Touched by a Nanny named Becky Kavanagh

Submitted by Karen Yatsko

One of the very first nannies I ever met was Becky Kavanagh and I was very lucky! She took me under her lovely feathered wing and kept an eye on me my very first nanny conference.  I will never forget her compassion, laughter and friendliness to a newcomer.  Since then our friendship has been a constant source of fun!  You cannot mention Becky’s name and not think of the word fun!  Attending one of her presentations at an INA Conference, I have the fondest memory of her asking everyone to remove their shoes and have fun!!  I was always sitting in the front row whenever Becky presented something as you might be singing and dancing barefoot.

One year I had the pleasure of going to visit Becky on her home turf and stay at her employer’s house.  I fondly remember meeting some of the children and got to peer inside Becky’s world as a nanny.  She really is a smooth and constant beacon of love - from the ups and downs of helping raise many children through her employers divorce, Becky had my admiration.  I never once heard Becky complain or have a bad day - her positivity had such an impact on me!  To this day, I try to always be positive because of her!! 

I also had many INA adventures with Becky!  We traveled to the NAEYC one year in Toronto to give a presentation on “Nannies as a Career Choice” representing the INA.  One Conference, Becky brought her sister and she fit right in with the nanny crowd!   Becky and I were both were nominated for Parent’s Magazine Caregiver of the Year Award, which Becky won!!  We both have served on the Board of the INA, and I remember Becky’s calm demeanor at many discussions and her personable tact with people.

We may be old friends, but I will never be tired of her smile and genuine love for nannies!

Taking Inventory During Times of Transition

I would like to thank Michelle LaRowe for contributing this helpful article.
It is great advice on preparing yourself for the next step going forward.

Taking Inventory During Times of Transition
by Michelle LaRowe

Whether your nanny job has a hard end date or you sense that the end of your position is coming near, you’re heading for a time of transition. But before you take the next step in your nanny journey, stop to take inventory so that you don’t forget to look forward as you’re focusing on your soon to be past.

Are You Ready to Move On?

If you’ve been in the same job for a number of years, chances are you have a strong emotional commitment and sense of loyalty to the family you’ve worked for. You may feel a variety of strong, conflicting emotions about the job ending and may be emotionally and physically drained if the job was particularly intense. Oftentimes nannies are more concerned with the well-being of the family than of themselves and as a result will put the families’ needs first when it comes to navigating their departure.  It’s no wonder that once a nanny job has finally ended, nannies often walkway feel completely exhausted and burned out.

Before committing to your next position, it’s essential that you access your readiness. Ask yourself if you’re ready to give your physical and emotional best to your next family. If you’re not, take some time for you. Picking up temporary and short-term assignments can be a great way to ensure you get an emotional break while still bringing in an income.  Doing so can also serve as career insurance,  ensuring that you keep your reputation and references intact - as it can be quite common for a nanny coming out of a long-term position to go through a string of jobs, some which may end badly,  before finding her next right match. 

Are Your Expectations Realistic?

If you’ve been off the job market for a while, you want to get in touch with current nanny industry trends and industry standards in the area you are looking to work.  The wages and benefits package you had at your last position don’t necessarily transfer to your next one. The way you communicated with your past employer won’t necessarily translate to your new one.  While you may approach the job and your new employers the same, the way they interpret you and your approach may be quite different.

When starting your new job search consider what is negotiable to you and what isn’t. Know what your bottom line is when it comes to pay and benefits and consider carefully what duties and responsibilities you are willing to take on. Be prepared to justify why you are worth your required wages and why you will be picky about the job you accept, rather than expecting to have the perfect job at the perfect pay handed to you on a silver platter. Remember, the agency or parents you are working with won’t know your job expectations unless you tell them. If you don’t sell yourself to them during your search, they won’t know what they have the opportunity to buy. 

Are You Easy to Work With?

After the first few nanny jobs, most nannies know what types of families they work best with and what types of jobs they are best suited for. Because they’ve been through a job search before and have high expectations for their next position, if not careful, their confidence can be portrayed as arrogance.  Consider when you go to a new doctor for an exam. The doctor has done hundreds of exams on new patients, but for you, this is your first experience with this doctor. How would it make you feel if the doctor rushed through the exam with an all business approach, expected you to take his word on everything without evidence, and showed no care as to how you perceived the examination process to go. Be careful not to be perceived as that doctor. Even when an agency representative knows you personally from nanny organizations or networking, she still needs to put you through their process to ensure you the highest level of representation.  Nannies who expect exceptions make it incredibly difficult for placement specialists to represent them successfully. And for many parents hiring a nanny, it’s their first time interfacing with potential nannies.  A nanny who comes across as arrogant or entitled will be a huge turnoff.

As you prepare for your job search, put yourself in the shoes of parents and nanny placement specialists. Consider how your attitude may be portrayed by them. Ask yourself if you’re prepared to consider the needs of parents and agency representatives as they put you through the screening process. Are you giving off the impression you think you are?

Transitions can be hard, but you can set yourself up for success in your next position by taking inventory of your readiness. Once you are truly ready to commit to your job search and next job, that is when you will have the greatest success.

