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.

The Transition of the Online Nanny

When you stay in an industry for 30 years you see lots of change and lots of transition.
So much of that transition has been good but today I wanted to share something that has been heavy on my heart and get people talking about it.
So please head over to Regarding Nannies
and read my article The Transition of the Online Nanny

Touched by a Nanny:Kenda Horst

 submitted by Marni Kent

As a nanny of many years, I have, like many of you, moved to a new city and state. In 2009 when  I moved to San Francisco I  settled into work just fine but there was always that need to connect with other  nannies for play dates, professional support and of course “Girl Talk”
 Another  nanny friend Deirdre Bellows told me about a nanny named Kenda I should get to know.
 Our charges were a few months apart so we had a lot in common. We did lots of playdates and outings and had similar work ethics. We became good friends.
Kenda is someone who does not seek recognition for her work as a nanny but as a nanny she is a great example of what a professional nanny should be.
She also deserves recognition for her ongoing work as a volunteer in the LGBT community.
As a nanny she is a child advocate, nutritionist, cook, and nanny whisperer. Even my 3 year old usually shy charge loves to be with her.
 She and her longtime partner are always willing to open their home to others.
Kenda became my friend when I really needed another nanny connection and my life is forever changed because she is my friend.
Kenda Horst is someone you should get to know and she has touched many families and children for over 20 years. She has my deepest respect, and I'm glad to call her my peer and good friend!

If you would like to write about a nanny who has touched you, please email nannytransitions(at)g(mail)dot(com)

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!

Touched by a Nanny: Stephanie Felzenberg

Submission by Cindy Wilkinson

     A nanny’s professional life can have challenges that are unique to our particular kind of work.  The isolation that comes along with working in a private home, rather than in a traditional workplace, is one of those special challenges.  Which leads me to the important work of Stephanie Felzenberg.

     In 1993, Stephanie began her journey as a professional nanny.  With her home base in Montclair, NJ, she has served many families in that region, caring for her charges for the past two decades. Stephanie also saw the need for connecting nannies to one another.  She understood our need for sharing, not only new information and educational ideas with one another, but also tackling some of the more difficult aspects of this profession. 

     So, in 2001, Be The Best Nanny Newsletter was born.  It was a publication she created for nannies, enabling them to share, learn, and network with one another.  And now, in the age of the internet, Be The Best Nanny has evolved into a popular blog.  You can also find Be The Best Nanny on Facebook as well, where she has over 4,000 likes.  Her mission for continually finding new topics for discussion, and added guest writers contributing to the education of nannies, has had an extraordinary impact on our industry!

     Stephanie and I have been friends for most of her nanny career.  We have been roommates at both International Nanny Association and Nannypalooza conferences.   I truly admire her for the tremendous work she has done, both as a nanny and as an editor/blogger.  But, I find her passion for fostering the camaraderie of nannies as equally important. 

     While I was vacationing in the New York area several years ago, Stephanie played the perfect host for me during the first days of my trip.  She had planned a surprise excursion into the theater district for me, where we saw a performance of Mary Poppins on Broadway.  The following day, we met up with nanny friends from as far away as Westport, CT for a cruise around the city. 

     Stephanie’s role as a mentor expands beyond the written page and into the lives of those who know her personally.  Her efforts to provide nannies with a stronger voice and a connection to others in our profession, has benefited us all greatly.  And, this contribution, which she has made, and is still making daily, will affect the lives of countless nannies for the better ! 

    If you have a nanny you would like to write about please email nannytransitions(at)gmail(dot)com

Touched by a Nanny: Clelie Bourne

Submission by Cindy Wilkinson

     Clelie Bourne is a long-time newborn care specialist, one of the pioneers in this area of the nanny profession.   She has cared for newborns, often those from multiple births, for over two decades.

     As with most of my nanny friends and colleagues, I first met Clelie at a nanny conference.  Being that she is from the state of Kentucky, I was instantly drawn to her warmth and openness; it’s a part of her southern charm that defines her no-nonsense, yet caring personality.

     Over the years, Clelie has become one of my most influential mentors.  During a past job search of mine, I was considering a move to her home base of Lexington, KY.  Via a couple of phone calls, she shared with me everything I was curious about in her neck of the woods, painting an elaborate picture for me of that part of the country.  

     Clelie and I have always had a “just call me with any question” kind of relationship.  Whether it was a specific question about infant care or my need for a listening ear to work through a more complex issue, she has always served me as a most trusted sounding board.  I appreciate her direct and honest approach. Sometimes I have found her guiding me to a conclusion I have known in my heart all along, as only a close friend and someone who truly knows you well can do. 

     I will end these accolades of my friend Clelie with one of my more memorable International Nanny Association Conference stories.  Years ago, I suddenly found myself homeless at our hotel in Dallas.  My INA conference roommate had greeted me at our door that her husband would soon be arriving to share our hotel room with her… a last minute decision.  As I wandered the halls of the hotel at 11:00 PM, teary eyed and with suitcases in hand, I came across Clelie and her roommates, Janine Gardner and MaryAnn Meddish.  Without any hesitation, they reassured me that they could make room for me in their room and took me in.  My problem was quickly solved by this act of generosity and TLC, an act I have always greatly appreciated and never forgotten.  We have often laughed at the various scenarios I might have faced, had they not rescued me that night!

     Our mentors will serve us in many different ways.  Clelie Bourne has provided me a trusted confidante.  She is someone who I can bounce off new ideas and always get an honest response; she is someone who will keep any of my concerns in strictest confidence.   And, above all else, she is a most loyal friend.   These are the mentors who will impact our lives the most: those who provide us with wisdom, support, and lasting friendships.  Thank-you Clelie!

If you know a nanny that you would like to see featured here please email
nannytransitions (at)g(mail)dot(com)

Touched by a Nanny: Mallette Parry, Julie Martinson,Monica Schoenborn, Connie Wegner

TOUCHED BY A NANNY

(Submission from Becky Kavanagh)

Dedicated, nurturing and caring are attributes of nannies but nannies who reach out to their peers touching them with care, concern and tenderness demonstrates a love of the profession beyond the norm. Often they are unnoticed except by those that receive the gift they offer. Sometimes the gift is in the form of mentorship, other times it someone to listen and still other times it is someone who offers sage advice. They are givers to the core, extending their help into their local community and beyond.

Four women who I know come immediately to mind when I think of this type of individual. Although they each are leaders they are not seekers of notoriety or the spotlight. Since that’s the case I would like to shine some light on them. They have all contributed to the growth and maintenance of the local nanny group along with giving of their time to the larger community.

Julie Martinson, Mallette Parry, Monica Schoenborn and Connie Wegner are to be commended for their work in the local nanny industry. Julie and Mallette are two of the three founders of Twin Cities Professional Nannies (TCPN). Monica and Connie are long time members. All have served or are serving as leaders of the organization. I commend them for their dedication to strengthening the profession. Each of them has also given their time and talent to the larger community. But it is in taking the time to council and listen to fellow nannies where their true gifts lie. To share what you know so that others can grow is a gift beyond measure. These women do so quietly, confidentially and with wisdom. To be touched by these nannies is a gift unparalleled.

If there is a nanny you would you like to write about please email me
Nannytransitions(at)g(mail)dot(com)