English Nanny Needs a Hand

Hello, I am looking for some advice. I am an English nanny with over 5 years experience working with children as well as an NVQ (qualification) in children's care learning and development. I am currently working in Europe as a live in nanny, but i am looking to move to the US later on in the year or early 2012.

I wanted to know if anybody knows anything about English nannies working in America? Where can i look, what qualification's do i need, what is the average pay packet, do i need to drive (as i don't currently) etc? All information would be appreciated as i really don't know where to start!!

By MissDee
A Typical Tuesday or Thursday:
640a-645a: Arrive at work with coffee. I bring some for our 4-year-old teacher and our cook, both of whom I am close to.
645a-700a: Eat breakfast, chat with cook. She has severe allergies to certain foods along with issues with her neck from a car accident. I help her with lifting heavy cans and draining fruit (if needed), along with setting the tables.
700a: Clock in, ready to start my day.
701a-815a: Hang out in the gym, playing with the kids, signing children in to their attendance sheets. Enjoy games of tag and catch with our 5-year-olds. Monitor a child with severe asthma, checking on him every so often to make sure he isn't wheezing. I get a lot of hugs from two girls in our 5 year old class, N and A, who, along with E and M, play the shadow game with me, where they follow me everywhere, giggling every time I turn around and make a silly face at them. The four girls have a contagious laugh and give the best hugs!!!
815a-1030a: Provide planning time for teachers, assist teachers with their morning, assist office staff, depending on what my boss would like me to do that day. Joke around with boss about different things; she teases me about different things, such as my love of hip-hop literature, which she refers to "smut books", and tells me that I am one of a kind, and the center would be lost without me.
1030a-1200p: Provide lunch for our morning preschool program. When lunch is over, we wash our hands and faces and clear the table. While we are waiting for our friends who may not be done, we play a game of "I Spy" or sing songs. Once everyone is finished, we tiptoe, gallop, skate, ski, etc. to the cubbies, where we get our backpacks and jackets (if it is an outside day) Enjoy more hugs, games of tag, catch, and monkey in the middle. C, age 5 and 4 feet tall, plays tag with me, and tells me he loves me. I get on his level and he gives me a hug, knocking me over in the process. Chat with parents as they drop off for PM kindergarten and pick up their children from AM kindergarten. The gym is loud with 5 year olds, yet so much fun!
1200p-300p: Break other teachers, myself, depending on what the schedule is for the day, or help out in office.
300p-345p: Hang out in the 4 year old room, where we read a story and sing songs. They love my "silly voice" and are engaged in the book I am reading with voices that resemble the character and the emotions. After our story, we head to the gym. I play the 4 year old version of volleyball with I, who throws the ball to me and I show her how to bounce the ball, scoop it, and hit the ball back toward me. She is getting there, and giggles when I hit the ball across the gym. She throws the ball back to me, and we go back and forth with the ball. M and the boys play soccer, which I nearly trip on the floor.
345p-600p: More office work, help out in other classrooms, send other teachers home for the day, start closing the daycare. Sometimes I am done early myself.

My job is great and I love the children, along with their families. My co-workers are awesome! I am exhausted at the end of the day, and I look forward to coming to work the next day, because I had so much fun the day before....

Borders Bookstore - W North Ave, Chicago

December 2010
Borders Bookstore 755 W North Ave, Chicago. Around noon.

Sorry I cannot give exact date. Originally was not going to report but then I reviewed photos again and thought different. Apparently this was one of the great nanny hideouts where the nannies ignored the children and used their cell phones. I was quite surprised but decided to watch the scene.

In the first photo you can see a black nanny in her late 50's hunched over using her phone. On the floor in front of her is a Caucasian baby girl approx 8 months old with brown hair, sitting flopped over forward because she cannot sit up unsupported. She was completely ignored for over 1/2 hour while nanny texted/used cell.

Next girl was a white girl with blonde hair in twenties with a boy of approx 2/12 that was running around with nanny barely glancing up when boy is trying to talk to her. Mostly scenes of neglect, but I know I wouldn't pay someone for this. Just a concerned mom.

Timonium, Maryland - Northbound Lightrail

I was riding the lightrail northbound and noticed a nanny with 4 children. This was on April 19th or 20th, I can't remember exactly. Her name was Theresa and she was blond, and she was in charge of 3 boys and a girl. She interacted well with the kids and I could tell she loved them! She maintained her professionalism and authority but was never mean to the kids. Whoever has hired Theresa is a very lucky family!

The Nannying College Student

By Nanny Megan
Over the last couple years of being a nanny, I have found that one of the hardest things to do is balance work and school. Getting a college degree is a very time consuming task, as is being a nanny. I am just finishing my second year of college, and have been through ups and downs when trying to get my degree. Not only have I faced struggles of trying to find the “perfect” major, but I have also faced struggles of trying to fit in a full course load to my 10 hour a day job.

Luckily, both MB and DB have been very supportive, and have given me three days off a week to fit in class time. They also allow me to complete any classwork that I have during down times.

Because I have both Mondays and Wednesdays off, I am able to fit in a full course load into those days. I usually take 12 credit hours a semester, which is enough to keep me busy, but not enough to completely overwhelm me. I try to take an even amount of online classes and on campus classes. However, I have found that I prefer online classes, even though it has its pros and cons. Online classes allow me to do the work when and where it is convenient to me. I can spend some time on my off days doing class work as well as doing them during nap times. However, the one thing I don’t like with online classes is that you don’t really get to meet people. You also don’t really get to form study groups for an online class unless you want to exchange notes online.

I would love to hear how all of you fit school into your job.

By Nanny Bee
230pm: I pull into the preschool parking lot and finish my texts and make a few phone calls.
250pm: I walk into the prek, sign my charge out and go to her classroom to collect Bug. She lights up and gets ready to go.
300pm: After depositing her papers and nap mat in the car we play I Spy or Tickle Tag while we wait for her brother to come out of the elementary school.
310pm: T comes out, hugs his teacher and runs to grab my hand. We drive home, usually listening to a disney movie soundtrack.
330pm: Arrive home, I text MB to tell her we've arrived. T changes clothes, Bug takes the puppy outside while I prepare snack.
350pm: After snack we often settle in the playroom or outside to play various games or with toys until dinner.
515pm: T takes the puppy outside again while Bug asks me repeatedly what we're having for dinner. They eat while I read a chapter or two of a Junie B Jones book outloud.
545pm: MB comes home, we chat about the day and she reminds me that T has tball practice tomorrow.

*This is our school day schedule. Summer and school holidays I work 50 hour weeks and we have more interesting days.

Cobble Hill Park - NY

I saw a nanny hit a child in Cobble Hill Park today. She had a bright turquoise visor. The child had on bright blue shark crocks. He looked about 5 and had a sister about 4. The nanny tripped over one of the iron chains around the grass oval in the center of the park while carrying him. She then smacked him twice, said it was his fault that she tripped and strapped him into the stroller (pink maclaren) for a time out - which lasted at least 20 minutes. The child was shamed in front of at least 20 on-lookers. He was miserable and kept sobbing that it wasn't his fault - which was true. If anyone knows this family please let the parents know what happened!

A Typical Tuesday

8:14—MB gives me my semi-weekly reminder to water down Lucy’s orange juice because she believes that her diaper rash is actually an allergic reaction to something, probably citrus. Unfortunately we cannot check the journal I have been keeping for patterns as MB has lost it.

8:19—MB closes the office door in Lucy’s face, saying she has to work. Lucy cries at the door for several minutes.

8:22—Lucy whines alternately at the back and garage doors, wanting to go play in the wet grass or with the leaf blower (a new obsession).

8:25—MB comes out of the office just long enough to remind Lucy that she is still here, then goes upstairs, where Lucy tries to follow her. I spend the next few minutes pulling her off the stairs, screaming.

8:32—Lucy runs around the house, only getting into the things she knows she is not supposed to. Just goes to one after the next, me telling her no each time.

8:48—MB calls me to the stairs, where she is standing on the balcony in a bra and a thong. She then throws a load of laundry over the edge for me to do. This reminds Lucy that her mom is still here, so I hold her screaming in one arm while I do the laundry with the other.

8:52—I tell Lucy we need to go change her diaper, MB immediately comes out of her room and meets us at the top of the stairs, where she takes her and changes her (because she still thinks her occasional diaper rash is somehow my fault).

8:53-9:20—MB tells Lucy that she can play in her room while she gets ready, so I spend this time constantly telling her not to play with the razors, get in the tub, try to plug in the straightener, etc. I also receive my daily chores—clean MB’s bathroom and do the laundry. I get to clean the bathroom “because she doesn’t want to waste her time doing it.”

9:22—She pulls together some things in her office, Lucy runs back and forth between the office (where she plays with her dad’s super expensive electric guitar and amp) and the kitchen (where she wants a bite of graham cracker).

9:26—She tells me to take Lucy upstairs to look for her phone “because it will be fun for her.”

9:28—She yells up the stairs to tell me her phone is actually downstairs.

9:30—She asks Lucy if she wants to walk her out to the garage (where the leaf blower is), she screams in my ear because she wants the leaf blower, she yells over her screams to add toilet paper stocking in all 3 bathrooms to my chore list.

9:35-9:50—She plays with something for 30 seconds, comes to table for graham cracker, plays for 30 seconds, comes to table for graham cracker, over and over (this is the only way she will eat.. Won’t eat anything if she is forced to sit and eat. She has to be moving around). This results in a disaster in the entire house.

9:55—She pulls out all of the pots and pans, drinks, and kitchen appliances she is able to access from “her cabinet” (which just has aprons and baby friendly things, but is under the island so is open to the rest of the locked cabinets under the island).

10:07—Lucy stops in her tracks, cries for no reason, looks at me, I raise my eyebrows a little, she stops and moves on to another toy.

