A Tribute to My Nanny Kids

This past week I turned in my "nanny badge" so to speak. I have worked as a professional nanny for a total of 11 years. Here are a few pictures of some of the darling children that I have had the wonderful joy of caring for over some of those years. I wish I could include all of them, as well as the kids I worked with as a Counselor at the Boys & Girls Club and who I worked with during my internship as a Child & Family Therapist. But there is not enough room!

I have learned MANY things each day from the children in my care. Because of them, I feel confident going into Mommyhood. I am also curious about the differences I will observe between caring intensely for other people's children (sometimes for years on end), and how I will feel for my own.

I have also learned a lot from the wonderful families these kids belong to. While the children I nannied came from highly educated families whose parents ranged from Attorneys, Mortgage Brokers, CEOs, CFOs, and Pediatricians, to other highly successful Business-types, many of the children I worked with in therapy came from single-parent homes where meeting basic needs was a huge dilemma. I appreciated immensely the perspective I gained from working with kids and families with such broad differences in their backgrounds. One thing I learned for sure is that no matter if you are poverty-stricken or incredibly wealthy, no family is perfect: everyone just tries to do their best, and children & families can be amazingly resilient as they overcome the challenges particular to their family.

Thanks to my nanny kids, especially, I have learned to live a little more in the moment, let go and laugh, know when crying is okay, let the creativity and power of play flow (even if it can be messy!), how to really play in the mud, that letting them help even though it may take 2-3-4 times as long, how to use my imagination, how to spend hours on end doing a repetitive task and find joy while doing it, how to comfort an injured child - whether the injury is physical or emotional, how to read and re-read stories (sometimes the same story 20 times in one day!), when to say no, when negotiation is okay, how to travel with kids, when I need a time out versus them needing a time out, how to be silly and sing songs even though I am not a songstress, tested and tried secrets for getting infants and children to sleep, how to spend an entire afternoon dancing in the dark, how to be more mindful of our planet, how to use baby sign language, the signs of certain childhood illnesses, when to call the doctor (or not!), and that even though kids will always love mac n cheese and pb&js - they also love more sophisticated foods like hummus and cucumbers, if presented in the right way. The list is way too long for what they have taught me!

I think most of all, they have taught me how to love other people. When you learn to see the world through a child's eyes, it truly is a different place. More often times than not, a better place. And now, here I am, reflecting on this time in my life, these kids and their families, who have been such a part of my life. I love my family of origin, but am ever-grateful for all of the families who treat me as one of their own. I know it sounds crazy to say (especially to those of you who can't stand other people's kids) but I sometimes have this worry or hope that I will love my own as much as I've loved these kids. I mean, I interviewed with these kids and their families and chose the best match. I don't get to interview who my own child will be. But I am certain I will love Sawyer at least as much as all of these kids. For one thing, I've already noticed that even though he sometimes spends hours doing something to my ribcage that is super uncomfortable, I still love him. I just wonder what it is he's doing in there! Yes, he is already loved! We already sing to him, play the guitar for him, and read him bedtime stories. And Sawyer is going to have so many friends he will hardly know what to do with himself! Sam has already offered to teach him how to crawl. The very hardest part of being a nanny is when you have to say good-bye. While the older kids can understand, the little ones just wake up one day and undoubtedly recognize the void of a very special friend. I am grateful to all my nanny kids who have filled my world with laughter and joy and taught me the virtue of patience. I know it will all come in handy as I learn how to be Sawyer's mom.

Here's sending lots of thanks and even more love to all of you who I have nannied (little, not-so-little, and some of you who are now truly big!) And of course, to all of your parents, too! Thanks for everything!