Workshop descriptions
Click the button below to see a grid layout of the schedule.
Please note- times are NOT accurate on this schedule- this is just to show you workshops
Please note- times are NOT accurate on this schedule- this is just to show you workshops
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Workshops
Social Media, Professionalism, and Community: Elevating Your Nanny
Career in the Digital Age
Jeny Lyn
In today’s world, social media and professionalism go hand-in-hand --
especially in the nanny industry, where personal connections and trust are
everything. I will share essential strategies for protecting your digital
footprint, maintaining family privacy, and building a strong, supportive
network of nannies. Learn how to navigate job searches professionally,
avoid common online mistakes, and elevate your brand as a modern
nanny. Whether you're just starting out or are a seasoned caregiver, this
session will give you practical tools to grow your career and strengthen the
nanny community.
Jeny Lynn is an experienced professional nanny dedicated to supporting
the growth and professionalism of the nanny community. She is actively
involved with the International Nanny Association (INA) and serves on the
planning committee for San Francisco International Nanny Training Day
(SFiNNTD). Jeny is passionate about promoting privacy, online
professionalism, and peer mentorship to help nannies thrive in today’s
digital world.
The Secret Language of Toddler Play: Understanding Schemas (12–36
Months
Why do toddlers dump toys, throw objects, line things up, or repeatedly fill
and empty containers? These behaviors may seem messy or confusing,
but they are actually clues to how young children learn. In this interactive
workshop, participants will explore play schemas—repeated patterns
toddlers use to investigate movement, space, and cause and effect.
Through real-life examples and activities, caregivers will learn to identify
common schemas and respond in ways that support development.
Attendees will learn strategies for recognizing schema-driven play,
designing environments that support learning, and strengthening their
confidence and professional understanding of toddler development.Madison Haskell is an early childhood educator, professional nanny, and
the founder of Early Years Expertise, a CPD-accredited platform that
provides developmental curriculum and education for parents, nannies,
and caregivers supporting children from birth to age three. With nearly a
decade of professional experience, more than seven specialized
certifications, and credentials in early childhood care, she is passionate
about helping caregivers understand the developmental “why” behind
young children’s play, behavior, and learning. Her work focuses on
translating child development knowledge into practical, confident
caregiving during the most critical early years.
The Art of Stepping Back: Skillfully Facilitating Independent Play
Independent play is a powerful tool for building creativity, confidence, and
problem-solving skills, yet many nannies feel pressure to constantly
entertain. This workshop will cover practical strategies for encouraging
independent play right from the start, including how to set up play spaces
that invite engagement and how to structure your own tasks so children
learn to play without relying on adult direction. We’ll also discuss how to
communicate the value of independent play to parents who may worry
about reduced interaction. Finally, participants will learn how to step in and
out of play with intention—scaffolding learning and extending play without
distracting children from their ideas.
Myah Lewis-Thormod has been professionally caring for young children
since 1994 and became a career nanny in 2013. She has a BS in Early
Childhood Education and has completed RIE training. She incorporates
her background in Montessori, Waldorf, Reggio Emilia and RIE into her
nanny work. Myah volunteers her time with Nashville Nanny Connection, a
local community group, and helps with planing professional development
opportunities and social events for Nashville nannies. She also enjoys
public speaking and has presented workshops at her local iNNTD and at
Nannypalooza in 2025.
Children Grow in the Weather We Create How the emotional climate
of adults shapes child development.
Children do not grow in a vacuum. They grow inside the emotional
environments created by the adults caring for them.Many of us entered the childcare field because we genuinely love children
—but loving children does not automatically mean we have processed our
own childhood experiences. In high-stress moments, caregivers can
unknowingly react from old patterns, unresolved emotions, and nervous
system responses shaped long before we ever stepped into a playroom.
This session explores how our past experiences, emotional regulation
skills, and self-awareness directly impact the environments we create for
the children in our care.
Through storytelling, humor, and real-world nanny scenarios, participants
will learn how to recognize when a reaction is about the moment in front of
them—and when it is coming from somewhere much older.
This workshop invites caregivers to move beyond shame or blame and
instead build awareness, accountability, and emotional regulation tools
that help break cycles rather than pass them on.
Jessica Rector is a Master Newborn Care Specialist®, Certified
Postpartum Doula, Lactation Counselor, and President of the Newborn
Care Specialist Association. She is also the founder of The Baby Boss, a
boutique agency specializing in high-trust newborn and infant care
placements.
With over 13 years in private childcare, Jessica has worked across the full
spectrum of the industry—from chaotic, boundary-less roles to ultra-high-
net-worth households that require elite-level professionalism, emotional
regulation, and discretion.
Known for her candid humor and willingness to say what many caregivers
are thinking but afraid to say out loud, Jessica speaks about
accountability, emotional awareness, and breaking generational patterns in
caregiving. Her work focuses on helping caregivers recognize their impact,
take responsibility for their reactions, and create healthier emotional
environments for the children they support.
Supporting Toddlers Through Bedtime Without Power Struggles
Jayne HavensBeyond the Nanny Role: Career Pathways to Household & Estate
Management
Many experienced nannies eventually ask themselves: What comes next in
my career? This workshop explores the natural career progression within
private households, from nanny to family assistant, household manager,
and beyond. Attendees will learn how responsibilities can expand beyond
childcare into household operations, scheduling, vendor coordination, and
event support. The session will also discuss the professional skills that
families increasingly value in long-term domestic staff, including
organization, communication, and discretion. Participants will leave with a
clear understanding of the career ladder in private homes and practical
steps they can take immediately to grow their role and increase their
professional opportunities.