10:18—I am sitting on a chair, Lucy is standing on my lap. She tries to climb over the back, I pull her down and tell her no. She does it again, I tell her no. She does it again, I tell her no and say that if I have to do it again I’ll make her get down. She does it again, I put her down. Immediately starts whining. After I don’t let her back up, she head butts the glass table because she is mad at me.

10:23—She has been out of the room for 10 seconds, so I follow into the other room. She is in the closet with the vacuum cord wrapped around her neck. I harshly tell her no and pull her out of the closet. She runs into another room and picks up the candlestick that is on the table at her level. I grab it and yell at her to stop.

10:32—She goes into the partially constructed wine cellar and opens the wine fridge, which is working and has bottles of wine in it (again, at her level on the tile floor). I tell her to close it, she closes and immediately opens again. I tell her to leave it closed, she shakes her head no.

10:39—Lucy starts whining and screaming because she is mad that my feet are on the ottoman instead of the floor.

10:49—MB decides to drop in to take some measurements for the living room remodel. Measurements that I have seen her take 3 times and that she has called and had me do twice. She leaves 20 minutes later, Lucy is pissed.

ISYN - A Day in the Life

11:34—Get to the library because I can’t handle it anymore. Find out that library doesn’t open until 12:30 today.

11:52—We go to lunch.

12:32—Put her down for her nap, she screams.

12:35—Empty dishwasher and reload with the dirty dishes that are filling the sink.

12:42—Pick up around the house.

12:50—Lucy falls asleep (in record time!)

12:52—Head upstairs to clean bathroom.

1:08—Go to the garage and get giant bag of toilet paper to carry around to restock the 3 bathrooms.

1:19—Take dog out to poop, clean up her poop.

1:23—Fold the laundry I have been doing throughout the day.

1:32—Do my daily chores of washing the high chair, scrubbing the grime off the table, and wiping down the counters.

1:39—Time for a break!

2:22—Lucy wakes up, crying frantically.

2:28—MB calles and I accidentally hit ‘reject’ on my phone. I call back immediately but get her voicemail. I wait less than a minute and try calling back again—she answers and is very concerned about me not answering the phone and makes a comment about me possibly talking on my phone. I then tell her about my plans for the afternoon for us to go to the library again and she says to hold off on that until another day because the gardener is coming today and she wants Lucy to be able to watch him. Even if the gardener is just across the street, she spelled out that she would like us to walk across the street and watch the gardener.

2:42—Get Lucy out of bed and change her diaper.

2:54—Lucy whines because she can’t reach her balloon.

3:01—Lucy is mad because she is sitting on the ottoman and her balloon is on the ground next to the ottoman.

3:04—Lucy wanders into other room and picks off part of the armoire and hands it to me with a smile and heads over to the other area of house with extensive non-babyproofed items on low tables.

3:08—She won’t stop pulling on the shutters and I manage to redirect her by having her go and find her juice.

3:09—She runs to the stairs and starts going up on her own. I tell her no, we have a stare-down until she finally says ‘mama?’

3:14—We sit down to color. I let her have 1 marker at a time, she tries to color without taking the cap off, I tell her to take it off, she scribbles a little, puts cap back on, and wants a different color.

3:17—MB calls and wants me to measure the current couches because she is at the store right now and needs to know. I measure, turn back around, and Lucy has colored all over herself, the table, and her high chair. I had tried to take the marker away before I walked to other side of the room, but she started screaming and her mom would have been highly concerned if she continued.

3:28—Another poopy diaper.

3:30—Lucy cries because she doesn’t want me to put another diaper on her, I once again explain that she has to wear them until she decides to potty train. She shakes her head no to this.

3:32—Lucy opens the drawer and pulls out the peeler.

3:34—Lucy opens the cupboard and starts pulling all of the food out of it.

3:35—I put her in her high chair and give her some crackers.

3:37—She has eaten all of the peanut butter out of them, wants more, I tell her no, not until she finishes what she has.

3:39—She wants down, I reach over to get her, she frantically grabs her remaining crackers to stuff into her mouth. So I leave her there and give her more.

3:45—Whines because she wants the tape measure, I make her say please, she goes and tries to measure the furniture.

3:48—Play with balloon on couch.

3:51—Lucy fake cries because she threw the balloon over the couch on purpose and the dog started smelling it.

3:53—She measures my body parts.

3:57—Teach Lucy the word “you.”

4:03—Head out to the backyard.

4:15—Sticks her arm in a puddle.

4:18—I accidentally peg her in the shoulder with a plastic baseball, she is so shocked that she doesn’t react, so I start to laugh and she does too. Then we run pretend bases together.

4:20—She starts to turn on the hose.

4:24—Started to pick a lime off the tree, I said no, picked it, I got mad, she tried to put it back, then gave up. Then picked another one.

4:37—Lucy listens the third time I tell her not to destroy the palm tree. Breakthrough!

4:40—I continue to attempt to teach her not to run while holding a stick.

4:58—Head home.

How does this compare to your day? Email isynblog@gmail.com or message us on Facebook to share your story.

Success in Putting Together a Playgroup...

By Nanny Megan
It wasn’t until just recently that I made the decision to venture into the world of playgroups. My charge and I are always trying out new activities. I quickly began realizing how boring these activities were becoming because we weren’t able to share them with friends. I wanted to make sure my charge had an opportunity to socialize and make friends beyond the people we meet at various parks and story times that we never see again. I also felt that it was important for him to have some socializing beyond his immediate family, myself, and his cats and dogs.

As soon as I came to the conclusion, I began frequenting various play group websites such as Meetup, Playgroup USA, and Play Dates of America. I would also periodically check Craigslist to see if there were any leads. After searching through all of these sites, I found a couple that had seemed like they would be a good fit. I excitedly emailed the group admin to ask about meeting times/dates and to get more information on each group. I heard back quickly from some, while others took a couple days. It was a Tuesday when my charge and I attended our very first play date. It was an experience that I will always member for reasons both good and bad. This specific group was a Baby Sign Language groups for Stay at Home Moms. Although I am a Nanny and not a SAHM, the group admin informed me that it would not be a problem. As soon as I got there, the group leader began introducing me to each member. I was the only Nanny, which to be honest is what I expected. The group was very informal. The adults broke into their own little “cliques”, while the children played together. I expected the conversations to revolve around, but not consist completely of, Baby Sign Language. That was not the case. The group was okay, but I felt as though my charge and I didn’t quite click. I wrote it off, and went back the drawing board. It was the following Thursday that I decided to try another playgroup. This group didn’t really have a theme. It was a group of 5 ladies and 6 children. Three of who were SAHM’s and the rest were nannies. This group was more structured. The play date began at 3:00. From 3-3:30, the children would have sharing/play time. From 3:30-4:00 would have snack time. We were responsible for bringing their snacks and drinks. Then from 4:00-4:30, we had music/ dance time. This group proved to be a better fit than the first, but still the feeling wasn’t quite right.

It was at this time that I decided that I would put together my own playgroup. I put listings on Craigslist, Meetup, and a couple other Playgroup websites. I began getting responses immediately, and it wasn’t long before my email was flooded with replies to my ads. I thought I would only get a couple responses, but soon I was stuck with trying to find a way to narrow down my responses. I had an initial meeting where about 35 people came with their children. We met at a park where the children were able to play together and the adults were able to talk. I met a few people who I had an immediate connection with, and we just went from there. Now after going through all the trouble of finding the perfect playgroup, I have come to the conclusion that no playgroup is perfect. There is no way perfect way to match personalities, work out everyone’s schedules and make sure that all the children get along. I was however able to find a group of about 7 moms and nannies for our playgroup with whom we meet twice a week.

Salem Dad Accused of Abuse Faces Charges

SALEM, Mass. -- A Salem father accused of abuse was in court and facing attempted murder charges on Wednesday.

7NEWS has learned that the mother of the infant is no longer at Salem Hospital and that the state will take custody of the baby.

The suspect in custody is a driver for a daycare center that has five facilities in the greater Boston area.

Dario Finkel is accused of doing horrific things to his 7-week-old baby boy when he started crying.

"This defendant, Mr. Finkel, became very upset, very angry as he does generally when the child begins to cry. The defendant at that point yelled at the 7-week-old boy to shut up," said Michelle Decourcey, prosecutor.

But when he didn't, police say the 26-year-old father got violent and tried to suffocate his own son by stuffing a baby wipe in his mouth, leading to a charge of attempted murder... (continued)

TO READ THE REST: PLEASE CLICK HERE!
___________________________________________________
Special Thanks to World's Best Nanny for Submitting this News Article.

