One of the most common questions I get when I tell people I'm a nanny is, "Cool, so do you, like, just play with kids all day?", or sometimes the "Wow that's cool so you just work for musicians, thats pretty fun right?"
HA.
Well...yes...it IS fun. and yes. I sort of "play" with kids all day.
What most people don't know is that I just washed my hair with blazing blueberry tear-free shampoo, survived quite the insane trip to target that included coralling 4 kids, spilled drinks, a tired baby, and a major check-out miss-hap, and am now reading about baby sign language.
I think I need to write one of those "you know you're a nanny when..." Those kinds of lists were huge back in the days of myspace and xanga....
So humor me.
Maybe this will give you a glimpse into the daily life I live as a nanny.
You know you're a nanny when: (Specifically...you know you're a nanny of a musician/speaker/author family when)
- You drive a car with carseats in the back seats and Highschool musical cranked up
- Your perfume switches between, sweet potato puree, spit-up, hot dogs and baby sunblock.
- When the youth you work with want to play with your phone they realize all you have are baby, fisher-price games
- Your most said phrase is "Oh, I'm just the nanny."
- A "normal" schedule consists of different hours and days every week and spending weekends either traveling or staying home watching kids all weekend
- You can change a diaper with one hand while holding octopus arms in the other (at least that's what it feels like)
- 98% of your photos, tweets, status' are of or about kids
- You can sing all the theme songs to Dora the Explorer, The Wonder Pets, and The Backyardigans
- You get excited when Parent magazine comes in the mail
- You are much better at socializing with the group of moms and discussing disciplining techniques than you are socializing with people your own age
- You're told you have a "mom" look when the need arises (I work with a youth group...they're real honest)
- You get two types of looks when you are out in public- The sympathetic, "awww poor single mom with four kids" or the judgemental "hmph young, single mom with four kids."
- When people ask if you've seen any good movies lately...you can ramble off every animated/kids movie but are pretty much clueless as to what "grown-up" movies are out
- You watch the same Animated movie over and over for months until the next big animated movie comes out....then you watch that one over and over and over.
- You're constantly asked if you are ever going to continue your education to actually use your Psychology major (I always laugh at that one, I use it everyday)
- You DO go out with your friends only to have a pacifier and baby wipes fall out of your purse
- You realize at the end of the day that you walked around all day with dried oatmeal all over the back of your pants
- You can stand in Target with your boss discussing/analyzing what the best sippy cup is
- You can have the worst day and have it all turned around by a sweet hug from a five year old
- When "Miss" has become a permanent part of your first name
- You spend all day smelling baby poop...but are unable to pin-point the source
- It's not out of the norm to walk around the mall with a baby in an ergo, a stroller and kids trailing behind you
- Sunday is your dress up day, sadly not because of church but because the rest of the week you spent wearing baby-food covered sweats
- You find joy and yet your heart aches when seeing simple accomplishments, like a babies first words, a kid reading you her first book, or facing fears and growing up
- You can make a killer heart-shaped PB&J, the best mac n cheese and a grilled cheese to die for
- You love analyzing birth-order and personalities
- You know when every "Kids eat free" night is in your town
- The workers at the local kids activity centers know you by name
- When you go shopping for clothes your first priority is to find things that are "kid friendly" and easy to move in
- You experience all this, yet have no kids of your own.
I could go on and on.
Any other nannies out there want to add on their own "You know you're a nanny when..."?
