What I Do
What I Do: The Life and Style of a Nanny
How I Got Started
Since we can’t all be #blessed with the ability to blog full time (#goals), I obviously have a day job that provides financial stability in order for me to blog on the side. I graduated college with an elementary education degree. I have always known I wanted to work with children ever since I was a little girl. I was babysitting kids as early as nine years old while the parents would work from home or clean the house. I decided to pursue education in college and loved learning how to teach. I became a second grade teacher straight out of college. I worked here in Raleigh at a year round school. As much as I loved the kids and the actual teaching I was able to do, the paper work, constant testing, classroom management, and endless hours spent outside the classroom was all too much for me.
I honestly believe I was at the wrong school for a brand new teacher, which is a shame. It was a great elementary school but provided very little support for new teachers and the year round system made it even harder on me to collaborate with my fellow teachers. We were a multi track system which meant I was the only teacher in second grade teaching triple digit addition at that point in the school year. Other teachers would be on a completely different curriculum schedule due to the fact that we had breaks at different times of the year. I struggled to keep my head above water and constantly felt like I was drowning in the classroom. It was a hard year for me and I decided then that after the school year I would put teaching aside for the time being. Kyle and I were married at the end of the school year and decided to move to Wilmington. I made the decision to go back to being a nanny after the move. I had been a nanny for two years for my sweet flower girls while finishing up school online and loved my time with them. As sad as it is to say, teachers in North Carolina are some of the most underpaid in the country and I made the same amount if not more as a nanny, for way less hours and stress.
I Am Not a Babysitter
I have now worked for 4 families long term along with countless other short term, fill in type work. I hate when people call me a babysitter. A babysitter is a high school or college student who watches the children for a parent’s night out. A babysitter does not get paid a salary or have benefits. A babysitter does not have paid time off or hold a steady long term position. A babysitter is a very important role and many times necessary for parent’s sanity. But I am not a babysitter. I have spent years dedicating my life to caring for other people’s children. I am a professional worker with years of experience and a very good understanding of what I am worth. I used to be embarrassed as a woman in my late twenties saying that I was a nanny. But I am incredibly proud of the career I have built for myself and the quality care I provide. Nannies are a huge part of a family and should be given respect because of the insanely important role we play. Thankfully I have always been treated great by the families I have worked for, but I do know many nannies who have not been respected the way they should be. All that being said, I have a kick ass job.
Why I Love What I Do
Do you get to sit by the pool with a popsicle at work? Do you get to lay on the couch with a sweet chubby baby at work? Do you get to go on fun adventures to the park, museum, or beach at work? I do! Believe me, it is not all fun and games, but a lot of the time it is, and I mean literal games. Not everyone is cut out to be a nanny, but it honestly comes natural to me. I dreaded every day going into the classroom. I definitely have my days where the last thing I want to do is play yet another damn round of hide and go seek, but for the most part I enjoy going to work. I love blogging on the side because it’s not like being a nanny is very fulfilling creatively, but it gives me the stress free workplace where I have the mental energy at the end of the day to pursue a creative hustle on the side.
The Love of a Nanny
I have fallen in love with every child I have worked with. It is hard not to when you spend more time with them than their own parents sometimes. I probably fall too much in love with these kids compared to other nannies but I think that is better than the alternative of not giving enough love. My first nanny gig I used to spend a good chunk of my paycheck buying the two little girls things because they were just too cute not to have matching swimsuit cover ups or the best doll bunk beds. The 7 month old I work for now is my first boy baby and he got me quick. Sometimes it takes me some time to fall for them but his beautiful dark eyes got me right away! Because I love these kids almost like they are my own, it takes care of my baby fever. Kyle and I are not ready for kids yet but I obviously have a pretty bad case of baby fever. It works out nicely for me that I get my baby snuggles in during the day but I can still sleep till noon on the weekends!
Nanny Life
I encourage anyone thinking about getting into the nanny world to give it a try. As long as you have some experience and the understanding of how to provide quality care it is a wonderful job. I have found the majority of my positions through Care.com and can’t recommend them enough. It takes some time, and I have had the opportunity to be picky in the past about what families I decide to work with. My best friend has two children and has always been scared of hiring a care giver. Yes, there are horrific nanny stories out there that would scare anyone. But I can assure you that the majority of us are highly qualified professional care providers who will love the kids we work with with everything we have to give. It is not he highest paying job I could have perused, but with my background, degree, and experience, I get paid well for what I do. I love what I do and for this point in my life it is the perfect gig for my lifestyle.
Here’s to baby snuggles and work days at the pool.