By cheesenipsaregood

7:20 Pull into driveway. Chug the last of my coffee.
7:30 Go inside, greet the kids who are watching TV while mom gets ready for work.
7:35 Roll the baby, who is already in his highchair, into the kitchen and give him some cheerios to munch on while I make breakfast.
7:50 Call kids into kitchen for breakfast. Eggs for Baby and Toddler. Cereal and fruit for Big kid, who doesn’t like eggs.
7:55 Mom is ready for work. She comes in and chats for a couple minutes while she gets the last of her stuff together.
8:00 Mom kisses kids goodbye and leaves for work. Toddler refuses to give her kiss, but cries when she is gone.
8:05 Clean up Toddler and Big kid, clean up table, put dishes in dishwasher, wipe down counters. Baby is still a mess, but content in his high chair. Big kid and Toddler have gone back to the TV.
8:15 Clean up Baby, take him into his room and get him dressed.
8:20 Tell Big kid and Toddler to turn off TV. They fight over who gets to push the button. Tell them that Baby gets to push the button and they laugh as I carry Baby over to the TV and try to make him turn it off.
8:23 Take Toddler into his room to get dressed. Big kid plays on the floor with Baby.
8:30 Help Big kid get dressed while Baby and Toddler play on floor.
8:31 Grab Baby just as he’s about to get into the potty. Pat self on back for fast reflexes.
8:35 Get school stuff together for Big kid while the kids play some rendition of duck duck goose.
8:45 Get shoes and coats on.
8:48 Wonder why I started with Toddler who is already out of his coat.
8:50 Rush out the door, get kids strapped into car seats. Try to convince kids to listen to Spanish cd, but they want the radio.
9:00 Arrive at school just in time. Walk Big kid and her friend into school, while friend’s mom watches the little ones in the car. Wonder who had the bright idea to put pre-school on the second floor.
9:02 Help Big kid and friend hang up their coats and backpacks and put their snacks in the snack box.
9:05 Big kid and friend both decide they have to go potty.
9:10 Kiss kids goodbye, tell them that friend’s mommy is picking them up today.
9:15 Try to get out of busy parking lot, speech pathologist will be at the house in 15 minutes. Sing along to the radio with Toddler. He loves Lady Gaga!
9:25 Pull into driveway. Beat speech pathologist to the house! Rush inside.
9:30 Take off shoes and coats. Toddler waits by the window for speech pathologist while I get Baby ready for nap.
9:32 Speech pathologist walks up to the door. She comes in with her bag of toys and Toddler immediately asks for “tato” head. They sit down at kitchen table and get started.
9:40 Baby is asleep. I join Toddler and speech pathologist at the table. We play with playdoh, Mr. Potato Head, puzzles, and books.
10:15 Speech session is over. Toddler gives speech pathologist a high five. I talk to her for a few minutes about his progress and she writes a note for his parents.
10:20 Toddler and I read books and munch on goldfish.
10:50 Toddler wants to go outside. I explain that we can’t because baby is sleeping. He cries. I redirect Toddler to blocks. He tells me all of his colors and counts five blocks. I‘m so proud of him.
11:00 Baby is awake and talking to himself in crib. Toddler and I go to get him up. Diaper changes for both.
11:15 Get Baby and Toddler into shoes and coats and loaded back up in the car.
11:25 Arrive at school early. Sing with Toddler while we wait for friend’s mommy to bring out Big kid.
11:35 Big kid cries when she has to say goodbye to friend.
11:45 Arrive home and go inside. Help kids out of coats and shoes. Set Big kid up at table with crayons and paper. Toddler and Baby play with refrigerator magnets while I make lunch.
12:00 Help Big kid clean up crayons, get Baby in highchair, and Toddler in booster seat. Give Big kid and Toddler their soup and crackers. Feed Baby yogurt and give him vegetables and chicken from the soup to feed to himself.
12:10 Get Big kid and Toddler popsicles. Give Baby a small piece to try, he throws it at me and it goes down my shirt. Everyone laughs.
12:20 Clean up kids, change Baby's messy clothes, put Baby on floor to play. Tell Big kid and Toddler we are playing hide and seek, and they get to hide first!
12:25 Pretend to look for Big kid and Toddler while I change the bag in the diaper pail and take out the kitchen garbage.
12:30 Finally find those sneaky kids and tell them what a great hiding spot they had, even though it’s the same closet they hide in every single time.
12:35 Stand in the bathtub with Baby waiting for someone to come find us.
12:40 Baby screams, we’ve been found!
12:50 Back to pretending to look for Big kid and Toddler while I load the dishwasher.
1:00 Everyone is sick of hide and seek. Time to put Baby down for nap anyway.
1:02 Change Baby’s diaper, warm up his milk, rub his back, turn on his music, tip toe out of room.
1:10 Do craft with Toddler and Big kid.
1:30 Toddler and Big kid do their best to help clean up
1:40 Put Toddler down for nap. He’s asleep before his head hit’s the pillow.
1:45 Put on TV for Big kid. Sweep and steam mop kitchen floor.
2:05 Read books with Big kid.
2:25 Put Big kid down for nap. She says she’s not tired, but she’s falling asleep on my lap.
2:30 Eat my lunch, do sudoku puzzle, call my grandma, text another friend’s mommy to set up a play date later in the week.
3:00 Fold laundry. Finish cleaning up mess from the morning. Wonder where Big kid’s other sock is. Wonder where pink sippy cup is. Wonder where all Baby’s pacifiers are.
3:30 Baby wakes up crying. Crying wakes up Big kid. Change Baby’s diaper, tell Big kid she gets a prize if she can find her other sock, the pink sippy cup, or Baby’s pacifiers.
3:35 Big kid has produced a sock and two pacifiers. Give her a nickel. She thinks she’s rich and runs off to put it in her piggy bank.
3:36 Play catch with Big kid while Baby plays on floor. Then blow raspberries on Baby’s tummy with Big kid. She loves to make him laugh.
4:00 Toddler wakes up. His teddy bear has fallen down between his bed and the wall. Big kid climbs up on bed to find teddy bear, but Big kid and Toddler end up jumping on bed instead, which they know is not allowed. Big kid and Toddler go to time out.
4:05 Explain to Toddler and Big kid why jumping on the bed is dangerous. Have a three way hug and the time out is forgotten. Change Toddler’s diaper.
4:10 Big kid and Toddler run around between bedrooms, Baby sits in his walker while I put laundry away.
4:25 Big kid and Toddler sit at the kitchen table and eat granola bars while Baby sits in high chair and has a bottle and cheerios. I run around picking up last minute messes.
4:30 Dad is home. I tell him about the day and Big kid gets teary because it’s time for me to go.
4:40 Big kid and Toddler walk me out to my car. I watch them walk back to the door and blow them kisses as I drive away.

Chase Bank - Park Slope, Brooklyn, NY

Hi I was just at the Chase bank in the ATM area at about 9:45 am 4/21/11 when I saw a nanny wearing a grey beret and two boys with light brown hair about 6 or 7 years old with her. Not sure if they were twins or not. She has a west indian accent. One of the boys was playing with the atm machine and she said something to the effect that he must be a baby to be playing with it and ask if he was a baby several times in an irritated voice. She pulled him roughly towards her and when he pulled away she hit him on the back. Not hard, but not gently, either and pulled him by his arm holding him harder than necessary to restrain him on his arm. He complained that she was pulling him and she pinched him. She was on the phone for some of this conversation. Although it wasn't extreme "abuse", I would say that if these were my kids, I would be in a big hurry to replace her with some one who seems to actually like kids and someone who is a better role model! My concern was that if she does this in public, what does she do to them in private. It was obvious to me that the kids did not like her. I hope someone knows someone who might have an idea of who the parents are -- I didn't say anything because I thought it would escalate the situation and I don't know who to report to... Just concerned, Park Slope

By Nanny Lexy
7:50: I walk through the door and call "hello?" I hear dishes clanking and see the baby running towards me with a big smile on his face. At almost 2 years old, he is now a toddler, but I think I will always see him as a baby. I scoop him up into my arms and give him a big kiss.

7:51: I greet Dad who is busy finishing up the dishes and I pretend not to see "Bear" hiding under the table and begin our morning routine of "looking" for him. Normally we keep this up for a couple minutes but today he decides to hide a little longer.

8:00: Mom comes downstairs and greats me with a big hug and asks how my weekend went. After I get the details of their weekend we talk about the schedule for the day.

8:10: Mom and Dad both head out the door and I start to make the boys breakfast. Depending on their preference that day I make either oatmeal, eggs, cereal, or french toast. Today they decide on cereal and I begin cutting up some fruit. I then help the boys into their chairs and I sit down with them while they eat and we talk about what they did over the weekend.

8:45: After cleaning up both the boys I start to pack the diaper bag, fill the sippy cups with water, grab the stroller out of the garage and let the boys fill up the basket with sand toys and balls. We then go up stairs and get dressed. I always have "Bear" pick out his outfit and help me pick out babies as well.

9:00: I slather sunscreen on the boys and put their hats and shoes on. We then make our way to the park.

9:30: We are greeted at the park by the normal "group" which consists of nannies and mommies. Normally we have a mom or nanny set up at each station of the park so we know the kids are all safe. Today I got the sandbox and began filling up buckets of water from the water fountain to dump in so we can make sandcastles.

11:00: We arrive home. After arriving home we all wash our hands and I turn on a show for the boys to watch (PBS of course) while I prepare lunch.

11:30: We are all gathered around the table eating a lunch consisting of sandwiches, carrot sticks and a plum.

Noon: I walk the boys up stairs to "Bears" room where we read two books of his choosing. I then take "Baby" to his room and read him one book of his choosing. After stories I kiss "Baby" and go back to "Bears" room. We read one more story of my choosing and then I kiss him and head downstairs to clean up the lunch mess.

12:40: After finishing tidying up, I lay down on the coach and watch a show. After that I read my book until "Baby" wakes up.

2:00: "Baby" wakes up and I bring him downstairs to have a snack. We sit and read books while he eats some cheerios and drinks his milk.

2:30: I hear "Bear" coming down the stairs and see him peek his head around the corner. I smile at him and tell him to join us when he as ready, as he often wakes up grumpy.

3:00: After the boys are done with their snacks we go into the play room and play games, do art projects, or play hide and seek.

3:30: Dad comes home from work, he is a teacher, and the boys run downstairs to give him hugs and kisses. Dad gives me a big hug and asks how our day went.

3:45: After a recap of the day, I play 2 more games of hide and seek. I kiss the boys good bye and they all walk me to the door. As I get into my car I can see them all standing in the front window waving to me. I wave back, get into my car and drive away. Another successful day with "my boys". I drive home while planning the next days activities...park, beach, pool, disneyland, mall, harbor?

Would You Hire a Male Nanny?

TAMPA - Remember Mr. Belvedere in the 80's? He was a "manny," a term short for a male nanny. So was Scott Baio's character in the 90s TV show "Charles in Charge." The idea of a guy taking care of your kids may seem odd, but these days, it's not uncommon.

"I think originally there would be a little hesitancy to hire a boy for whatever reason. It was more, the woman takes care of children," says Eleanor Nesbit, owner of A Choice Nanny in South Tampa.

"Now we have male nurses. There are males going to a lot of occupations that used to be just for girls," Nesbit added.