Michelle LaRowe is the 2004 INA Nanny of the Year and executive director of Morningside Nannies, a Houston, TX based award- winning nanny placement agency.

Touched by a Nanny named Gael Ann Dow

Touched By a Nanny: The Wonderful Gael Ann Dow

Submitted by Becky Kavanagh

When Glenda first started this series I was eager to write about the wonderful Gael Ann Dow. For some reason I was having a hard time coming up with the right words to describe the person who is Gael Ann. Her unassuming nature belies the many facets hid within. She’s certainly a kindred spirit when it comes to her philosophy around children – providing rich activities and experiences while allowing them to discover and learn at their own pace. She’s absolutely brilliant with children. It’s just a fact.

Naturally creative with an artistic flare, Gael Ann brings so much to the children in her care. To those who know her she is warm, caring and tender-hearted. While she doesn’t seek attention, she’s happy to volunteer to serve or help when asked.  

Her quiet, self-contained demeanor may be the reason that Gael Ann is a great listener.  I’ve never known her to offer advice unless requested to do so. When she shares, listen carefully because it will be filled with wisdom that comes from an innate understanding of children, families and years of experience. She is the consummate professional nanny who goes above and beyond – a true model for others.

I have been fortunate to know Gael Ann for many years and keep learning new things about her all the time. What a wonderful nanny, mentor and friend!

Touched by a Nanny named Deirdre Bellows

Touched by a Nanny named Deirdre
Submitted by Glenda Propst

I have been in the nanny industry for many years. When I was younger I never felt out of place or uncomfortable at any conference I attended.
As my charges grew into young adults, I was always happy to share photos of them with my nanny friends as we sat around catching up and chatting. When they were young, everyone thought that they were adorable (because aren’t all babies adorable?) but as my charges grew up there were times when people simply did not know what to say to me, or how to respond.
It usually made me feel a little awkward.
As one of the older nannies when you spend as many years with a family as I have, you lose a lot of the common ground with younger nannies. It isn’t that they are mean or rude, it’s just different.
A few years ago, I was a conference and I was feeling very “out of place”
I had been in the hotel lobby and I had decided to walk up to my room and just order room service and nap, when someone walked up to me, was so happy to see me, and asked if I had lunch yet?
I said “No” she said “Would you like to have lunch with me?”
This was someone I knew but not someone I knew well. We walked across the street and had a wonderful lunch, laughing and talking and discovering how much we had in common.
At the end of lunch, when it was time to pay the bill, she said “I would like to treat you”
It was the highlight of my trip and it was also the beginning of a wonderful long distance friendship.

I was touched by a nanny named Deirdre Bellows . I know she didn’t know how much her gesture or reaching out meant to me, but it meant so much and I thought she should know.

Every New Beginning Starts With an Ending

I haven’t been able to change my Facebook status, it’s just too hard to see it staring me in the face, but after 3 months short of 31 years, I am officially retired.
I spent just 3 months short of 22 years with the same family. I had no idea in 1984 that this career was going to be so fulfilling, so life changing and so much fun.
If I had to sum it up in 2 words I would say “Incredibly Blessed”
I had not 1 but 2 great families.
My first nanny family I stayed with for 8 years and when the children got to be old enough not to need a nanny anymore, I moved on to my next family.
Leaving my first family was my inspiration for Nanny Transitions. My nanny training had prepared me for every kind of situation, every kind of emergency, every age group, every social situation but nothing prepared me for leaving a family with 2 kids that owned a piece of my heart and soul. As I went through that very difficult transition I learned so much about myself, about life and about how as nannies we grieve the loss of those children in our lives just as we grieve any kind of death or loss.

I realized that if this transition was this hard for me, it had to be equally hard for other nannies so I developed a workshop to help nannies know the signs a job is ending, to help the parents prepare the children and support them through the transition and most importantly how to take good care of yourself as you go through this transition.

When you stay with a family for over 20 years the difference is that you stay “through the transitions” My charges transitioned from me working 5 days a week, to 4 days a week to

3 days a week, to not working in the summer, to 2 days a week and finally 1 day a week.
When my youngest charge got her drivers license last year it was always understood that it would be my last year with this family but then those years went by way too fast and we discussed that maybe I would do every other week this year.
My husband and I are starting a new chapter in our lives and I made the very difficult decision a few weeks ago not to return to work.
I think my nanny family was a little shocked but my decision surprised even me. I am very at peace with this decision because about 6 years into this job, my boss made me a promise, she promised me that she would never take her children out of my life. If you are a nanny, you know what an incredible promise that is for an employer to make concerning their children, and I could never thank her enough for this gift.
After I had been with this family for about 10 years I realized one day that even though this job would end one day, our relationship was going to last forever. We had been through all kinds of life experiences, good, bad, happy, sad and we always found a way to work through our issues so that everyone felt like they got some of what they wanted.
I will never forget the night that my employers interviewed me, we had discussed that I would be willing to do Household management, errands etc and the mom turned to her husband, and she said “Honey…I’m going to get a wife!”
Great nanny /employer relationships are very much like a successful marriage. They require all those key elements, of mutual respect, good communication, willingness to go the extra mile, give and take and the ability to know that you can work through things together.
I could not have asked for a better family, and they are my forever family. That will never change.

