Blind Spots

Posted: November 8, 2012 | Author: | Filed under: Miss Cheryl, Tales | Tags: , , , , , , , | 1 Comment

Drivers have blind spots, generally located in the rear right and rear left of the vehicle. These areas make it difficult for even the best drivers to confidently make moves without an over-the-shoulder confirmation. Nannies, even super ones, have disciplinary blind spots, located in certain households, and in the shape of specific kiddos. Even the most experienced Supernanny will encounter a child/ren who make it impossible to impose discipline. There is no rhyme or reason for the assignment of a disciplinary blind spot, no criteria except the intangible power certain kiddos possess over the nannies who love them. Read the rest of this entry »

Supernanny Icon: Aibileen Clark

Posted: September 18, 2012 | Author: | Filed under: Miss Cheryl, Supernanny Icons, Tales, Tips | Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 5 Comments

Children, on an almost universal level, are always seeking some kind of approval. Some are hoping to feel treasured, others to feel smart, still others to feel that they are a good little person. Some want to be all three, some would be happy for any praise sent in their direction. Welp, enter Miss Cheryl. I am monumentally magnanimous when it coms to doling out accolades on my charges. I praise them to help establish their self-confidence, but mostly I pay them compliments because they are true. Watching The Help, and acknowledging its clearly problematic emphasis on white people capitalizing on black stories, I was so moved on a professional level, by the relationship between Viola Davis’s Aibileen Clark and her charge, Mae Mobley whom she calls “Baby Girl”. In every scene with Mae Mobley, Aibileen’s whole body language changes, into a mode of care and comfort. She’s definitely a Supernanny!  Read the rest of this entry »

Little Radioheads

Posted: August 28, 2012 | Author: | Filed under: Miss Cheryl, Tales, Tips, Tunes | Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 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 »

Playing Dumb

Posted: July 24, 2012 | Author: | Filed under: Miss Cheryl, Tales, Tips | Tags: , , , , , , , , , , | 3 Comments

As a lifelong (and thus far natural) blonde, I have worked hard to dispel the stereotype that all blondes are dumb. And despite the rare  (ok full disclosure, occasional) “Duh” moment, I believe that I do my part in elevating the perceived intelligence of my hair color. However, as a lady might with any job, I pick my moment to cash in my dumb card. How and when I choose to play dumb depends on the charge at hand. Read the rest of this entry »

Dirt Off Your Shoulders

Posted: June 21, 2012 | Author: | Filed under: Miss Cheryl, Tales, Tips, Tunes | Tags: , , , , , , | 3 Comments

One 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 »

Who’s the Boss Lady?

Posted: June 14, 2012 | Author: | Filed under: Miss Cheryl, Tales | Tags: , , , , | 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 »

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