Nesbit says she's had a number of men apply for child care positions in her agency. One of them is 24-year-old Ben Mathews. Mathews is a finance major at the University of South Florida. He says he can change the diapers and help get the homework done.

But he does admit his buddies find it a little strange... (continued)

TO READ THE REST OF THIS STORY: PLEASE CLICK HERE!

Former Reference Feels Wretched About So-Called Friend

I used to work with a lady, let's use the name Amber, at a daycare years ago. She's more of an acquaintance than a friend. We are friends on facebook and until recently that's about the only contact I had with her. She recently applied for a nanny job and asked to use me as a reference and I obliged. She was great while we were working at the daycare and I told the mother as much. She got the job based on my comments as well as a few other people.

The mother laid down some rules about her children and one in particular was no one is allowed in the house without the permission of the mother.

Amber called to tell me that she invited a guy over to the ladies house and they had sex in the bathroom while the kids were upstairs sleeping.

Amber is married and the guy she had over is a guy she met in a club about a month ago. I've met Amber's husband on a few occasions and he does strike me as the kind to fly off the handle, and although he knows she cheated on him in the past he does not know about this situation. The guy she had over has been in jail, though for what she doesn't know.

I don't know the mother's phone number, it was months ago that she called and it's no longer in my phone. I've also only been to the house once and it's down in a neighborhood of about 5000 homes so unless Amber gives me directions again there is no way I could figure out where exactly they live.

Should I say something to the mother and if so how do I go about finding out her info? Or do I let this go? I am also mildly worried about what Amber would do if she found out that I was the one that told the mother. I've met the mother and she doesn't strike me as all that smart so even if I asked her not to tell Amber that I was the one that told her I could still see her telling Amber anyway.

Of course it goes without saying that I am severing all ties with Amber, I don't want to be in the middle of anything when her husband finds out.

A Day in the Life of a Nanny Share

By Anonymous Nanny

I’m in a nanny share with two families, but the children are only a few weeks apart. One boy, and one girl, both turned three in Feb.

7:30 I arrive on time at little girls (LG’s) house, and help mom finish getting her ready. Mom usually sends breakfast with us (if LG hasn’t already eaten) and we head to little boys (LB’s) house.
8:00 arrive promptly at LBs house, and wake him up, and I take both kiddos to the bathroom.
8:15 I set up breakfast and we sit down together to eat, discussing our plans for the day.
8:40 The littles put their dishes in the sink and throw any trash away, and I clean my breakfast and wipe the table (and usually their hands and face.)
8:45 I help get LB dressed for the day while LG reads books. (one of her favorite activities!)
8:55 We discuss how both littles have “puppy doggies” on their shirts, and we head to the livingroom to play.
9:30 after 30 minutes or so of free play, we head to the kitchen table for art. We make puppy ears (a brown strip of paper with two puppy ear shaped pieces of paper stapled to each side, and decorated any way you wish) and talk about dog barking as well as what dog food would taste like. (their idea, not mine!)
10 After art is finished and cleaned up ( I pack a small snack, just in case) we put on our shoes and socks and pile into the car.
10:20 We arrive at their favorite park, and they both run frantically (with puppy ears still on their heads) towards the hill towards the back of the park. Once we reach the top, they begin running/ rolling/ scooting down the hill in fits of glee.
10:45 after nearly 30 minutes of the hill, we eat a small snack then decide to play on the playground equipment and I push LG in the swing (her favorite) while LB goes from the swings to the sand box to the slide, and back again.
11:10 five minute warning given for us to leave.
11:13 two minute warning given.
11:15 time to go, and neither one makes a fuss as we head to the car (they know that if they throw a fit, we will not return.) We pile back into the car and listen to the “choo choo boogie” song on a loop, all the way home.
11:30 we arrive home, and they immediately take off their shoes and ask for some music. We take a quick potty break first, then I put on a CD and give them scarves so they can dance while I prepare lunch.
11:45 Lunch is ready, and we wash up before sitting down to the table to eat. (I usually eat the same thing as them. Both parents want me to help encourage proper eating habits and table manners, and I’ve found the best way to do that is to eat with them.)
12:15 Lunch is eaten so we clean up the kitchen.
12:20 We take another potty break before we head to LBs room and pull out LGs nap mat and blankets, and I tuck both of them in. I shut off the light, remind them to keep their voices quiet so their friend can sleep, and crack the door.
12:30 I turn on the baby monitor, and clean any dishes in the sink. (usually they are just the ones we use from breakfast or lunch, but occasionally I will clean MB or DB’s items)
12:50 I tidy up anything else in the kitchen that may need it, pick up any stray toys from the livingroom, set up the afternoon art project, and prepare story/music time. (we call it circle time, even though it’s not usually the shape of a circle…)
1:20 I sit down to relax until the kiddos wake up, and make a lesson plan for the following week when we will be talking about “things that go.”
2:20 LB wakes up, and quietly passes LG to come find me in the livingroom. We share some rare time together alone before LG wakes.
2:35 LG is up and we take a few minutes to take another potty break.
2:45 It’s circle time and we read two books about dogs (go dog, go and That isn’t my doggy). We discuss the differences between humans and dogs (ie a tail, four legs, etc.) We sing a few songs as well.
3:05 We go back to the kitchen table, and we start our next art project- doggy tails. (cut out tail shapes from brown construction paper, decorate, and hole punch a hole, and string some yarn through it.)
3:25 After tying on the doggy tails, LG begins to panic that we have left the doggy ears at the park. LB reminds her that they were actually left in the car, so we head back to the garage to retrieve them. After putting on the ears, both insist that I take pictures, so I do, and send the photos to their parents.
3:30 we eat a quick snack.
3:50 We decide it’s a nice day, so we head to the backyard to play for a bit. (there’s a swing set, a sand box, a water table, a trike, scooter, and four wheeler to play with.)
4:10 we come back inside for another potty break, and decide it’s getting too warm to return outside.
4:20 we go to the kitchen and grab some juice to rehydrate when MB for LG comes in a few minutes early to collect her kiddo. I relay details of our day (with input from both littles), give hugs and kisses, and LB and I tell them goodbye as they leave.
4:30 LB and I discuss what to do now, and we settle on playing with the trains until his mom arrives.
4:50 MB for LB arrives 10 minutes early, and LB runs to greet her with stories of his day. MB is in a wonderful mood, and after sharing a more detailed account of what we did that day, we chat for a bit about this and that.
5:20 After kisses and hugs for LB and a reassurance that I will return tomorrow, I leave, making a note to switch my ipod playlist from Childrens music to favorites.

I live in in Marin County and sometimes I go to Belvedere Park. I am spanish speaking. I always see many nannies from different countries, many of them are very good with the kids but there is a group there that don't treat very well the kids, since I speak spanish and I can understand what they say. The thing is there are there some nannies that just mistreat the kids verbally in spanish. A nanny that is new there also speaks by the phone using bad words in front the kids. I saw the same thing at Sycamore Park in Mill Valley so I stopped going to that park with the little one because I didn't want him to learn that kind of words or hear them. But I think I can't go from park to park trying to find a good place to have fun. The nanny who was speaking bad words was taking care of 2 kids, girl (around 3 years old) and boy (around 1 year old).

There is also another nanny that takes care the same kids on other days. She also doesn't treat very well the kids. It is just the way they do, like the kids are animals, they don't talk to them nicely, they do it sometimes when they want to show in front others moms, but when most of the adults at the park are nannies they don't care and they act totally different.

Not all the nannies there are like that, there are some that are really great with the kids. I think that the parents need to know and maybe send somebody the nanny doesn't know to check. I think the parents sometimes forget that their treasures are in other hands and they need to be sure.
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I spoke at length with the OP and feel that she is genuine in her concern over the way some of these children are being mistreated. If any parents from either park know of these Nannies, please send someone to check on your children.

A Day in the Life of an Infant’s Nanny

By Nannydebsays
7:25 – Unlock front door, call a quiet “Good Morning!” upstairs, where MB and DB are getting ready for work and Baby Boy (BB) is either sleeping or keeping them company.

7:26 – Greet family dog, ask if she wishes to go out, let out into fenced yard. Turn on lights in kitchen and great room.

7:27 – Put my bag and coat down and retrieve the days supply of formula and my seltzer water from pantry. Let dog in.

7:30 – Wash hands and make first bottle. Check to see if highchair tray is clean. If not, give a quick scrub with damp paper towel. Check to be sure dishes in dishwasher are clean, and 99% of the time, they are. If there is a dish or two in the sink, they have been rinsed and I’ll load them into the dishwasher later.

7:35 – Greet MB, DB, and BB as they troop downstairs. Ask how night went, and when BB woke up. Ask if BB has pooped all over his sheets. If so, plan to do a load of baby laundry. Check to see if there is anything on the household schedule that day, take BB from the parent holding him, and bid MB and DB goodbye.

7:40 – Settle on couch with BB to give him his bottle.

7:55 – Place BB in his exersaucer near dishwasher so he can “help” unload and re-load dishes. Discuss dishes and world affairs with BB. Listen to his Laurie Berkner CD or a Boynton CD.

8:05 – Mix up BB’s breakfast cereal and fruit/veg, while he lets me know he is HUNGRY.

8:07 – Feed starving BB.

8:20 – Cause BB much anguish while wiping off his hands and face, then place him on floor near table so he can admire lights and shadows while I finish breakfast clean-up.

8:25 – Move into family room so BB can play on his playmat. Keep BB interested by switching his toys and location when he complains and seems bored. Occasionally we will read, or sing songs, but BB prefers a lower key morning.

9:05 – BB is tired. We head upstairs, change his diaper, get his lovey, get his paci, read a book, give him the paci, sing a song, close his shutters, turn on his noise machine, give 3 kisses, and tell him “Good Night!”

9:20 – Start load of laundry if needed, or fold laundry if any was left in the dryer yesterday. If no laundry, head downstairs for my breakfast.

9:25 or so – Eat breakfast, then check my email and FB page. Play Farmville.