Nanny Transitions helped me prepare for this major change in my life.
At one point when I was in a bit of denial, I realized that it was time to take the advice that I give to nannies on a daily basis.
Trust your gut, watch for the signs, and most importantly remember that Love looks forward……………….always.

One day as I struggled with my decision….it occurred to me that you can’t have a new beginning without an ending. I had to let go of what was to move on to what will be.
My heart is open to what comes next. Nanny Transitions will certainly continue to be an important part of my life.
Terry and I are making big changes in our life this year but I believe with all my heart
“The best is yet to come”

Glenda

Touched by a Nanny: Cindy Wilkinson

Touched by Cindy Wilkinson

Submitted by :  Stephanie Felzenberg

When it comes to nannies there are only a handful of ladies I consider mentors, as true professionals, and as the type of caregiver I strive to be like. There are even less I would hire in a heartbeat to be my nanny if I were a mother.

From what I can tell, Cindy Wilkinson  is the perfect nanny.  She is passionate about her career and the children in her care. She gives 100 percent of her heart, time, love, and energy to those in her care.

Then, there is her music. Music can be inspirational and fun for anyone at any age, but especially for children. Her musical albums,
"Jumping Up to the Moon" and "Jumping Down the Road" http://www.cduniverse.com/sresult.asp?qs=m852360 are excellent and all of my charges love her interactive songs. But to see her in action -- singing with kids -- is magical. I emphasize she sings with children (not to them) because she gets them laughing, singing, jumping, and dancing.

As a nanny, Cindy is the best role model and mentor of a caring, professional, and passionate caregiver. Working as a nanny is truly her calling and she is an inspiration to other nannies. Any family would be lucky to have such a kind and loving caregiver as their nanny. I am lucky to call her my mentor and friend.
If your life has been touched by a special nanny, send your submission to
nannytransitions(at)gmail(dot)com

Touched by a Nanny named Sara Green

Touched by a Nanny Named Sara Green

Written by Greta Schraer
Pictures shared with permission. 

I wish the local Cincinnati nannies had the benefit of knowing more national nannies, and vice versa. I so desire to see each excellent nanny respected and appreciated. Truth is we all deserve to be honored for specific and tangible things done to impact the lives of children. But today, I want to share with you an unknown hero. I want her to represent all of you that stand in the shadows, serving, with very little glory. (May your moment come, too.)

Meet Sara Green: A red head beauty with style galore. An itty-bitty dog lover, gold spray painter, and wine appreciator. She is a talented photographer and even before I met her in person (at Target by surprise) she let me into her life through pictures. She began nannying part-time while studying interior design, but she quickly found fulfillment and purpose and decided to make it a career.

We first connected online through CincyNanny, our community here. Her recent job is where I have watched her shine. She recalls the chemistry she had as she interviewed and felt instant trust. There was a sweet bond between them. Even as first time parents, her employers made her feel confident and capable. Sara has cared for twin girls L & K for 5 years now and tells me about the first days of setting routines and loving those babes. As the girls grew it was navigating discipline and timeouts. L is very self-driven, kind, comforting, and laid back. K is the spitfire, go-getter, sporty, funny, but also caring and sensitive. She loves them both unconditionally, appreciates their differences and sees them as individuals that need to be loved and disciplined differently. She is wise and in-tune.  Sara has routinely ended days with conversations with the girls’ parents. She is part of their village. Valued. Needed.  They have been generous with her and lavish her with gifts. She also recalls a hard week when they referred to her as “our anchor”.  As I hear her talk about her job, she beams. Radiates. She loves them and knows their love in return.  

To know Sara is to see love. She loves easily and loves strong. She is solid, faithful, a constant that has taught her girls and community around what it means to know trust. Her words are careful and thoughtful. She is open. She is easy to read and easy to know. It’s no wonder why she has found a solid place in this family.

This summer marks the end of her job. The family has transferred to Switzerland and asked her to join them as they make the move. Sara is there right now, transitioning her girls to their new life. It’s been a whirlwind, but she takes pleasure in the adventure. She knows her role, even as it comes to completion: to see them settled.  To feel the peace seeing them start their next season. I watch her live for each moment. She captures the joy in the girls’ eyes; I see it an ocean away in pictures. I believe their joy is impacted by the years of love, care, and trust she has planted. Those seeds will continue to reap a harvest throughout their lives.  They talk about saying goodbye and missing each other. L & K speak love and Sara soaks in every ounce of it. Though she won’t see them daily like she has, she will always know them…that is for sure.

Sara has already found her next job with a newborn and in just a few weeks that new adventure starts. Even as things change she knows that she is in this career long-term. She is one of those nannies that just emulate the role. This little one now gets to have Sara as her hero too. What a lucky little girl.

Written by Greta Schraer
Pictures shared with permission.