Oh Hay Stranger!

I've come to realize that children have a sixth sense. They can spot a child lover a mile away. Erasing all normal fears and limitations.


This weekend my sister was in town. She was shocked by the car seats in the back of my Ford Escape. She had heard they were there but I guess it's different when you actually see a booster seat and a car seat in the back of your single little sisters car. But that was nothing compared to lunch in Malibu. Out of nowhere a little boy, Anthony (probably 21 months old), decided that we should be best friends. He later decided that we should share my chair. I humored the little boy, saying hello and hi repeatedly, but my sister made a cardinal mistake when she actually told the Malibu Mom that I was a nanny. The mom completely stopped even calling out the little boys name. So, after practicing colors and I taught him how to rip open a packet of sugar. Bon Voyage!

P.S. My sister told me I was wrong to show him how sugar comes out of a sugar packet but I have no regrets.

Sh*t My Kids Ruined . Com

http://shitmykidsruined.com/

I can not get enough of this site. So, I thought I would share. Be prepared to waste at least a solid hour clicking through photos of disasters children have left behind.

Favorite Things - Video Baby Monitor

When I first posted a few of my favorite things I asked for people to let me in on their must haves. I received responses with a few amazing products. The Sleep Sheep is one of my favorites but the product that I should have listed all along was the video baby monitor! This invention has saved so many mothers and nannies from opening the door at the wrong moment and ruining the likes of naptime. Of course we want to be able to see that everything is ok. Just hearing snoring or nothing at all makes us stand with the monitor up to our ear like a telephone and has lost parents hours of sleep. Quiet Sounds has a monitor available for $139. It’s really all you need, but it you are tech savvy or maybe overprotective and want a TV screen sized image of your baby sleeping those are available as well. Finally, spy gear used for a practical purpose! I suggest buying a video baby monitor at a well-known chain, such as Target. This way if it has any glitches you can have the comfort of amazing customer service.

The Awkwardness...

 

It happens all the time; people on the street, and even in gymboree,  think that I’m a young mother. I’m a small white girl in my mid-twenties walking around a nice neighborhood with a 2-year-old matching baby. We both have brown hair and green eyes so naturally people assume that I am Lily’s mother. But it’s not limited to Lily; I had the same conversations while with Kevin, an Asian baby. I think the main thing is that people have a stereotype of what a nanny looks like and frankly I’m not it. So, what do I do in these awkward moments? Well, usually I just go with it. 

If the person is someone you are only going to see for a few minutes, some times it’s not worth correcting them and then being asked your life story or making them feel awkward. Obviously, it would be creepy to take on a child as my own in some pretend world but when it comes to a grandmother at the playground talking about how she is so glad to see a mom at the play ground when all she normally sees is “day workers”… it’s better to smile and nod.

Show Me The Money

Working as a part-time nanny poses many hurdles. I would argue that the number one hurdle revolves around money.  For some unknown reason, at least to me, parents that work with “part-time” nannies are always trying to pull a fast one; whether they are aware of it or not. Here is my personal example.

I have been working with Lily’s family for over a year and a half now. When I met them Lily was about 13 months old and just learning to run around. I see them 3 days a week, every week, and have done numerous overnights with Lily. In all of this time, I have never been offered a raise. Yes, I did receive a little extra money for Christmas both years and a Starbucks gift card on my birthday but no raise. I never really expected one until baby number two came along.

Last summer, I started to feel like something was up. I mentioned the awkwardness and was told they loved me and everything was fine. A few weeks later, infant socks were on the counter and then one day a sonogram was floating around. I had a full on panic attack. I thought maybe they weren't telling me because they were thinking of firing me, or maybe they just wanted to wait until she was past the first trimester. I’ve never had a child; I don’t know how this “I’m having a baby!” thing works?! They decided to finally tell me in August when Lily’s mom was visibly 6 months pregnant . Mainly because family was coming in town for Lily’s birthday and they knew the cat would crawl out of the bag. I acted surprised.

You would think that the “we’re having another baby for you to watch” money conversation would happen soon after that, but no. It finally happened 2 weeks ago after I had watched both babies together and was not paid for it. I brought it up to Lily’s mother and she said they were trying to figure it out. I was patient. They finally decided on a $2 raise for the hours that I had both children. I basically said I thought that was ridiculous in the nicest way possible. and then came home and cried to my boyfriend. (Super mature, I know.) I’m scheduled to watch both kids next week… I really have no idea what I will be paid.

Here’s the truth: I’m AWFUL with money conversations. I avoid them all the time. My advice is to have these conversations with all of the “what if’s” when you first get started. Possibly avoiding all of the nonsense that I am currently caught in the middle of.

I love this family dearly but I feel a lack of respect at the end of the day. I have spent countless hours with Lily. I introduced Lily to her baby sister. We have recently put a car seat in my car for her and added chores into my routine. In any profession you would expect some form of a raise within a year and a half, especially if the work load doubles. Parents working with part-time nannies tend to play on the guilt of how expensive everything else is. But you must be strong!!

The moral of the story comes down to advice from You’ve Got Mail, or The Godfather depending on whom you are talking to: IT’S NOT PERSONAL IT’S BUSINESS!

So, take it to the mattresses. Get down to business. Be bold. But playing nice with these situations never gets you very far. Trust me.
 

*And for the parents out there, try to do the math. Put yourself in your nannies shoes or at least ask yourself how much your peace of mind is worth.