10:15 or so - Load car if we are headed out after nap and next bottle. Get diaper bag ready for outing, put away any dishes that had to air dry or any pots/pans left out overnight to dry. Go back on-line or read.

10:40 – Let dog out. Continue to wait for BB to wake up. Update BB’s Daily Journal

11:20 – Hear a peep or 2, rush to video monitor. See that BB is simply shifting position. Sigh, and go back on-line.

11:25 – Remember dog. Open back door and ask her to come in. Be ignored.

11:40 – BB awake! Go up and greet him after shifting laundry from washer to dryer. Open shutters and turn off noise. Change diaper, grab his clothes, head downstairs.

11:50 – Make and feed bottle to BB. Hear dog scratching at door midway through feeding. Ignore dog.

12:10 – Change very very messy diaper, peel soiled jammies off BB, sigh a bit because I already did laundry, roll soiled clothes/changing pad/etc. up and place on stairs. Get BB from playpen, ask dog to come in. Get ignored. Dress BB for our outing. Put dirty bottle in dishwasher.

12:25 – Open door and demand dog come IN, right NOW. Dog slowly complies. Roll eyes. BB laughs at dog.

12:35 – Put BB in carseat, haul heavy combo out to front porch. Lock door. Haul BB and his seat to my car. Buckle up, and head to park/play date/store to run errand.

2:00 or so – Return home, debate whether to feed BB lunch. Decide to offer small meal. BB either ignores after 3 bites or devours and cries for more. Offer water in cup, BB drinks and slobbers.

2:40 or so – Clean up BB, AKA torture him into hysteria. Offer toys, and talk with him while I clean up.

2:45 – BB tired. REALLY tired. Up to bed. Change diaper, get lovey and paci from under crib, give to BB. Read story, sing song, kiss and deposit in crib. Close shutters, turn on noise, say “Night night!”

2:55 BB cries while I fold laundry. Check on BB. Retrieve paci. Pat BB until he is calm and sleepy.

3:00 - Finish folding laundry. Head downstairs. Update BB’s Daily Journal.

3:05 – Have my lunch.

3:25 – Check email, offer opinions on ISYN, check FB.

4:00 – Let dog out. Tidy up toys as needed. Look for other baby related chores. Put diaper bag away.

4:15 – Read. Contemplate brief nap. Try to get dog to come in. Get ignored.

4:40 – Research job related things. Play Farmville.

5:10 – BB is awake! Grab laundry and put away quickly while I greet him. Open shutters, turn off noise. Change diaper, head downstairs.

5:20 – BB eats 3rd bottle. Dog begs to come in while BB is eating. Ignore dog.

5:35 - Put dirty bottle in dishwasher. BB is in exersaucer. Scribble time of bottle in Daily Journal.

5:40 - Head down to play in basement, where BB can “practice” rolling over from belly to back. BB is capable of doing this in crib. BB cannot do this when one of his adults is present. Odd. BB screams until I rescue him. BB gnaws on my finger. Tickle BB.

5:55 – Dog figures out we are downstairs, begs to be let in. I comply.

6:00 – I put BB into his jumper. He wails briefly, then remembers he LOVES to jump! Jump baby, jump!

6:15 – BB done. Completely and totally DONE. Remove him from jumper. Find other toys. BB gnaws on my finger some more.

6:25 – Hear garage door open, and MB or DB or both calling for us. Head upstairs, debrief MB and DB, kiss BB goodbye, and head home.

6:30 - Drive home, and look forward to days to come when BB spends less time sleeping and we spend more time playing, reading, and going on outings.

Massachusetts - North Shore

BEWARE PARENTS OF MASSACHUSETTS (SPECIFICALLY NORTH SHORE!!) - OF A NANNY BY THE NAME OF LISA D**** - SHE IS A MORPHINE ADDICT WHO WILL NOT WATCH YOUR CHILDREN BUT INSTEAD ROB YOUR HOUSE, RUN YOUR PHONE BILL UP, AND SIT ON HER LAZY BUM THE WHOLE TIME! NOT ONLY THAT, BUT SHE WILL ALSO CLAIM SHE'S ALWAYS MEDICALLY ILL ("IN THE HOSPITAL") - WHEN SHE'S ACTUALLY ADMITTING HERSELF TO GET MORPHINE! IT'S SICKENING. SHE CLAIMS SHE HAS EXPERIENCE WITH CHILDREN AND HAS WORKED WITH MENTALLY DISABLED ADULTS, BUT SHE'S LYING!!! PLEASE DO NOT ALLOW YOUR CHILDREN TO BE SUBJECTED TO THIS MORPHINE ADDICT, SHE WILL ROB YOU BLIND AND DOESN'T CARE ABOUT YOUR CHILDREN!!!

Manhattan, on Broadway between 96th and 97th

Good Nanny Sighting. Manhattan, on Broadway between 96th and 97th. Friday March 11 around 11:30. Your little girl is around 3 and was wearing a red windbreaker and an adorable straw hat. Her nanny is an older African American woman named Vanessa also wearing a red jacket. I was walking down the street and I saw the little girl pointing at birds and tugging on the nanny's hand. I said hi to the nanny and she told me that the little girl loves to watch the birds. She talked about how nice the weather was and how great it was for them to be out. I complimented her jacket and she said the girls grandmother had given it to her and that they were a great family to work for. As I walked away I looked back and saw Vanessa asking the little girl questions about what she was seeing. This nanny obviously loves her job and was very interactive with her charge.
___________________________________
My sincerest apologies to the author of this sighting for the late appearance.

By Anonymous Nanny
8:27 AM- Walk into work and am greeted by the mom's voice calling down from upstairs, “Hi, how are you!? We’ll be down in a bit.” She is finishing a workout with her 19 month old who is dancing to some music. She puts the CD on for him pretty much every morning. He loves dancing.

8:45 AM- I have straightened up the kitchen from breakfast, refilled the diaper bag with snacks, drinks, wipes, diapers, and toys. I sit down to read the paper for a few minutes.

8:50 AM- The mom and 19 month old come down stairs, 19 month old greets me with a wave and a “Hi!” the mom and I chat a bit about what is going on during the day and she asks me to stop by the local market to pick up some milk. I say “sure thing,” and the mom heads upstairs to finish getting ready for work.

9:00 AM- 19 month old and I play in the kitchen. He wants a bit more to eat so I give him blueberry sauce. He happily feeds himself and after a few minutes I clean up after him. He then proceeds to find his shoes and his coat and say, in his little baby voice, “going”. I tell him “not yet, you’ve got to get dressed first and say goodbye to your momma.” “Momma,” 19 month old replies and points upstairs.

9:26 AM- The mom comes down stairs, gives a last minute comment or two about 5 year old (who was dropped off at school by the the dad earlier), plops a kiss on 19 month old’s anticipating lips and leaves for work.

9:45 AM- 19 month old is dressed and ready for the day. I put on his shoes and coat (much to his delight) and bring him and the diaper bag out to the stroller. We are ready for a fun morning at the park

9:55 AM- 19 Month old squeals when he sees the park. I take him out of the stroller and let him run the rest of the park path. He giggles as he zooms along. I keep up pace beside him with the stroller. I wave to some moms and nannies that I know as we enter the playground area. 19 month and I start playtime with going down the slides.

10:45 AM- 19 month old is enjoying his apple slices and cheese stick. He has worked up quite an appetite playing on the playground. I am glad to sit down and rest for a sec myself.

11:20 AM- Get 19 month old settled in his stroller with his sippy cup of milk. We leave the park.

11:30 AM- Stop by the market and pick up milk (with the credit card that the mom and dad have in my name for purchases that I make for their family.)

11:42 AM- Back at the house. 19 month old eats some casserole for lunch that his mom made for him earlier in the week. He throws the food around a bit as he feeds himself.

11:55 AM- I wipe his messy face, we go upstairs and after changing his diaper he finds his pacifier (which is almost exclusively for nap time) I put him in his crib and sing him “Tender Shepherd” (from the musical Peter Pan) as he nuzzles his special blanket. I shut the door. He cries for a second but has stopped by he time I get downstairs.

12:15 PM- I am eating my lunch while watching a TV show.

12:45 PM- Tidy kitchen, load and turn on dishwasher.

1:00 PM- Personal phone calls, e-mails, switch/fold laundry. The mom calls and I tell her about the morning.

2:35 PM- Unload dishwashers, pack the diaper bag with snacks and drinks for 5 year old and 19 month old.

2:50 PM- Get 19 month old out of his crib, change his diaper, give him a cuddle and put him in his stroller.

3:17 PM- Arrive at 5 year old’s school for pick up. He grabs my hand and asks me if we are going to the park. I say “Yep,” and we walk to the park.

3:45 PM- Lots of 5 year old’s friends are at the park and are playing some version of tag/monster chase. 19 month old is going down the slide and playing with me on the playground.

3:58 PM- Remind 5 year old not to use potty talk.

4:12 PM- Try to prevent 19 month old from falling on his face as he runs down one of the hills at the park, thankfully I am successful.

4:30 PM- I chat with one of my nanny friends, 19 month old and 5 year old are eating some snack.

4:40 PM- I chase 5 year old around the park with his friends, 19 month old following in hot pursuit.

4:55 PM- Pack up our stuff, place 19 month old, who is crying because he wants to play more, in his stroller. 5 year old says goodbye to his friends

4:58 PM- 19 month old has stopped crying as we walk home.

5:23 PM- Arrive back at the house, put away diaper bag, encourage 5 year old to put his coat, shoes and lunch box away properly.

5:32 PM- The kids' mom and dad come home. Happy chaos ensues as 5 year old and 19 month old vie for their hugs and attention.

5:36 PM- After telling them about our day I say “Have a great evening, see you tomorrow.” “Thank you,” the dad says to me. 5 year old gives me a high five and 19 month old is cozy in his Dad’s arms and says “Bye, bye,” with a little wave. Out the door, on my way home.