Anna Podwysocka is the founder of the House Managers Network and
HMN Academy, a training center dedicated to professional development in
the private domestic service industry. With over 22 years of experience
working with high-net-worth households and placing professional
domestic staff, she has helped hundreds of families and candidates
navigate careers in private service. Anna specializes in household and
estate management training, leadership development, and career
advancement within the domestic workforce. Through her work, she
advocates for elevating domestic roles into recognized professional career
paths while providing practical tools that help household professionals
succeed in modern private homes.
Caregiver with a CEO Mindset: How to Show Up as a Professional in
the Nanny Industry
Great nannies do more than care well they also think, prepare, and lead
like professionals. This workshop will help attendees strengthen the way
they show up in the nanny industry by developing a CEO mindset rooted in
professionalism, structure, preparedness, communication, and confidence.
Whether you plan to remain a nanny long-term or grow into something
more, this session will give you practical tools to help you manage your
work, time, resources, and career with greater intention and excellence.
Tarnesha McCrary is an experienced agency owner, speaker, and business
coach with a background in childcare staffing, homecare, and nanny
agency operations. She is the founder of The Right Start Business
Institute, where she helps women build with greater structure, strategy,and confidence. With years of leadership experience across multiple
states, Tarnesha is passionate about professional development,
entrepreneurship, and helping women strengthen the way they lead, serve,
and grow in the care industry.
The Overlapping Workspace: Professional Strategies for
Nannies working with WFH Parents
Working alongside work-from-home (WFH) parents creates a
unique set of daily challenges for professional nannies. This
session offers a candid look at common friction points,
including blurred professional boundaries, interrupted
routines, and authority confusion. Discover how to transform
potential awkwardness into collaborative teamwork. You will
leave with proactive communication strategies and practical
solutions that protect your professional role and demonstrate
your respect of the parents, while ensuring a harmonious
environment for the children, the parents, and yourself.
Jordan Ramirez
With over 8 years of professional nanny experience, Jordan
specializes in partnering with work-from-home families during
the maternity, infant, and breastfeeding stages through
toddlerhood. Her approach centers on collaborative, relationship-
based care that supports both child development and family
dynamics. In addition to her work as a nanny, she is the co-
founder of the Triangle Caregiver Collective.
Surra Arielle Play from home.Baby And Toddler Bookworms
This training is designed to enhance your understanding of early
literacy development in infants and toddlers and give you
strategies to foster a child’s love of reading! You will gain a
deeper understanding of why reading matters and learn quick
strategies to support language development during book
reading time. Best of all, you will leave with tools to solve
common reading struggles you probably encounter when
reading to infants and toddlers.
Kelly Goldberg
What to do when you don’t understand what a child says:
It can be frustrating for both you and a child when you don’t
understand what they said. This training provides information
on speech sound development from 1-6 years old so you know
what sounds a child should be saying at specific ages. You will
learn quick and easy strategies to support sound development
as well as tips for ways you can respond that reduces frustration
and increases communication when you have no idea what a
child said.
Kelly Goldberg
Kelly Goldberg is a pediatric speech-language pathologist, early
intervention specialist, and former in-home child care owner. She
earned both her Bachelor and Master of Science degrees in
Speech-Language Pathology and has been a licensed Speech-
Language Pathologist (SLP) since 2009. Kelly has spent her
career working with children from birth to age five in homes and
child care settings focusing on supporting providers caring for
children https://www.instagram.com/solutions_with_nan/ special
needs and teaching strategies for communication, feeding, early
literacy, behavior, and more. Today, she combines her clinical
expertise and classroom experience to create child care trainingsthat address real problems with practical solutions so teachers
feel more confident and better equipped to support every child in
their care.
Discipline Kerri Nachlas
https://www.instagram.com/solutions_with_nan/
Adventurous little eaters : Baby led weaning for confident caregivers
Helping nannies and caregivers feel confident and supported in
introducing solids through Baby-Led Weaning (BLW). This workshop
explores infant feeding readiness, oral-motor development, allergen
awareness, safety, and the caregiver’s role in creating positive mealtime
experiences. Attendees will learn practical ways to support families using
BLW, purées, or combination feeding approaches while improving
communication with parents and working alongside pediatric guidance.
Based on real-life NYC nanny experience, current feeding research, and
developmental-based caregiving practices.
Esterlita Beja is a New York City nanny of 25 years, Baby-Led Weaning
(BLW) nanny/educator, and founder of Kids & Kaboodles Nanny Agency, a
New York State licensed nanny agency. She specializes in infant and
toddler care, Baby-Led Weaning support, caregiver-parent
communication, and relationship-led childcare practices. Esterlita is also
the creator of Adventurous Little Eaters: Baby-Led Weaning for Confident
Caregivers, an educational online program designed to help nannies and
caregivers feel more confident introducing solids safely and
developmentally. Her work combines hands-on NYC nanny experience,practical caregiving strategies, and current feeding research to support
families and childcare professionals.
Pascale Brady
Franny Wood