Touched by a Nanny : Janna Jones

Touched by Janna Jones
Submitted by Donna Robinson

Janna runs a home day care.  Many may not consider this a “real nanny”.  In fact, she talked about this at a conference. She loves the workshops and truly wants to constantly upgrade her skills. “I know some might not think I am a nanny”.  I had to cut her off right there.  I told her that it was obvious she had a passion for children and she was helping parents who could not afford a nanny but wanted to bypass the big childcare centers.  She didn't just sit them in from of a TV!  She has organized activities and tries to do outings when the numbers allowed. She will stretch herself when a parent calls in a panic and needs to drop a child off.

Doing MAD money takes time and money.  I try to plan a little as the year goes along.  Janna Jones touched me through the years with offers of “how can I help you?”. She constantly donating something to MAD or the auction.  This year when I had a big MAD event, she and I texted 3-4 times a week with items she was able to get by using her gift cards.  I once said, you should use these for yourself!  She brushed it off that she bargained shopped and these would be great for MAD.  She doesn't ask for any credit for her efforts.   She just wants the nannies to have a great experience.  She appreciates their hard work and how hard it is to get the finances for many of them to come to a conference.  I thought at one point, this is truly a giving person.

This conference a lot of my personal extra income went into MAD.  It was a special anniversary for me and I put all my emotions into MAD to help me cope.  It was private and while I didn't explain, it bothered Janna I wanted to do the Dolphins but might not be able to do it.  The next thing I knew, she and Cindy Wilkerson had paid it for me!  I am not used to being on the receiving end and yes, I was a little choked up.  This person, who worried sometimes she was not seen as a real nanny reached out to make sure  someone in her Sisterhood was shown sincere love.

Janna to me, is a real member of the Sisterhood.  When not doing MAD she is giving things to the Auction so we can have a great experience and raise money for a worthwhile children's charity.

It is her dedication to this conference and NannyPalooza, learning as much as she can to help her children that continues to touch my heart.

Thank you Janna for touching my heart and for your devotion to the Sisterhood  of nannies.

Touched by a Nanny Kim Dillon

Submitted by Donna Robinson

Touched by Kim Dillon

In 2001 I became the traveling nanny.  I had no idea what I was doing--just an idea. I found the INA annual conference for 2002 and living in Florida, I decided to attend.  Sasha of Nannies and More called and asked if I would co-workshop with Kim Dillon on Alternative Careers for Nannies.  I was pretty scared as only in business for 6 months but figured I would just follow Kim’s lead!  It seems my quiet shy Kim was expecting same of me.  She was one of the first of her kind to take newborn care on the road and became my mentor.

She did more than encourage as she gave me jobs when she had to leave and they still needed someone.  It was terrifying to follow a nanny everyone loved!  She encouraged me to believe in myself and she was always a phone call away if I needed advice.  After the job, she would call me with feedback from the clients.  She never failed to make me feel good about myself.  Through the years she was my best cheerleader and to this day she watches over me and tries to help if I need work.

Fourteen years of friendship would be enough to qualify for Touched by a Nanny. But in 2010 she gave love a new meaning.  We had lost our son to cancer and we were just trying to survive emotionally.  You know that "face" you put on for the world?  Kim looked right past that and into my soul.  She was busy and didn't often have time off but she made a 3 day weekend possible to travel from Houston to Austin to see us.  I didn't feel I could handle a visitor but Kim pretended not to hear and came to help us heal.  I consider that the turning point of surviving grief.  She held me, let me cry and then would say “we need to go get some barbeque" and forced Jim and I to go out.  She would even make us smile at a time when laughter was not possible.  Her last day she pulled me aside and said "we need to take Jim to a movie.  We will let him pick one of those action movies.”  She told him we were all going to the movies as a treat from her.    She would not let us pay.  By the time we said goodbye, I felt like a tiny chip of pain had been erased.  Jim is not easily touched but as he held me that day, he said “you have a great friend.  She didn't have to do that..”

I was not just Touched by a Nanny, I was Healed by the Touch of a Nanny.  I love you Miss Kim!