I'm re working the blog! I know it has been a long time since I have posted, however I'm thinking up some new cool concepts.....more to come soon!

Working Vacation

I had the chance to work with a beautiful family from Germany once. When I say beautiful I really mean beautiful! Every single one of them had the prettiest blond hair I had ever seen. They were all thin, and dressed impeccably, always. In fact on my way in one day the concierge stopped me and asked how it was doing for my self-esteem to be spending all this time on the beach with such a gorgeous family. So to clarify I don’t mean beautiful metaphorically I mean it very literally.

Anyway sorry I had to make that clear!

While with this family my charge was a 2-year-old boy who happened to speak no English. The week was insane! Between trying to look like I belonged with this family, and understand the needs of this child, my head was constantly spinning!

What is there to complain about really? This family was staying on the club level of the Ritz-Carlton, which as you may know is where to extremely rich stay. The food alone is enough to make you wish for such a lifestyle! I spent everyday playing in the sand, eating at amazing restaurants, and learning a lot about the culture in Germany. From the outside this was a perfect job! However, if you were to have taken a closer look you have would seen that every time that little boy ate it was a huge production. The family (or nanny back home) had it set up to where you had to play with toys with one hand while sneaking food into his mouth with another! It was crazy! That coupled with the language barrier and the long hours made it quite an exhausting week.

I say all this not to complain about this family because along with being beautiful they were actually very nice! I say this because it’s important to realize that your vacation is not your nanny’s vacation. It’s hard work being in charge of children in a different environment than they are used to. Although we love vacationing with you, we may need some scheduled free time, or maybe a few days off after vaca!

Much love

-P

Spring is here!

Vacation season is a here! Weather you go to the beach, lake, theme park or anywhere else, It can be a rough transition. Vacationing is maybe one of the hardest times for nanny/ family communication.

As a nanny it’s very hard to ascertain what the family’s needs are at any given moment, which leaves you continually second guessing yourself. Should I step in? Do they want me to join? Is this part family time? It can be really hard.

I’m sure from the family side it can be equally as hard being that all members of the family are present. Keeping the nanny busy when not needed can be stressful as well.

I have had so much experience with this since I got my professional start as a vacation nanny!

I’m going to try to tell you a few tips and share some cute stories over the next few days.

-P

The other day I was walking hand in hand with E. She looked up at me and said

“Panda You’re my best friend”

I cried.

I love my job.

Sidebar Story

OK so, I know my focus is on discipline this week but I have to share this story that happened just last night!

I’m watching little E while her parents are in Europe. My husband and I have been staying at her house and trying to take her out on fun outings every evening. Last night we did pizza and one of our favorite spots in Asheville and then ice cream at The Hop Ice Cream. It was a wonderful night filled with so much laughter, including sharing a drink with E via two straws, and ice cream on my nose! Yea that was awesome.

Anyway through out the entire night E could not stop talking about her “sister.” Telling us her sister was in Paris, and that her sister was so happy. All evening I was thinking she was actually talking about her mom until she said something that made me think she really thought she had a sister (E is an only child). As we were pulling into her house I thought I would test this theory of mine.

“E” I said, “What is your sister’s name?”

Without even thinking about it she replied “Gloria Estefanan”

I broke down laughing, I couldn’t help it.

My husband said, “Do you mean Gloria Estefan?”

She said “Nope! My sister’s name is Gloria Estefanana!”

And thus the birth of E’s fist imaginary “friend”.

Next Subject

I have worked with so many different families with so many different discipline ideas. Some I disagree with , from “We never say no or anything negative to our kids” to “we spank first ask questions later.” Some I agree with like “we get down on our child’s level and explain whats going on. Then put them in time out.”

So this week I would like to tell some stories about discipline, how kids react to it, and give a little bit of advice, based on my experience.

Final Potty Training Tip

This story is from a family I have worked for since their youngest (who is now 3) was still being swaddled. I love this family dearly and have truly treasured all the moments I have gotten to spend with them.

