What Do Other People Say Are Your Positive Personality Traits? by Kenda Horst

International Nanny Association Scholarship Essay by Kenda Horst

What Do Other People Say Are Your Positive Personality Traits?
Thank you for creating this scholarship opportunity for Nannies to attend the International Nanny Association conference. This will be my second time participating at the Conference. For me, these gatherings provide a way to inform and enliven the career that has become my life’swork. It is a great joy to meet and talk with other Nannies from across the country and aroundthe world. These conversations, together with the presentations and workshops, help equip me in new ways as I grow with my children and families in this ever-changing field of work. I recently read the book, Lean In: Women, Work, and the Will To Lead, by Sheryl Sandberg, chief operating officer at Facebook. In the book, she cites a study that women are more likely to affirm another person’s accomplishments than they are to affirm their own. To say this another way, the study says many women find it easier to brag about what other people do than to toot their own horn. This is part of why I particularly appreciate the essay question, “What do other people say are your positive personality traits?” I happen to be one of the people who find it challenging to identify or to affirm my own accomplishments. That said, I have been told by past employers, and by others who know my skills, gifts, and abilities, that I am highly dependable, constant, and predictable. This essay is my attempt to toot my own horn about how these three personality traits play out in my day-to-day work life.


Dependable: to be counted on in various areas of your life.

Constant: to be reliable and predictable over a long period of time.

Predictable: to perform and to do things in a way that is reliable and constant in a daily routine.

When I think of these three words, I am reminded of the kind of Nanny I am, and the kind of Nanny I continually strive to be. The three words can be interchangeable, but they also each stand on their own. Parents find me dependable in that they can ask me to step in and do almost anything in their home and it will be done. I am constant in the ways that I interact with the children and the adults in their lives. The families that I have worked with talk about how I am faithful in providing and supporting a regular, daily routine for their children. I am also consistent with discipline, setting clear limits for children and supporting good boundaries for them as they grow and learn. Parents find these three personality traits in me to be a comfort in how I interact, not only with their children, but also with them. My dependability or reliability is found in the fact that I can be counted on to show up for work each and every day. Parents discover that their children will be cared for in a way that is consistent with their own model as parents. For example, I try to hold the same rules with the children that their parents maintain. Parents also find me dependable in that I will work to make their home and family life as smooth and efficient as possible. I work to ensure that the time I spend with their children is the kind of time they would like. I will also take on additional tasks around the house as needed, to help parents optimize their time with the children when they are home.In my experience, children also find these traits as a source of comfort. I believe that children will thrive when they can explore in a safe space. When I give children consistent boundaries it allows them to extend their roots and spread their wings. When I establish and maintain a regular routine for specific tasks and responsibilities, including meal times, bath times, getting dressed, and picking up toys, children learn a sense of self as well as independence. The constancy and familiarity helps provide a center or a foundation for children as they grow and learn and The question that came to me after reading Lean In by Sheryl Sandberg is, “How as a professional Nanny might I be an even better support to the parents and families I work for? I believe that the three traits listed above will help in a significant way. I would like to see the conversation move to an even deeper place, to a discussion of what families as a whole need in order to thrive, to help provide opportunities for more women to move into more leadership roles in more fields. This is one of the conversations that I would like to have with other Nannies, with my professional colleagues at the INA conference.

Motivation by Katherine (Katie) Dallmeyer

Here is another one of the INA Scholarship submissions. This one is also about Motivation.

INA Scholarship Essay - Motivation by Katie( Katherine) Dallmeyer

He can hear the door opening. The squeak of the hinges and the sound of the latch have captured his attention. His movement pauses. Carefully he concentrates on the low step shuffle dance. The toy that had been so assiduously chewed falls to the side, dampening his cheek on the way down. A voice sounds. It is muffled in the way sounds can only be before the sun has risen.  Could it be…?

“Good morning” and now he knows. Tiny arms wave, legs kick, and he accidentally pokes his own eye. He does not mind though. He knows who is here.

~~

Getting out of a warm bed into the chilly air is always hard, especially if the sun has not even bothered to show his bright countenance yet. It is an even more unwelcome task to scrape the foot of snow that unexpectedly fell overnight off of the car while shivering in sub-zero temperatures. Traffic will be terrible. It may be winter for half the year here, but that will never stop people from forgetting how to drive in inclement weather. Longing thoughts of soft sheets and a warm comforter consume her mind.

She is running late of course. Has there ever been a time breakfast was eaten before the drive? Her stomach grumbles, and she eyes the toasted bagel slowly freezing on the passenger seat. The pros and cons of eating with fingers she can’t feel versus leaving the gloves on and attempting a reheat at work are carefully weighed. Attention is turned back to the road; fingers are truly lovely appendages after all.

