You know you’re a nanny when…

You find yourself singing along to children’s music in the car only to remember you are currently alone

You pride yourself in finding creative craft ideas using household “trash”

You go shopping for new clothing items and one of the first requirements is that it is appropriate for your child filled days

Your purse/bag contains more of your children’s items than your own

You are excited to have 2 minutes of down time so you can finally go pee in peace

You have a car seat filled, toy carrying, children’s book totting car, despite having no children of your own

You search for answers to the question “Why??” multiple times a day

You are able to wash/fold/put away four loads of laundry, unload and refill the dishwasher, bathe/feed/dress/diaper the children, tidy up the house, entertain and educate the children all without using the TV as a “babysitter” for the children

You find yourself explaining that you’re their nanny on a daily basis

Its impossible to scroll through your cell phone pics without stumbling upon pictures of your kiddos, or one of their many activities

You have multiple bottles of baby sun block on hand during the Summer months

You have to remove the stroller, car seats, sippy cups, snacks, and toy/activity bags before using your car 


You can suggest numerous local child friendly activities to desperate parents you meet during your travels with the kiddos

You arrive home from work with stained clothing, on a daily basis

Family Fun is the highlight of your mail deliveries each month

You get excited the craft store has stickers on sale

You constantly catch yourself talking about children, or child related things, even when you’re not at work

Submitted by Amber Jakelsky Backo. Amber has a Facebook page where you can share ideas for creative projects! It has loads of great ideas!! Check it out. 
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Some days my goal is just to get thru the day. 

Some days my goal is to raise the next President of the United States, Supreme Court Justice, Barbara Streisand, or Pablo Picasso. 

Some days my goal is to just hear the world "thanks" without the prompt. 

Some days my goal is to not say the snarky comments going thru my head when I walk into the messy kitchen. 

Some days my goal is to help a child filled with anxiety to breathe before taking the stage. 

Some days my goal is to breathe myself before losing my temper. 

Some days my goal is to say just the right thing, at the right moment, that will stick with this kid so that later, when times are tough, they can hear my voice and overcome an obstacle. 

Some days my goal is to find that last blasted sock so that the pairs all match up. 

Some days my goal is to say the right words to my fellow nannies so that they will remember the important work that we do. 

Some days my goal is to LISTEN to my fellow nannies so that I can grow as a professional. 

Some days my goal is to go to the bathroom in private. 

Some days my goal is to have my 2 year old finally put her pee in the potty. 

All my days the goal is to remember the feeling of a hand clasping mine, the sound of a giggle or the smell of sunscreen on a sweaty kid's neck long into my twilight years. 

Watching my 2 year old try over and over to pour a large amount of water into a small container and observing her dogged determination that there was a solution to this problem, I was struck that kids are natural scientists.

There are some things that little scientists have in common with the big guys. 

Scientists ask questions.

Why is there favorite question. AND if you spend even 5 minutes with a 3 or 4 year old you know WHY is a favorite question of the younger set as well. Kids don’t just accept the given explanation. They challenge and question why and even more important why not.

Scientists are interested in the world around them.

Scientists are interested in nature and the order of things. Their curiosity of the natural world leads to discoveries and new ideas. Can you imagine a 5 year old Darwin out in the backyard catching ants or spiders? Kids collect rocks, taste everything, dig, explore and are always riveted by the natural world. 

Kids and scientists are problem solvers. 

Most of the great discoveries of our time come from a problem that needed to be solved. Kids invent new ways to do things all the time. Just watch any 2 year old who wants to reach something on a high counter as she defies the laws of physics to stack things to climb on and reach her goal. Children naturally push boundaries, which makes for a great inventive scientist. 

Scientists are creative thinkers. 

To be an effective problem solver you have to think outside the box. At no time in a person’s history are we more creative than when we are young. Kids are able to take flights of fancy and wonder “what if?” which is exactly what science compels us to do as well. 

NOTE: this entry was previously published in 2011

Nannies are often more than child care experts. But some of the things we do for families are hard to put into marketable phrases. I mean, I can’t put “dealing with stupid plumber” on my resume. Or can I? (insert dreamy music and wavy daydream image here....)

successfully oversaw extended delays, picky interior designers, re appropriated living spaces and translated contractor speak into english-- Contractor Liaison-

got 3 kids, two parents and a dog out the door each morning with smiling faces and hope--Motivational Speaker-

dealt with multiple extended visits with grandparents, uncles, aunts and assorted family members where no one ended up in tears or in jail--Multigenerational Coordinator-

convinced 2 year old that spinach, broccoli and carrots would not, in fact, kill him--Nutritional Expert-

fostered a non combative relationship between family and entitled, over reaching, annoying neighbors--Community Mediator-

coordinated hundreds of school papers, bills, invoices, memos, notes, grocery lists, scraps of paper, reminders, permission slips and calendar notices--File Clerk-

go between and communicator of unpleasant household news and parenting decisions--Marriage Counselor-

got everyone where they needed to be even when they didn’t want to go or didn’t know where they were going--Logistics Specialist-

returned numerous boxes and packages from careless internet shopping, mailed hundreds of Christmas cards and thank you notes--Shipping Whiz-

made numerous blanket forts, hideouts, and cardboard princess homes --Non Traditional Materials Architect-

Now you try it. What would you add onto your resume?