I’ve been a nanny many times in my life. I’ve always said that I couldn’t believe God gave me the empathy, love and understanding of kids if he didn’t mean me to have any… Well, at age 40 you wonder if the kids thing is going to happen… I haven’t ruled it out… but, you have to be a bit realistic… so maybe the having of it was all about the kids I’ve loved and looked after all these years… Oh, and for the nephews and niece… there’s some big love, right there…
In any case, I started real nannying (as opposed to casual babysitting) in 1988 when I lived overseas for 3 years and carried it on back in NZ from 1991 (including 8 months of unemployment and casual babysitting) right through until 1995. There’s no question I’m good at it, but it isn’t exactly an intellectually stimulating pastime (no disrespect intended to anyone involved in full-time domestic pursuits). I thought maybe my life path might meander from nannying into childcare in formal centres but really didn’t bond with that at all well…
When I quit NZ to come to Oz I was a full time student and for my 2nd year nannying was the perfect job… I got provided with a car and the hours really suited my study timetable but it wasn’t the world’s best job and I got to the end of that I decided I could earn more with less stress being a checkout chick… so I decided that I’d done the nannying thing for the last time…
Until 2009.
I know, I couldn’t be more surprised either.
It has turned out perfectly that I met Liv when answering a posting on findababysitter. I interviewed for a casual connection, just evenings occasionally… but we hit it off and she offered me a day a week while I was waiting for Uni to start… it turned into 2 days during Feb and I really thought we’d turn it back into casual evening work once I knew my timetable… But the job has been going so well, even after a very difficult first month with the little miss battling stranger danger, that they really wanted to keep me… and truth is, I’m really happy to have the work I’d have had very definite rent payment issues without it!!
The kids are great, Mister, a 4year old boy and and Missy an 8month old girl, Mister summed up is feelings the other day by saying “Dee, you’re the best babysitter in the WORLD.”
Can’t really say much more than that…
