Wake Up!
Posted: July 5, 2012 Filed under: Miss Cheryl, Tales, Tunes | Tags: Big Cat, cheerful, morning, Mr.Man, tired 6 Comments“My theory is that when it comes to important subjects, there are only two ways a person can answer. Which way they choose, tells you who that person is. For instance, there’s only two kinds of people in the world, Beatles people and Elvis people. Now Beatles people can like Elvis, and Elvis people can like Beatles, but nooobody likes them both equally. Somewhere you have to make a choice. And that choice, tells you who you are.” –Mia Wallace (Pulp Fiction)
I couldn’t agree with Mia more, (I’m a Beatles person, by the way.) but in my opinion, an equally defining question is whether someone is a morning person, or…not a morning Read the rest of this entry »
Separation Anxiety
Posted: July 2, 2012 Filed under: Miss Cheryl, Tales, Tips | Tags: anxious, Doc, nanny, parents, separation, separation anxiety, stress 4 CommentsBeing a Supernanny affords me relationships with the kiddos that result in less tears when parents leave than the average caregiver, but by no means wipes them out completely. Even charges I have had for years, who love me, and feel comfortable being left with me for days at a time will have moments when they just don’t want parent/s to go. Sometimes it’s separation anxiety, other times it’s that combined with other factors that make it particularly rough on a child.
When I first started nannying Doc, his Aunt Aspen clued me in that he had been very sensitive to separation from his Read the rest of this entry »
“Let’s Go Fly A Kite!”…and Other Logistical Nightmares
Posted: June 28, 2012 Filed under: Miss Cheryl, Tales | Tags: Big Cat, Doc, kite mishaps, kites, mini cooper, Mr.Man, outing, Rebel 2 CommentsAs a Supernanny, Fun is my middle name. (Actually it’s Annemarie, but for my purposes as a caregiver, we’ll go with the former.) When the kiddos have some activity in mind that they are excited about, no one is more excited than me- one less adventure for me to invent, and takes the guesswork out of the day’s activities- plus I love seeing them pumped and primed for an outing! However, just as the road to hell is paved with good intentions, so is the road to some escapades paved with catastrophe! Read the rest of this entry »
Haircut Hysteria
Posted: June 25, 2012 Filed under: Miss Cheryl, Tales, Tips | Tags: Big Cat, change, haircut, Mr.Man, nanny Leave a commentThree years ago I decided, after growing my hair out, to then chop it off for wigs for kids. It was something I’d been meaning to do for years but I had trouble letting go of my long locks. Turns out I was not the only one. Mr. Man and Big Cat (at the time 5 and 3) were livid when I told them I was cutting it short. I broke the news to them and was met with scowls and scorn for what Read the rest of this entry »
Dirt Off Your Shoulders
Posted: June 21, 2012 Filed under: Miss Cheryl, Tales, Tips, Tunes | Tags: Boss lady, brave, Doc, falls, nanny, Rebel, trips 3 CommentsOne may not think of Jay-Z lyrics when it comes to child-rearing, but what can I say? The “Best rapper alive!” knows his stuff! Another of my nannying goals is to help children become self-reliant in any situation, even injury.
Now, it’s very easy for me to tell the children to buck up, now that I’m full-grown, with an increased threshold for pain, but back in the day I was anything but brave when it came to Read the rest of this entry »
Dear Dad
Posted: June 18, 2012 Filed under: Miss Cheryl, Tales | Tags: dad, father's day, fathers, memories 7 Comments
As a nod to Father’s Day, I was, of course, inspired to write about my dad. It’s hard to put into one post all the memories and meaning he has brought to my life, but I’ll sure try. For me, having such an incredibly happy and blessed childhood, was contingent on having him as my father, and my happiness since childhood, I owe to him as well. Our father-daughter relationship has had its ups and downs, but has only evolved, and become stronger, day after day, year after year. Read the rest of this entry »
Who’s the Boss Lady?
Posted: June 14, 2012 Filed under: Miss Cheryl, Tales | Tags: Boss lady, girl, nanny, new charge, relationship 4 Comments“She will be mine- oh yes, she will be mine.”
Just as Mike Myers (of Wayne’s World fame) made this phrase unforgettable, so does it apply to one kiddo of mine in particular, Boss Lady. For the most part I have nannied for children who respond almost immediately to me- the vast majority do. With my cheerful attitude, and penchant for play, you’d be hard-pressed to find a child I can’t charm. So when a child doesn’t instantly bond with me, I don’t find it discouraging, I accept the challenge.
Part of the reason I have had little to no resistance in the Love-of-Miss-Cheryl department, is that I have had almost exclusively male charges. Out of over a dozen families I have nannied for, almost all have been boys. This has amazing advantages because- for lack of any other way to describe it- little dudes dig me. They recognize that, like them, I’m up for anything, I love being outside, and I horse around. On the flipside, when there is a girl thrown in the mix, it is an unexpected treat, and a true chance to hone my female-bonding skills. Read the rest of this entry »
Beautiful Disaster
Posted: June 7, 2012 Filed under: Miss Cheryl, Tales, Tips | Tags: Big Cat, clean house, cleaning, discipline, Doc, eating, funny, messy room, Mr.Man, nanny, nannying, Rebel, tips 2 Comments
As a Supernanny, I uphold a very high standard of household upkeep for the duration of my time with a family. That being said, messes still happen. When I first started nannying for Mr. Man and Big Cat, they were 3 y/o and 8 months. At mealtimes, I was always trying to stay on top of things—cleaning up every spill, scooping every morsel off the floor as it fell, wiping Big Cat’s lips after every bite. But as our days together continued, I learned a valuable piece of mealtime know-how: During meals, let their freak flags fly. Let the proverbial chips fall where they may, and do a clean sweep after. Otherwise you’ll drive yourself crazy and waste valuable energy better spent confronting post-meal hurdles (a.k.a. naptime, the word “no,” etc.). Read the rest of this entry »
Y'all Behave! 