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.
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