Advice Needed for Potty Training

I babysit a 4 1/2 year old girl full-time Monday-Friday. She is very smart for her age, I can point to any dinosaur in any book and she will say the name of it and what it eats, but I am having a hard time potty training her. When I interviewed with the family, I wan under the assumption that she was almost fully potty trained. This was not the case at all, the first day I started watching her I noticed her pants were very bulky so I asked the dad if she wore pull-ups and he informed that she did and that he forgot to tell me. The first few weeks were a struggle, I had to teach her how to pull down her pants, pull up her pants, wipe, flush the toilet and wash her hands. I have a feeling her dad does it all for her, I refuse to, I am all for helping her but I am not going to do it all. She will be starting kindergarten soon so she has to learn how to do it on her own.

She goes through a couple pull-ups a day, for the most part she will not tell me when she has to go and she will not tell me when she goes in her pants she will just sit in it. When I ask her if she went in her pants she tells me nope. Occasionally she does tell me when she has to go, so I know that she knows how to go on her own and I really think it is just a power struggle/her being lazy. The other day she told me she had to go pee so I said ok go in the potty, she walks into the bathroom and comes out a minute later and says "no thank you, I'll just go in my pants."

I have tried reminding her to go and asking her to go sit on the potty every 45mins to an hour, but that's not working either as soon as she gets off she goes in her pants. When I asked the dad what he does at home and what he would like me to do when she goes in her pants he told me to tell her to "try better next time." There is no consequences and she knows this and continues to go in her pants.

The past 2 days the dad has brought her in underwear, yesterday she peed all over my floor and didn't say a word, until I almost stepped on it. Today she pooped all over and again didn't say a word, I found out because she went on the potty and it was all over her back, the toilet and floor. I don't get any response from the dad and I have a feeling he is not working with her at home. I am 100% willing to work with him on potty training, however I will not do it for him, it has to be 50/50.

I don't know what to do, I feel like if he is not being consistent at home, there is no reason why I should continue to potty train her here. I have been doing some research on this and most of the advice I have read says to stop potty training and let the child know that they are responsible for their body and when they go in their pants don't make a fuss about it, just have them clean it up. I am considering doing this. I don't know what else to do. Has anyone had this problem? Any advice? Help is appreciated!

By Nanny Megan
Different Types of Nannies

*Let me just begin by saying that this post is in no way meant to insult people. It is meant to be funny. I would love to hear what nanny you think you may be. Are you a combination? Parents, what nanny is most like yours?

*Would love to hear if there is one you think I missed.

1. The Money Hungry Nanny

This is the Nanny who see their job as a weekly paycheck. They only get as involved as they have to to make the money. They don’t feel the need to go above and beyond.

2. The Can’t Say No Nanny

This is the Nanny who lets their charge(s) do whatever they want. They are afraid to say no because they don’t want to deal with temper tantrums and/or the sour attitudes. Also referred to as the Yes Nanny.

3. The Crunchy Nanny

This Nanny is all about implementing eco-friendly habits. They are strong advocates of attachment parenting, breastfeeding, co-sleeping, homebirth, natural birth, child led weaning, cloth diapers, baby wearing, organic/whole/local food, sustainable living, homeschooling, no vaccination, informed vaccination, natural remedies, alternative medicine...you get the idea.

4. The Lazy Nanny

This is the sit on your ass all day nanny. They can often be seen hanging out on the outskirts of any given activity. They rarely get involved, and quite often can be caught on their phones. He/she only gets up when they absolutely have to.

5. The Cruise Director Nanny

This is the Nanny who is constantly coming up with new activities. They tend to try something new each day. His/her charges sometimes get overwhelmed with these busy schedules. They also make sure that everyone’s needs are met and that everyone remains calm and happy.

6.The OCD Nanny

This is the “EVERYTHING. MUST. GO. ACCORDING. TO. PLAN.” Nanny. This Nanny becomes easily stressed out when the daily schedule goes off course.

7. The Different Language Nanny

This is the Nanny who has a language barrier with the family she works for. This can sometimes be a good thing, because the children are exposed to different cultures and get they opportunity to pick up another language. Yet, this can sometimes can be difficult because the children may not always understand the nanny and vice versa.

8. The TV Nanny

This is the Nanny who lets the TV do her job for her. Enough said.

9. The Tidy Nanny

This is the nanny who feels that messes should not be made. Everything must stay clean. Including the house, the children, and the nanny.

10. The Surrogate Mom Nanny

This is the nanny who does everything a mom would. They work long hours, they prepare all meals. They put the children to bed and sometimes even wake them up in the morning. They have a very strong bond with the children, and sometimes are mistakenly called mom.

By bostonnanny

7:42 I pull into the underground parking garage.
7:45 I get out of my car lugging my big blue rolling bag filled with activities for the week.
7:48 I'm on the elevator heading to the condo.
7:50 I'm knocking on the door.
7:52 dad opens the door half asleep. I ask how their vacation was and he gives a short answer while walking toward his room. A is still asleep.
7:54 I begin walking around the condo picking toys, blankets, laptops, papers and trash.
7:56 I begin making P's bottles for the day and breakfast for both kids.
7:57 I'm toasting waffles, have yogurt set on the table.
8:01 P and her dad knock on the door.
8:04 P's dad is asking me about my vacation and informing me about P's ear infection, while I have P in my arms and am giving her kisses.
8:06 I show P's dad the cute onesie I got her from my vacation.
8:07 P's dad leaves and we go to A's room to wake him up.
8:08 A jumps up from his bed, smiles and points at P while saying her name. I get him out of bed and give him a hug. I ask how his vacation was and he smiles and repeats the word vacation.
8:10 A is sitting at the table and P is in her booster seat eating breakfast. I
turn on pandora and sing a long to Elmo goes to school.
8:12 I stop feeding P and give her a waffle to munch on while I rip the sheets off A's bed, put a load of laundry in the wash, fill A's humidifier and start to unload dishwasher.
8:18 I go back to P and finish feeding her and A finishes up his breakfast.
8:36 I ask A if he wants to take a bath, undress him, change diaper and let him play in the tub.
8:38 I take P into the room and change her diaper and change her out of her pjs.
8:40 P is in her playpen playing with toys while A plays in the tub and I finish unloading the dishwasher.
8:46 I wash A up, lotion him, dress him and send him off to play.
8:50 I give a whining P her bottle.
9:00 I text my nanny friend to see if she wants to meet up.
9:05 I give A his crayons to color on his easel and P is playing on the Abc mat with some toys while I begin packing their diaper bag and lunch.
9:07 I get a reply from my friend and we agree to meet at 11 at the park in Cambridge, change P dirty diaper and redirect A from climbing on top of his bike.
9:10 I'm steaming veggies and cutting up strawberries while A is looking in the cabinets and drawers. I remind him to be careful when he closes them because he can get his finger caught, then I offer him a strawberry. He says strawberry over and over again but refuses to take one. I offer him a cucumber and he takes it.
9:22 P is napping in her playpen and A is riding his bike around her. I remind him that P is sleeping and to be quiet while she sleeps.
9:30 I get a call from my boyfriend telling me I filled out the mortgage application wrong, he sound angry...oops.
9:32 I switch the laundry and put in a new load. As I do that I remember A's grandparents are coming next month from out of country and I have to get them a present, then I remember Easter is coming up and I have to plan the Easter egg hunt and buy the baskets for the kids....I start to panic.
9:35 I finish up the steamed veggies and pack away the kids lunch.
9:50 dad comes out the room asks me how my house hunt is coming along. I show him the shirt I got A and tell him we are going to the park to meet up with friends.
9:58 P wakes, I put sweaters on both kids, place P in the stroller and ask A to get in. A refuses and calls out for daddy as he grabs his laptop and heads to his room.
10:00 I ask A to pick out a toy to bring for the train ride and he grabs all his trains and two matchbox cars. I put his trains in a ziplock bag and place next to him in the stroller.
10:03 I'm down in the lobby heading out the door when the concierge asks me to sign in. Grrr...
10:10 we are waiting for the train and A is so excited I think he's gonna pee himself when he sees the train.
10:17 A starts yelling "the man is sleeping, the man is sleeping" All the passengers start staring. I tell A the man is sleeping, he is tired and we need to be quiet.
10:25 we arrive at our stop and head to elevator where A tells me he wants to eat. I let him know he just had breakfast and a snack.
10:30 we are early for our play date, so I head to a coffee shop for a hot coco.
10:35 I'm standing in line with the double stroller asking A what he would prefer to eat. As I go down the list of options people in line start staring at me like my a lunatic talking to myself.
10:37 we decide on a cranberry pecan roll.
10:40 we are sitting having our snack and P is happily enjoying her roll with the pecans picked out.
10:45 P starts to gag and I quickly pat her back as she pukes up a piece of roll.
10:50 P is cleaned up and we are heading to the park. It's looks cloudy and I start to worry about rain.
11:00 I get a call from my boyfriend reminding me to call my car insurance about a claim.
11:06 we arrive at the park, meet our friends and it starts to rain :(
11:08 kids are back in the stroller and we head to the local book store.
11:12 in the children's section, A is coloring and wandering around. P is in my friends lap cracking up. While her charge is bringing her books to read.
11:45 A and P are in their stroller waiting for B and her charge Z to come back from the bathroom. I showed A an Elmo book and refuses to put it down, so we are bringing up stairs for lunch at the cafe.
12:00 all 5 of us are at the cafe, setting up lunch. I give A his food and feed P while I drink a boost and sneak a piece of cheese from my lunch box before A sees and asks for it. (I can't eat in front of him because he will refuse to eat his lunch and eat all mine.)
12:35 we clean up and say goodbye to our friends. I sneak the Elmo book away from A and put on a shelf.
12:38 we head to the restroom where I squeeze the double stroller through the door and quickly change both kids diapers.
12:45 at the station waiting for our train, pissed that the sun decided to come out as soon as we left.
1:00 on the train, explaining to A how many stops we have before we get home and reminding him it's nap time when we get back.
1:10 P fell asleep on the train which means no break for me today.
1:25 back in the condo, emptying the lunchbox, switched the laundry and watching A ride his bike around.
1:30 P suddenly wakes up...thank god!
1:32 P is on the mat playing with her toys, A is digging through his toy box while I fold his laundry and make his bed.
1:38 P and A join me in the bathroom. A is on his potty and P is sitting on the floor both are smiling and watching me pee.
1:40 water for my soup is boiling. P is throwing her face into my boobs motorboat style and laughing hysterically. A is on the floor next to me showing me his boat and car.
1:45 I tell A it's time for his nap and we get his sippy cup and toy car, then head to his room. I give him a kiss and he kisses P goodnight.
1:46 I kiss P and lay her in the playpen then start to make my soup.
1:54 A is singing the alphabet in his crib and P is making baby sounds.
2:00 both kids are asleep and I'm enjoying my lunch and checking my emails
2:02 call from my bf telling me the mortgage is looking okay.
2:37 I pick up the toys on the floor and put the dirty dishes A's dad left in the sink into the dishwasher. Feeling happy the maid came today and I don't have to do any more housework.
2:42 P is fussing, I ignore her and eat my banana.
2:44 A's dad walks out of his room and asks if I can stay late tomorrow, I agree.
2:46 P doesn't stop fussing, I check her log then give her a bottle.
3:00 P finishes her bottle and is on the floor with me playing.
3:12 I fold second load of laundry while watching P try to grab a toy just out reach.
3:20 I eat my applesauce and answer a call from the bf telling something is wrong on the sellers end. Starting to stress over the house.
3:22 rocking P hoping she will sleep for 20mins so I can close my eyes.
3:30 text from P's mom talking about P's odd nap schedule today (She can follow our daily log online through the baby connect app).
3:33 P is rolling around in her playpen attempting to nap.
3:51 A wakes up.
4:00 we go for a walk around the harbor.
4:50 we return from walk.
5:00 P's dad picks her up.
5:15 A and I make animals from play dough.
5:40 A and I blow bubbles outside.
6:00 I gave A his dinner then say goodbye.
6:05 talk to A's mom in the lobby about our vacation and his day.
6:10 at my car heading home.