On this day however, I was struggling to stay on top of the demands of keeping up with two young children.

The Big Sister had started potty training and we were working through a very real fear of the toilet. She had this way of “holding it” all day and only going when we put diapers on her for nap and nighttime. As you can guess this is not good for her digestive system, so we had all spent many hours sitting on the bathroom floor trying to make the potty fun!

After doing this for about 10 minutes on this day, the three of us had to move on to the Little Sister's needs, which was a diaper change (a not so fun one).

As I was doing this Big Sister was playing around the house….or so I thought. After a few minutes Big Sister walks in, looks me right in the eye, and says,

“I pooped!”

I start thinking omg! She pooped? Wonderful! She did it by herself? On the potty? Omg what an awesome……WAIT

“Where did you poop?” I asked, hoping hoping...

“In the kitchen” She replies.

Final Potty training tip. Your kids are going to have accidents. Try really hard to keep your cool and remember, you never got anything on the first try either.

Day Two of Potty Training

Day two of the potty training talk. This story comes from the little girl I have worked with for about two years. We are close, and she is wonderful. After moving out of her family’s house to get married my hours changed drastically, their need for a nanny was almost non existent and since I had just started Premier Nanny Source, my need for the job was in the same state. However it seemed none of us were willing to let go that easily. So I have stayed around part time doing things like picking the little one up from school and taking her home to wait for mom. On this day her mom had called me to let me know that they were working on potty training and asked me to please reinforce these ideas. I was happy to do this being that I had been pushing potty training for months before.

I picked her up and we headed for home. About two minutes into our 7 minute drive she said
“Hey panda?”
“Yes” I said.
“Did you hear about that potty train?”
“Yes I did hear about the potty train! I’m so excited!”
To this she replied “Yea, well I’m not getting on it.”
I tried not to laugh but couldn’t help myself.

Potty training tip number 2: No matter what potty you use make sure you child is ready to start. If not, you are in for a few rough months!

Signs He/She could be ready:
1 Very interested in the bathroom social scene.
EG. Comes in with you, Puts stuffed animals on potty.
2 Takes diaper off after making pee pee
3 Tells you they are making pee pee or poop.

Potty Training!

This week I will be focusing on potty training! I have so many wonderful antic dotes of children learning to use the potty. Here is one I love.

I was watching a new family of 3 kids, and the youngest

(about 3 years old) had just mastered using the potty. Although I could share many stories of all the things that happened that evening, my favorite happened just before bath time when she sat down to “Make pee pee”. As she sat down she looked at me with truly the most proud look I have ever seen on anyone’s face and said, “Wanna see me poop?!”. At this point I had no

idea what to say. In truth I did not want to see her poop, I do not find pooping

something enjoyable to watch or really to even talk about, but what could I say? She was soproud! I looked at her and said, “Um do you have to poop?” To this she said “No” and I breathed a sigh of relief.

Potty training tip number 1: Celebrate with your kids! Validate their success, even if it means talking about poop and pee pee.

So it starts

I have seen, heard, or watched many nanny stories through out my lifetime. Ranging anywhere from, the older nanny with big bag and even bigger imagination, to a more modern, albeit oppressed nanny for the park avenue princess. Although all of these stories have been entertaining, and pretty close to the truth, they are missing some major ups and downs. As well as some of the hilarious things kids do. In this blog I am going to attempt to share with you some of these things that happen in my everyday life. I have been nannying in some form or another for the last 13 years. I know seems like a long time being that I’m only 27. However I got my start being a mother’s helper, to a young mother of two at the age of 14. I have been everywhere since, ranging from a vacation nanny for a large hotel all the way to a live in nanny for one of the best families I have ever had the privilege of even meeting let alone working with on a day today basis.

Anyway I digress. Please follow me as I let you in on stories of families, children and the wonderful things they do.