Baby It’s Cold Out-side!

(click here to listen to She & Him‘s Baby, It’s Cold Outside while you read)

Austin has rung in the New Year in typical Texas weather style: in the 70s one day, in the 20s the next. During this uncharacteristically long cold slow clap(as opposed to a cold snap), I spent my days with my charges, trying to find things to do inside. Read the rest of this entry »


Pic Post: Stuck on Me!

photo

While spending the day with Doc and Rebel, Rebel felt I was doing such a good job that he rewarded me with, not one, not two, not even three, but FOUR reward stickers! This is the kind of sincere praise that makes happy my nannying days!


Game On!

Of course I want the kiddos’ time with me to be carefree and fanciful, but I also try to teach them little lessons along the way. Education starts in the home, so on my designated days of the week, it begins with me! Read the rest of this entry »


100

As my 100th Y’all Behave post approached, I began to think of all the 100s in my nannying life. So many things seem either few and far between, or incalculable, but then others approach that round number with almost complete accuracy. For example, when Rebel for a period of weeks, and for whatever reason, requested, “Hundred kisses please,” after every smooch. Or when Doc asked me, “Cheryl, how heavy are you? Like 100 pounds?” to which I of course replied, “Yes honey, if anyone asks, Miss Cheryl is 100 pounds.” Read the rest of this entry »


The “Break-Up”


No, y’all this is not a post about past failed romances, (Not that I couldn’t pen quite the page-turner!) nor is it about the bust up between a nanny and her client (Though I’m sure there is a nanny out there with a heckuva story to tell!). No, pals, this is about my method for helping kiddos learn how to read! Read the rest of this entry »


The Pretenders

One of the best things about being a nanny is the opportunity it affords me to act like a kiddo again. Anyone who knows me, knows that I have a bit of the whimsical about me, and am prone to flights of fancy. I love playing make-believe with my charges, always encouraging them, when it comes to imagination, to Go Big or Go Home. Read the rest of this entry »


Help Me Help Y’all

Respons-ability!

Many times when I’m with the kiddos, my primary concern is caring for them, doing things for them, keeping them distracted and happy. In my frantic frenzy to meet all of their needs, I can sometimes overstep and do too much for them. Most times it’s unintentional, but at times it is deliberate, as I know that I can clear the table/ pick up the living room/ or pick out the day’s outfit much more quickly and efficiently than the kiddos can. However, this doesn’t do the kiddos, their folks, or myself any favors in the long run. The old adage, “Give a man a fish, and you feed him for a day; show him how to fish, and you feed him for a lifetime,” holds true for kiddos as well. It is monumentally important for caregivers to pass on knowledge in the form of responsibility to young ones. Read the rest of this entry »


I Think We’re Alone Now

As much of a blessing as siblings are, there are times when children crave individual attention. I remember as a little girl I loved Tuesday and Thursday afternoons the years I was in PreK and Kindergarten. These days were much beloved because my mama would pick me up from school at 11:30 and we would have the afternoon alone, together. (My sister, Laurel was still in school, and my brother, Buddy was at Mother’s Day Out.) We’d go to lunch, then maybe a store or two, whatever I felt like. I loved having my mama all to myself just to talk to her (she is such a good listener), and to have special time that was just for us. Similarly I couldn’t wait for the annual Take Your Daughter To Work Day when I would get the whole day with my dad to myself, asking him questions, helping him with work, and of course lunching out in style, both dressed in our office clothes. I loved hearing about his job as a petroleum geologist. He is so smart and was very good at explaining things to me. Plus, before seismic computers, he filled in the geological maps by hand, shading the various layers in with map pencils, and would let me color some. (When Laurel was asked in a school questionnaire what our father did for a living, she answered, “He colors all day.” When I was asked what I wanted to be when I grew up on one such quiz I answered “geologist,” mostly because I really liked to color.) I loved the alone time with both of my folks. As the middle child it was a rare and wonderful opportunity to have each of them to myself. Read the rest of this entry »


Just Breathe

This next post includes nannying/parenting advice from a rather unlikely place (airline announcements), delivered however from a not unlikely source, but from a dear pal of mine, Happy, who, for a time was a nanny herself (In fact she cared for Doc and Rebel before they became my charges). Read the rest of this entry »


Nanny in Kiddoland

220px-Alice_in_Wonderland

I recently watched Alice in Wonderland for the millionth time, both the Disney animated version and the 1985 movie (featuring an all-star cast including Ringo Starr, Sammy Davis Jr., Shirley Winters, and Lloyd Bridges). This prompted me to break out the Lewis Carroll tome and delve deep into this most whimsical and wonder-filled tale. It occurred to me while watching both films, and subsequently reading the text, that Alice’s experiences in the strange land of Wonderland/Through the Looking Glass are not so unlike those of a nanny entering the world of kiddos. Read the rest of this entry »