Feelin’ Good Again

Posted: January 15, 2013 | Author: | Filed under: Miss Cheryl, Tales, Tips | Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 2 Comments

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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 »

Excuses, Excuses!

Posted: May 22, 2012 | Author: | Filed under: Tales, Tips | Tags: , , , | Leave a comment

As a self-described Supernanny, part of my job is to get stuff done. And by stuff, I mean tasks that the kids don’t want to do and the parents don’t want to do with them (chores, homework, etc). I take the initiative on this because I want the children’s time with their folks to be quality and fun. And besides, I can make chores and homework fly by with my mad Mary Poppins skillz.

I surmount the hill of have-to-dos by breaking up the routine as much as possible and making the kids’ required tasks as clear-cut and easy to complete as possible. I draw up a master list for each, grouping the tasks by proximity to one another—empty backpack, wash hands, get out containers for tomorrow’s lunch can all be done downstairs; set out clothes, set alarm can all be done upstairs; then homework time.  If you send kids all over the house and are constantly giving them directions they stop listening and/or get distracted. Believe me, I get it. As an easily-distracted child (welp, let’s be honest, person) I know how hard it is to complete chore after chore, assignment after assignment when all you see are toys you want to play with, books you’d rather be reading, your pals outside wanting to play, or (as would later become the biggest detriment to my being a productive college student) cocktails and swimming pools. I’m sensitive to the whole, “There’s not enough time!” feeling. I am actually well acquainted with that very excuse, as it was my constant companion all the way through college graduation, but never more so than in middle school.

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It’s All In The Details

Posted: May 22, 2012 | Author: | Filed under: Miss Cheryl, Tales, Tips | Tags: , , | 3 Comments

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Most of being a good nanny is making sure everything is done: the children are safe, rested, fed, all needs met. But to be a true Supernanny, the skill is in the details: making that extra effort and noticing areas of special needs in each child/family. When parents have very young children who can’t report to them, I am sure to write down the details of the day (think The {Insert Name} Report, a {So-and-So} Gazette) detailing when they were fed, what they ate and how well, any medicine they took, what games we played, when they napped/slept, their happiness level throughout the day, new developments (i.e. new words), and/or advances in motor skills. The same goes for when I do an overnight or weekend job; I write up a {Lucky Child/ren} & Miss Cheryl’s Weekend of Fun} record. Doing so a) helps me to keep track of everything at the time of, and b) serves as a great way to keep the parents in the loop on their children’s activities, meals, etc.

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