Chuckie Cheese in Sterling, Va

Nanny Hispanic, frizzy hair pulled back in a bun. Slightly over weight. Wearing blue sweater over a black and white top.

Kids: Little girl about 2 wearing white shirt and light green pants. She had light brown hair a little past her shoulders. Little boy about 4 in navy shirt short buzz cut hair.

She was driving a black jeep.

The little girl was riding a horse that was made for older kids and when she tried to get down the nanny ignored her and she almost fell. This horse was very high up. Then when she asked to ride it again the nanny turned her back the whole time not even caring that the horse was too high or too fast for such a young child. Then when the boy was taking a turn on the horse the nanny didn't notice the little girl had run off until she was on the other side of the game area.

Then as we were getting in the car they walked out and the little girl took off running down the side walk towards the busy street. The nanny yelled at her to stop but didn't physically try to stop the child. And then when the little girl fell on the side walk scraping up her chin and knee the nanny just kept walking to the jeep and put the boy in while the girl stumbled and cried by herself back to the car.

It broke my heart to see the little girl ignored like she was. This nanny obviously had no regard for her safety or feelings.

Washington, D.C. near Eastern Market

I saw a nanny at 1:30 pm in Washington, D.C. near Eastern Market yelling at poor little blonde girl, probably around 4. She was a black nanny with thick accent, not American, and she was on her knees pointing her finger in the child's face screaming, "Shut Up!" Over and over. Little girl was crying and saying "Mommy help me." Was the worst thing ever! I told her to not speak to the child in that manner and I was a mother and you do not treat children that way. She of course told me to mind my own business. There were two other nannies with her. Probably about six children/babies in double strollers...They were in a red two seater stroller and girl was in the back. If I see them out again I will take a picture and post.

WOW!

Ok, we have had a crazy amount of submissions for "A Day in the Life"... please be patient in waiting to see yours posted because it will have to be done in the order it was received to be fair. Thank you to everyone that contributed, we had no idea this Feature would be so popular!

Warm Weather Has Arrived... Keep Your Eyes Open!

Your Nanny Sightings and Submissions may be:

1) E-mailed to isawyournanny@aol.com.

2) Left as an anonymous comment HERE.

3) Left as an anonymous instant message using MEEBO on the main ISYN page.
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We need CL-WTF ads, Perspective & Opinion, and of course... Nanny Sightings!

Nanny in a Power Struggle with 2yo Needs Help!

I need some nanny advice! (And just to be clear up front, I am not interested in any type of discipline that includes physical punishment at all.. not trying to start a spanking debate, just stating up front that this is not what I am looking for.)

I am a nanny to 2 year old "M." I have been working with M since October. She is a very active, physical and energetic child. She can be a little impulsive at times. She is not speaking yet, only saying about 5 words that are recognizable. (I realize that a lot of her behavior issues as of late are probably a product of not being able to communicate.)

Anyway, M has been having some behavior issues. Here are the main issues I have been experiencing with her:

* She kicks and smacks me, but not out of anger and frustration. She will do it without being provoked or being upset. She just simply thinks it is funny and a game. She has fits of giggles when she is hurting me. The more that she is told "no" or redirected, the more she wants to hit and kick me. I have tried time-outs, removing her from the situation, scolding her, and ignoring it (because it truly is my reaction she is looking for.) None of these things have been working. I try to stay very calm with her, tell her "Owww, hitting/kicking hurts nanny. I don't like that" but it just sends her into more fits of giggles. She laughs hysterically as she is hitting or kicking me. She also laughs and gets excited over time-outs. It literally has turned into a game, to the point where she ran over and put herself in time-out this morning after kicking me.

In general, anything that she does that I try to redirect or discipline her for, she starts doing more of. It is hard because she is pre-verbal, so at times it feels that she doesn't understand even though I know that she does because she is a very bright little girl.

I don't want to be in this power struggle, I feel so helpless and out of control. I feel like I am the nanny, so I should know what to do. Fellow supernannys, I need advice please, I am exhausted!!!

By Nanny Megan
Weekly Questions

1) Nannies: What do you find to be the most rewarding thing about your job? Parents: How are you able to tell if your Nanny is “good or bad”?

2) Nannies: What is the most frustrating part of your job as a Nanny? Parents: What does your Nanny do that frustrates you the most?

3) Nannies: What is your favorite meal to make for your charges and their family? Parents: What is your favorite thing that your Nanny makes for family?

4) Nannies: How much do you think you should be paid for the duties that you do each day? Parents: If money wasn’t an issue, how much do you think your Nanny should be making daily?

5) Nannies: What is your favorite activity to do outside of the home with your charge? Parents: Are there any activities you require your Nanny to do with your children, if so, what are they?

9:28 - Walk in the unlocked door and put my stuff down. The first thing I hear is MB excitingly saying "Guess who's here?" to the babies. I walk back to find them all on the floor in Toddler's room, playing, and both kids are dressed and changed
9:30 - MB gives me a quick rundown on any big events, plus how well Baby slept and what both kids ate for breakfast and when, then hands the baby off to me and goes back to her room/office, leaving the door open
9:35 - T wants a snack, because I'm here. I give him a couple yogurts and water, put my own snacks and lunch in the fridge, and put B in the high chair with some finger foods. MB made extra coffee for me, so I grab a cup. She hasn't had hers yet, so I fix it the way she likes it and go sit it on her desk. She tells me I'm awesome. T and I chat about what colors we're wearing and where our body parts are while he feeds himself. B coos and throws cereal on the floor, then tries to grab my face when I talk to her, which T thinks is hilarious
9:50 - clean the yogurt off T's face and hands and ask him to throw the empty containers away, then we play trucks in the living room while B crawls around
10:05 - put T's shoes and socks on and make sure he's clean, dressed well (DB has some questionable tastes), and his hair is combed, then take both kids to say goodbye to MB before packing them both in the family car
10:15 - arrive at the library. T plays with puzzles while B cruises on the puzzle table, crawls, and pulls up on my lap
10:30 - story time, followed by a craft activity. It doesn't last very long, but by the end T is pulling on my hand wanting to go home and show MB his craft
11:15 - home again! B is cranky because her nap is late, but she goes down right away while T shows MB his new craft. She makes a big to-do and hangs it on the fridge
11:20 - T is hungry! I let him help me count how many chicken nuggets and tater tots we're going to cook for him, and ask for which dishes he wants to use by naming their colors
11:30 - T's "lunch" is served. I sit at the table with him and eat my own snack from home. He only eats a few bites, then asks to get down, so I remind him he'll be seeing that food again and let him go play
11:45 - Playing with T with his alphabet blocks. I point out the different numbers and letters and have him name words the letters stand for, and what colors the blocks are
12:15 - Diaper change for T, then nap time. We have a very specific nap routine, and T knows once I say "No, it's nap time" that is the end. He goes right to sleep
12:30 - settle down with the family laptop, check my email, and fiddle around online. MB comes into the kitchen and starts making lunch, so I go stand with her and heat up my own lunch. We sit down and eat together. I tell her any interesting stories about storytime, then we chat about my life, her work, and what else is going on in the family. We get into a discussion about the pros and cons of supplementing B's diet with formula, and when she's going to wean
1:00 - B wakes up. I change her diaper, then give her over to MB to breastfeed
1:20 - get B from MB and take her to the kitchen. Put her in the high chair with finger foods next to me while I wash hers and T's dishes, then roll her over to the table and spoon feed her a bit
1:45 - play time with B! crawling around on the floor, playing with toys, holding her hands to help her walk, and just generally trying to make her giggle, interspersed with doing work/mucking about on the computer
2:50 - T is awake and ready to go. Change his diaper again, because he always poops during naps. NOW he's really hungry for lunch, but he asks for his food cold. I give him back the same food from before his nap. B gets back in the high chair and gets offered more solids and finger foods
3:25 - clean up T's hands and face, and start a game of chase. Hold B tightly while chasing T in laps through the living room
3:45 - shoes and socks back on T, then out into the back yard. T plays independently in his sand box, while B sits and digs up handfuls of grass. I mostly watch B to keep the grass from winding up in her mouth, although I do text my friends a bit
4:00 - MB comes out and remarks on the nice weather, then comes back with her laptop and sits outside with us to work. I take B in and put her down for her afternoon nap
4:45 - Even with MB outside, T is bored of sand and water. Also all his clothes are wet and covered in sand. I strip him at the door and tell him to run to the bathroom
4:55 - T is in the bath, splashing up a storm
5:00 - B wakes up, so I grab her, strip her, and toss her in the bath with T. I wash T to get it over with because he'll play in the bath forever
5:15 - wash B's hair, which upsets her. Take her out of the bath, dry her, diaper her, and put her clothes back on, then let her watch T keep playing
5:30 - T finally admits he's getting cold. Wrap him up in the towel and carry him to his room. B whines a bit at not being carried, but crawls after us. I put a clean diaper and clothes on T. He wants to put his pajamas on early, but I make him put them away
5:40 - T realizes the day is nearly over and asks me for a piece of candy. I go down the list with him - were you a good boy today? were you nice to your sister? did you eat all your lunch? did you have any time-outs? Since the day was incident-free, he gets the candy
5:45 - after running through a list of things to do with T, he can't pick, so I go in his room, get a book, and sit on the floor. T crawls in my lap and B pulls up on my shoulder, and I read them the book, twice
6:03 - MB comes in. B crawls over to her, sobbing, and gets picked up and cuddled. I give MB the rundown on when and what the kids last ate and she tells T it's time to say goodbye to me
6:05 - T gives me a big hug and helps open the door. I wave good-bye to B, and MB thanks me for coming, then asks T to thank me too, which he does. I walk out to my car and stop halfway through pulling away to wave back at T again

