Feelin’ Good Again
Posted: January 15, 2013 Filed under: Miss Cheryl, Tales, Tips | Tags: Big Cat, captain awesome, childcare, children, fake it til you make it, feelin' good again, love being a nanny, Mr.Man, nanny, nannying, nannying as therapy, nannying cheers me up, nannying makes me happy, parents, Rebel, smile, sweet, sympathy 2 Comments
For all “boo-boo”s I have kissed and made better, for all the frowns I’ve turned upside-down, and for those cloudy days I’ve brought a bit of sunshine to, there are many moments in my life that have been made better by the kiddos. Nannying, at times, has been the only way a truly terrible day has been made better. Read the rest of this entry »
Sick!
Posted: January 8, 2013 Filed under: Miss Cheryl, Tales, Tips | Tags: barf, Big Cat, Boss lady, captain awesome, children throwing up, Doc, Mr.Man, princess, Rebel, sick children, sick with the nanny, sick! shel silverstein, vomit 5 Comments
A question I get very often when people hear that I’m a nanny is, “Do you do diapers(insert disgusted nose wrinkle)?” to which I amusedly reply that, yes, I do “do diapers”. Oh, if only they knew. I’ve changed the worst diapers imaginable, though at times in the life of a Supernanny, diapers are the least of my worries. I usually concentrate the majority of my time and energy on making sure the kiddos are having fun, cared for properly, learning, and behaving well. It takes a lot of energy to make sure all of these stars align, even in the best kiddos’ homes. However, when an ailment is afoot, then my skills, sanity, and stomach are often put to the test. Read the rest of this entry »
Catch-A-Phrase Reloaded
Posted: December 13, 2012 Filed under: Miss Cheryl, Tales | Tags: Big Cat, catchy phrase, catchy phrases, Doc, funny phrases, Mr.Man, nanny, phrase, phrases, Rebel, Slow your roll, you're ok 2 CommentsIn addition to the aforementioned phrases caught by kiddos, here are a few more Miss Cheryl-isms:
“Hey look who I found in the crib! He/she says his/her name is ______, can we keep him/her?” I use this one almost daily with Doc and Rebel. Doc and I have quality time (reading, talking, playing) until Rebel wakes up from his nap. When he does, Doc watches on the monitor as I get Rebel out of his crib and bring him downstairs into the land of the wakeful. When we get to the bottom of the stairs, or round the corner into the living room where Doc awaits, I say in a voice filled with wonder and surprise, “Doc, look who I found in the crib upstairs! Look how cute! He says his name is Rebel, can we keep him?” to which Doc, eyebrows raised, smile on face says, “Sure!…Hiiii Re-bel!” Doc loves a good inside joke, while Rebel (the classic second child) is always happy for extra attention. Read the rest of this entry »
Don’t Speak!
Posted: December 11, 2012 Filed under: Miss Cheryl, Tales, Tips, Tunes | Tags: Big Cat, Boss lady, El Fuego, kiddos, kids, nanny, quiet, Rebel, Sassafras, shhh, silence is golden Leave a comment
Besides being the definitive breakup song of my middle school years, Don’t Speak is also a great dollop of nannying advice. Like Gwyn Stefani, I use my voice a lot at work. I spend my days reading to the kiddos, baby-talking to the infants, singing little ones to sleep, conversing, answering questions, giving directions; nannying is a vivacious variety of verbalization. And though the kiddos crave my words, my songs, my vocal attentions, I’ve learned that sometimes they just need me to shut up. Read the rest of this entry »
Fishing & Friendship
Posted: October 30, 2012 Filed under: Miss Cheryl, Tales, Tips | Tags: Big Cat, children making friends, fishing, friends, friendship, kiddos, making friends, Mr.Man, nanny Leave a commentHaving grown up on the coast, and having an avid fisherman as a father, I began fishing at an early age, (even succeeding at times, as you might recall). I found and still find fishing to be awesome. It’s a great way to take it easy, reflect, spend time with friends/family, relax, and get some sun. On one particularly memorable day of nannying I took Mr. Man and Big Cat fishing at Town Lake, picking up their grandpa on the way to add some family fun to our idyllic day. The boys were so excited, not catching anything, but just enjoying being out on the dock, lines in the lake, finding fishing to be fun!