Sitting in traffic allows for some last minute planning of the day. A promising nap yesterday points to good moods for a visit to the museum today. A full, exciting day will then hopefully lead to more slumber, giving her the chance to do classwork. Education is important. There is always something new to learn, something new to discover. She finds it on her own through research and school work, and finds it too through his eyes.

This drive to know all shapes how her life is lived. She taps her fingers against the slowly warming steering wheel and remembers a discussion of parenting styles. Nanny friends are the best. Who else would share her zeal and return it with a constructive chit-chat? Feeling more awake at last, she downs the last sip of her coffee and pulls into her regular parking spot. Thank you, God, for heated garages.

The hinges creak. Why is this door so loud? She tries to shut it gently, but a decisive click sounds as the latch catches. Please do not let the noise wake him up if he is still abed! She whispers her greetings to her boss, just in case, and creeps into the main rooms.

Awake, and not by her doing!

“Good morning.”

The sound of her voice produces a volley of movement. He’s excited. His heels bang on the floor, and his bright eyes seek her out. A gummy smile that reveals two tiny, perfect white teeth greet her. He rolls and reaches out in an effort to get closer. She sits.

“Ahh! Ah!”

He is lifted into familiar arms. His hands slap her face, his toes dig into her thighs, and drooly kisses are pressed to her cheek. A wave of love flows through her. He feels it too, feels it and sends a rebounding surge. This is it. This feeling, this moment, the hundreds of moments that have led to it and the hundreds more that will follow. This is her motivation.

Motivation...What Motivates You?

The next few days we will be publishing the scholarship recipients and runners up.  They will be published in random order.

Thank you again to Marni Kent who made this scholarships possible.

MOTIVATION by Susan Fordham

          According to Psychology Today:  “motivation is literally the desire to do things.  It’s the difference between waking up before dawn to pound the pavement and lazing around the house all day.  It’s the crucial element in setting and attaining goals – and research shows you can influence your own levels of motivation and self-control.  So figure out what you want, power through the pain period and start being who you want to be”.

          In the real estate market, you hear every day “the sellers are highly motivated” and in the professional and amateur sports fields, you hear analysts say “what motivates him or her?”  And in my chosen profession, I hear “when will you get motivated to find a REAL job?”

          Where does my motivation come from?  For one, when people say something like that to me!  My motivation comes from the smiles and hugs I get on a daily basis, the boo-boos I am allowed to kiss away each and every day, getting down on the floor to roll a ball across the floor – now that’s motivation for me.  I chose my path in life a very long time ago, but I do believe it chose me a long time before I was aware of it.  I believe I was put on this earth to do what it is I do.  I have a long history of caregiving, some of it was very, very hard and some of it had such rich rewards, it made my heart

sing.  I chose to focus on the rich rewards and not the bad stuff, I chose to get up each and every morning and look out the window for something to make me smile, I chose to set aside special time for me and me alone, in other words, I CHOSE MOTIVATION!

          Motivation comes to me in many different shapes and sizes.  Sometime it shows itself in a hummingbird coming to my feeder or in a peculiar or intriguing cloud formation.  I look for these things in my life, I seek them out – it keeps me going.  My mind is open at all times to find the good in things, even when they can be so dark and scary.  Motivation can be very tricky – you may have to scrape away a few ugly layers to find whatever you need to keep on going.  But keep scraping, you will find it.  There may be times when the motivation is there, but you can’t see it or you don’t WANT to see it.  Maybe sometimes, it’s as easy and as simple as getting up and washing your face, clearing away the cobwebs and see what is right in front of you – MOTIVATION was there all the time!

          Children are my biggest motivator.  All children deserve love, respect and the right to be heard.  It makes no difference what is going in my life, what matters most is what should be happening in their lives.  They should be receiving the best of everything and it is up to US to provide that for them.  Children motivate me to be a better person, they motivate me to be more creative, they motivate me to take more time to smell the roses.  I have the BEST job in the world and I would not give it up for anything or anyone.  So for those people in my life who are waiting for me to find a “real job”, don’t hold your breath – THIS IS MY REAL JOB, THIS IS MY PASSION…THIS IS MY MOTIVATION!!

          

How My Professional Nanny Connections Helped Me through a Difficult Time In My Career

by Cynthia Augustine 

The nanny agency that I currently work with (Family Helpers) has helped me through many hard times over the years that I have worked with them.  Before I began working with my current agency, I was working for a family in the state where I grew up.  All of my friends and family lived there too.  The family I was working for got transferred to the other side of the US and asked me to go with them to continue working as their nanny.  I found myself in a state far from home, where I knew no one.  I continued to work for them for the next three years.  Three years later, the wife got transferred again, so I decided not to move with them to yet another new state and so, my job ended.  I had a very small circle of friends because as a nanny, I had worked many hours every week, which left me very little time to socialize.