Hi-jacking Monikers...

Hi MaryPoppinPills...just curious, but there seems to be a couple of people on here claiming that someone is taking over their moniker..is this really happening or are people just regretting what they say and claiming that?
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Someone has been using other people's monikers and I can certainly understand why a poster would get upset about it... if you have been a long-time regular, it is your "identity" and you don't want someone else taking it, especially if their views differ from yours. If anyone continues to have an issue just message me and I will deal with it. Thanks! ~ MPP

Missing Days from Work... will I get Fired?

Within the past 2 months I've called in sick once gotten taken from work by ambulance once for a terrible problem and now i have to have major oral surgery...not happy! Can they fire me for this? It's just been bad ...and oh I'm getting married in 4 months and am taking my vacation for it ...so yeah should I be worried about getting fired?

The Home Daycare Owner

7:00am – alarm clock goes off.. hit snooze
7:09am – alarm clock goes off.. hit snooze
7:18am – alarm clock goes off.. hit snooze
7:27am – alarm clock goes off.. roll out of bed. Run around really quickly, washing face, slapping hair up in a bun, make a cup of tea.. wait for the door
8:00am – First child arrives – extremely excited and waving frantically. Greet parent, exchange pleasantries. Scoop baby out of parent’s arms and put her things in her cubby. Wish parent a good day, wave to parent out the window.
8:04am – Next child arrives, counting the porch stairs as she climbs with her parents. Greet parents and exchange pleasantries. Help toddler out of jacket and shoes. Chat about toddler’s previous night with parents. Wave to parents out the window.
8:07am – Next child arrives, parent is late to work – nudges child in the door without coming inside as well. Yells “Bye! Have a great day!” runs down the porch stairs and back to the car. Child looks tired. Help child with coat and shoes.
8:10am – Last child arrives while husband brings my own toddler downstairs. All of the children are excited to see each other. Last parent chats about a day off next week. Leaves quickly.
8:15am – Hand out sippy cups of milk to each child and seat them in a circle on the rug. Put out blocks and legos for them to play with while you make a hot breakfast.
8:20am – Cook breakfast for everyone, scrambled eggs. Sub eggs for whole wheat toast for the child with an egg allergy. Ask the two oldest toddlers about their night last night while cooking.
8:30am – Line up 5 high chairs, line up 5 plates, line up 5 cups. Seat all of the children and hand out breakfast. Sit next to the youngest to assist with baby food. Talk to the children about the trucks driving past out the big window in the family room. Ask children not to play with food.
8:45am – Wash hands and faces of 5 children and one by one take them out of their high chairs. Sweep floor and wash off each chair and tray. Stack chairs back in their place and throw away the trash. Plates in the sink.
9:00am – Head upstairs to the playroom. 4 diaper changes, 1 potty run.
9:15am – Turn on music and dance with children. One child shows off her latest ballerina moves from ballet class. You have her teach the other children how to do it. Children beg to hear song again, explain that it’s the radio. Child cries.. you put on a CD. Everyone is happy again.
9:45am – Time for play, children chose the basket filled with 3 million plastic pieces of “food” to play with. You dump the bucket. Everyone squeals with delight. One child complains that it’s not blocks. You promise blocks tomorrow during playtime. There’s only so many toys that you can take out at once. Children pretend to cook meals. Two children have a tea party. You sit with the youngest and manipulate the food with her little hands. Older children bring you plastic cake and you join the tea party. You’re tired and sneak a few sips of a diet mountain dew.
10:00am – Potty run
10:10am – It’s getting cloudy outside and looks like rain, you decide to talk about the weather. You ask the kids if it’s warm or cold outside. They say cold. You ask them what else is cold. They say ice. You ask them were the sun is. They say hiding. You tell them you wish the sun would come out. They yell, “so we can go out and play!” You tell them you’re going to try to go out in the afternoon, if it’s not raining.
10:20am – Snack time, you dice up bananas and pears and hand them out to the older children. 10:30am – It’s story time. You pick out 5 books about using the potty. All of the children gather on the floor and fight over who gets to sit in our lap. You tell them that they can switch every book, so everyone gets a turn. There’s whining in protest, but no one cries.
11:00am – Potty run and diaper changes. You suggest to one toddler that she try the potty, like in the book. Toddler agrees. No success, but you cheer for the effort.
11:30am – Bring children back downstairs and teach them how to play hot potato. Once the children seem to understand you step into the kitchen to make lunch while watching over the counter. Younger children lose interest in hot potato, older children keep playing. Younger children take out trucks and begin to drive them around. You warm up baked chicken cooked the night before, peas, and slice cheddar cheese while singing jingle bells 4 times at the oldest child’s request.
11:45am – you take out the 5 high chairs again, and line them up. You line up the 5 plates, and five cups. You wash everyone’s hands and one by one seat them in their chairs. You hand out lunch and sit next to the youngest, again assisting with lunch.
12:00pm – You talk to the children about what they see outside as they eat. Talk about the color of the sky, the grass.. point out the people walking by, the dogs…
12:15pm – You wash off everyone’s hands and faces and take them out of their chairs one by one. You sweep the floor, and wipe down all 5 chairs and trays. You stack the chairs back in their spot.
12:30pm – You have the children help you put all of the toys away so you can vacuum the wood floor and area rug. Children are so excited for the vacuum. You notice the children handing toys off to each other to get it done faster. You tell them that, that’s called “teamwork” and praise them. You get the vacuum out and all of the children dance around and try to run away from the vacuum. You dodge little toes as you go.
12:45pm – Potty run, diaper changes, youngest gets a bottle
1:00pm – Nap time. You successfully get all 5 children into their beds and listen to the silence.
1:15pm – 4pm – you sit as still and quietly as you can so that you don’t wake up the kids! You hear snoring of stuffy noses and children rolling over in pack n plays. You type out 4 daily reports and prepare them to be emailed to parents before pick up time. You add the day’s attendance to your calendar. You answer 2 inquiries about future opening from potential clients. You read some postings from a local parenting message board. You catch up on your favorite blog. You drink some a lot of caffeine.
4pm – Children start to stir. You greet them all and ask them how their naps were. Diaper changes and a potty visit.
4:15pm – Snack time again. You serve pretzels and sit in a circle with all of the children. You tell them about tomorrow’s art project and how you’re going to paint flower pots.
4:30pm – Youngest gets a bottle. Oldest start to put their shoes on. You help the youngest 3 get their shoes on.
4:45pm – You head outside to play in the yard. Children ask why there is nothing growing in the garden. You explain, like you do every day, that it’s winter and things will be growing again, because it’s spring soon.
5:15pm – You feel rain drops and hurry the children back in. Parents are coming soon anyways.
5:30pm – First parent arrives. They are excited to see their child. Child is happy and waves. Parent talks about their crazy train ride and you try to listen but are really watching the other children.
5:40pm – Next parents arrives. Parent asks what’s cooking. You share recipe for dinner that’s in the crock pot. Child doesn’t want to leave. Parent asks child if they want to stay all night instead. You laugh – nervously. Parent and child leave and you wave out the window.
5:45pm – Next parent arrives. You ask about their day. You know this parent a little better then the rest by now. They joke about a movie they saw over the weekend. You think to yourself how you’d like to go see a movie, if you could stay awake through it. Parent leaves, and you wish they’d stay a little longer and chat.
6:00pm – Last parent arrives at 6 on the dot, out of breath from trying to make it on time. Their child is excited but doesn’t want to put their coat on. Parent pleads, child refuses, parent pleads, refuses. More pleading. You smile and think that it’s so nice that you work from home and don’t have to do this yourself. Parent asks about potty training progress. You update. Parent ask if you have any fun plans for the evening. You laugh.
6:05pm – It’s quiet now that it’s just you and your toddler. You stir the crock pot and get out the plates. Husband strolls in and you finish getting dinner on the table. Husband asks how day was. You say, exhausting.