Let’s Dance!
Posted: October 2, 2012 Filed under: Miss Cheryl, Tales, Tips, Tunes, Uncategorized | Tags: Big Cat, captain awesome, children dancing, dance, dancing, dancing nanny, Doc, kids dancing, princess, Rebel 3 Comments
Hand in hand with singing, as part of my nannying repertoire, is dancing. I love to dance, always have, always will. It is a great outlet for energy and a wonderful way to bond with the kiddos. In some ways nannying is a lot like dancing. Supernannies leave stage fright at the door, as do dancers; people who are inexperienced with children have the same pained facial expressions and awkwardness as someone who doesn’t know how to dance. Supernannies just go with the music, and no matter the moves, feel natural. Confidence is king in nannying, just like on the dance floor. Read the rest of this entry »
The Sound of Music
Posted: September 25, 2012 Filed under: Miss Cheryl, Tales, Tips, Tunes | Tags: austin, Big Cat, deer, do-re-mi, doe-ray-me, favorite things, julia andrews, Mr.Man, singing, sound of music, the sound of music Leave a comment
The Sound of Music is a wonderful film about family, love, integrity, joy, and, of course, music. It includes life lessons about finding who you are, being true to what is right, following your heart, family comes first, and many others. Besides being my favorite Rodgers and Hammerstein’s musical, not to mention one of my favorite movies of all time, The Sound of Music has provided inspiration for some of my most memorable nannying moments. Read the rest of this entry »
Keep it Simple
Posted: September 11, 2012 Filed under: Miss Cheryl, Tales, Tips, Tunes | Tags: bare necessities, Big Cat, bubble wrap, children, Doc, gift buying, Mr.Man, nanny, play, shaving cream, simple, simple fun, simple toys, toys. cardboard box 2 Comments
Being a Supernanny, I am well-versed in the toys of now. In addition to shopping for the children myself, I often do gift recon as a favor to parents when their child’s birthday is coming up, and for past nannying gigs I’ve even done the gift buying (for the kiddos and their friends) for the parent. With tons of choices, different versions, “newest” this, “better” that, bells and whistles, navigating the toy aisle in Target becomes a trip into the modern wizardry of toys. When it comes to the kiddos I nanny, as birthdays/holidays come around I opt for books, educational toys, etc. and in my day-to-day nannying duties, I know all too well, that if it’s free, it’s for me! Many times, fun and fancy blossom from very simple items. The brilliance is in the simplicity! Read the rest of this entry »
Little Radioheads
Posted: August 28, 2012 Filed under: Miss Cheryl, Tales, Tips, Tunes | Tags: Big Cat, Boss lady, child appropriate radio, children, children music, children's playlist, Doc, melody, Mr.Man, music, pandora for kids, picking out music for children, playlist, Rebel 2 Comments
What kind of music someone prefers can tell you a lot about him/her. Some of the most revealing conversations I have had with friends and family have been about music, and it is through our mutual love of music, and The Doors in particular, that my fiancé Luke and I first fell in love. Music is a way to bond with people and provides a common denominator in relationships. (That, or bad taste in music can act as a red flag for someone you do not need to spend a road trip with!) Read the rest of this entry »
“Mu-sic/ Makes the Kid-dos/ Behave Bet-ter/ Yeah!”
Posted: August 24, 2012 Filed under: Miss Cheryl, Tales, Tips, Tunes | Tags: Big Cat, children, chuck inglish, cool kids, jammer, Little green bag, live music capital of the world, mikey rocks, mohawk austin, Mr.Man, music, pumped up kicks, the beach boys, the beatles, the cool kids 2 Comments
It has been said that the benefits of music are incalculable. Certainly in my experience, listening to good music is on par with a good meal, a relaxing drive, a beautiful sunset, and can recall memories of when the song was first heard- how I felt, who I was with, the happiness or heartache of that specific time. Music is something that can be universal, a shared experience with hundreds and thousands of others, or individual, with someone having an extremely personal response to a piece of music. As an ardent lover of music, I try to impart my enthusiasm to my charges. Read the rest of this entry »
Y'all Behave! 