I found myself looking for a new job, but because I was in an area I was still not too familiar with, I needed help.  I investigated several agencies, some of which I applied to.  When I met the people at the agency I currently use, I knew it was a good fit.  Finding Family Helpers has become a life line for me.  I could tell that they would be honest with me and help me to find the right job.  I got a job through them quickly, and soon I was back on my feet.  They have been there for me ever since.

The jobs I have gotten through them over the last few years have been very different from one another.  But, each job has been great and I have been challenged and have become a better nanny.  A good example is the first job they placed me in.  It was with a family where the mother had terminal cancer.  I had to go into work being happy and not let my emotional stress show.  Whenever I needed help, advice or support, I would call Family Helpers  and they always helped me figure out the best way to approach the situation.

The agency I work with is more than a name, they really are like family.  I have been working with them for the last five years.  It takes the stress away, knowing I have a good group of people standing behind me, ready to help me find a new job, or just listen to what’s going on.  They are always there when I have a question.  I call them family because they don’t just place me, collect their fee and move on.  They check on me to make sure everything is going well.  They help me if there is a problem and share in my accomplishments.  I know that if I ever need them, they are just a phone call away!

Advice to a New Live-in Nanny

INA Scholarship Essay Submission

Advice to a New Live-in Nanny by Rachel Massengil

When looking for a position it can be very helpful to find a good agency that is going to work with you to find a family whom you best fit.  If you are going to look on your own make sure to know what you want to do in a position.  You will run into families that will load you down with “light housekeeping”, make sure to have everything defined.  Having your hours defined is very important when you live-in.  The norm is to be salaried for X amount of hours per week and then a certain hourly pay for anything over that.  I accepted a position once where the hours were not defined and I ended up working 60+ hours per week, which ended up being below minimum wage per hour.  I trusted the family when they said the hours would fluctuate and even out in the end, especially because I had just finished a position with a wonderful family.

Have a trial period with a family where you both have the chance to see how you fit together.  With a live-out job you can leave at the end of the day and not have to spend much time with the parents, vs. when you live-in you may feel confined to your space if you are not comfortable with the family.  Personalities will play a big role.

Speak with a family in advance to see if they would include paid time off for professional development through wonderful associations like INA (International Nanny Association) and NAEYC (National Association for the Education of Young Children).  They are great resources and very helpful for networking.

Finding other nannies in your area to connect with is very helpful.  You can contact INA to see if there are any Nanny Groups in your area, or nannies.  This helped me so much when I started my first position.  I found an online nanny support group where I could bring up different work related questions.  The family also worked to get me connected with another great live-in nanny, who worked with a family they knew.  I was in a new area and this nanny did a great job helping me learn the area and provide support when issues came up.

Lastly, enjoy being a nanny!  It is wonderful.  You get to work personally with these children and watch them grow.  Give your best each day.  Have a great adventure!

Practical Advice for a New Nanny

INA Essay Submission 

Practical Advice for a New Nanny : by Amy Marie

I have been a nanny for about four years, so in a way I am still a new nanny, but I have learned quite a bit in those four years and am looking forward to continuing my career and growing as a professional nanny. When I think back to when I was looking for my first nanny job, I made a lot of mistakes professionally.  If I could offer advice to a new nanny just starting out, it would be practical advice. I would say get a contract, get as much training as you can, and pay your taxes.

A contract sets you apart from a “babysitter” and helps you and your new employers come to the same page about every detail of your position. A contract should include your hours, rate of pay, and a list of your exact responsibilities. It should also include emergency procedures, rules on driving, television, etc.  Some nannies have paid time off, insurance payments, a minimum pay, or extras, such as your employers covering some of all of your expenses for attending the INA conference.  Anything that you agree to verbally should be in the contract.

When you are just starting out, you may not have much experience. I learned that if you don’t have years of experience, you can often make up for it in training. Taking different childcare related classes not only teaches important skills that you will need for work as a nanny, but it shows potential employers that you are putting forth an effort to be the best that you can be. All nannies should be CPR and First aid certified for infants and children. Other courses you can take are water safety, parenting classes, and Early Childhood Education classes from a local college. It’s also a good idea to take the INA skills exam. It will give you a chance to test your knowledge, and it is a way for you to show parents that you are educated in the health and safety of children.

It is extremely important to pay your taxes. Yes, it means smaller paychecks, but there are many benefits to getting paid the legal way. The IRS can audit you and the family, and you will both be hit with back taxes and penalties. Paying taxes also enables you to prove income, so when you are applying for a car loan, or an apartment, you will have paystubs and W-2s to provide. Lastly, paying your taxes makes you eligible for unemployment if you are laid off. All nanny positions eventually come to an end, and having unemployment as a safety net until you can find your next long term position is incredibly valuable. You can figure out the taxes on your own, but many nannies, including myself, use a payroll service, which makes the process easy and less stressful for you and your employers.

Most importantly, congratulations on your wonderful career choice and good luck!