role as a mother and confident that I am a great (working) mother, I would not think it was creepy that my nanny had a picture of my charge as her screen saver. My children are 2 and 5 and are with the nanny for ten hours a day. I'm glad my nanny doesn't see it as just a job. I don't need to make myself feel better by discounting the contributions our nanny makes to our family.
ReplyDeleteTC,
ReplyDeleteWhat sort of response was that? I had fun with this thread until you decided to respond.
What you said was baseless and hurtful.
Great article, it made me laugh!!! Plus you never know when you will need a hand wipe:)
ReplyDeleteThank you Samantha!! It is good to hear a mother who fully appreciates a dedicated nanny!!! Cheers!!
Boston nanny, I am also a nanny and have been one for over a decade now and you said it best!! That is exactlly how I view being a nanny!! Cheers!!
Mary,
I am truly sorry you cannot embrace affection and a dedicated nanny, but parents like you are what make nannies go crazy!! So what if the nanny has her wallpaper of the child she takes care of!!! Parents like you want a nanny 8-10 hours a day, M-F to not only look after and help raise your children but take care of your home and errands and but we are not allowed to love and build a bond with children we spend more time with than our spouses, family, and friends? That's ridiculious!! What do you want a nanny or personal assistant?
It's a fact, a GREAT nanny will always be prepared for the unexpected, give love (after all how can you know how to love if you are not shown love,) have a mini back up diaper bag, be calm, have a sense of humor, be able to go with the flow, plan fun activities and outings, comfort a child when he/she is scared, nervous, or hurt, be the supporting force to help them thrive and be creative. A great nanny will teach them confidence, that hard work really does pay off, manners, respect for others, compassion, to dream big and most importantly they are so very special!! There is way more to being a nanny is more than feeding, bathing, and teaching the ABC's, and 123's.
I don't have a problem with my nanny having my child's picture on her phone or PC wallpaper or in her wallet or in her home. I draw the line only for pictures that appear on the internet (e.g. Facebook) even when "privacy protected."
ReplyDeleteI loved this post! Very fun!
ReplyDeleteYou know your job was more than a job when you move away, and several months later, you pull out your favorite bag for the summer, only to find it is still stocked from it's last use with an extra pair of princess undies, socks, hair clips, and a box of animal alphabet flash cards!
Reason number 200019383:
ReplyDeleteYou feel like a single parent with full custody, even though you actually have no children of your own...
Sophia, yes. Hand wipes are invaluable. :)
ReplyDeleteKM, you never known when you may need a box of animal alphabet flash cards. Why, what if you forget your animal alphabet? :P
silly nanny, you make me laugh. I like your style. Thanks for the smile. :)
ReplyDeleteVery cute post, definitely made me giggle. I'm the type that would be flattered and elated if my nanny cared enough for my child to use her sweet little face as wall paper! Keep up the lovely work ladies, spending that much time with another human being, well, it should be natural to form a strong, loving bond; and who knows, maybe it'll come in handy some day to know all the lyrics to every single cheesy "tween" disney song imaginable. ;)
ReplyDelete