April 11, 2003 - 4:27 p.m.

A Pet Peeve

What on Earth is wrong with choosing to be a nanny?

I am sick of being looked down upon by people who don't approve of my career choice. Is it so unimaginable that someone might consciously decide to be a nanny? I know a lot of people are nannies temporarily: while they are in school, while their own kids are young, while deciding what else to do with their lives, whatever. I wouldn't go so far as to say that I feel that being a nanny is my life dream, but I would call it a career.

I encountered a woman in the grocery store once with a t-shirt on from my alma mater. It turns out she had gone to Williams and two of her children are current students there. She asked if I live in town, and I replied that I do and that I am a nanny. She gave me a look of disdain that clearly expressed her disgust that I would sully my education by being a lowly nanny. Then the other day, I was talking with a mom at the girls' gymnastics class. She asked a bunch of questions about being a nanny, then asked if I am in school. She was quite surprised to hear that I already have a BA, and just looked at me as though she was waiting for the rest of the explanation for my job choice. I felt compelled to add that I may go to grad school eventually, which is true, but beside the point.

The point is that I love what I do. I work hard at it - I am certified in CPR and first aid, plan activities and outings, read articles on child development, and I may even go to a conference next Saturday. I am good at it - my excellent education makes me uniquely qualified to answer the usual childhood curiosity as well as coming up with educational activities and even modeling proper grammar and a wide vocabulary. I also have the necessary patience and sense of humor to survive daily life with children. I am a professional. Why don't people get that? I put as much, if not more, time, effort, and dedication into my job as anyone else does.

Stay at home moms are starting to get the respect they deserve. I feel I, as a nanny, am entitled to nearly the same amount of respect, since I bear a very similar burden. Granted I don't have to do some things moms do, like pay the bills, cook dinner, or make a costume for the school play, but I often go above and beyond what a parent can do on the childcare front. I almost never talk on the phone, read a book, or have the TV on while caring for the kids. Since caring for the kids is my ultimate responsibility, I devote 95% of my energy to it. We go to the zoo, do art projects, bake, play in the mud, examine bugs, and write stories. That's more than most parents can do and more than many would. So where's the shame in that?

Luckily, most of the people in my life seem to respect what I do. The parents I work for, in particular, are really good about being appreciative. They thank me daily and regularly remind me that they feel lucky to have me working for them. S, the mom, occasionally calls me the "younger, more patient, more creative version" of herself. My parents seem happy that I enjoy what I do, that I am financially stable, and that I work for such great people. And almost all of my friends at very least understand that what I do is hard work. Still I run into people like those mentioned above who think that you don't need an education or any particular skills to be a nanny. I may have more education, more training, and more smarts than are absolutely necessary for my job. But since children really are like sponges and soak up habits, attitudes, and abilities from those around them, those things are by no means wasted.

Okay, rant over. :)

today's project: easter basket art

musing about:why so many people equate success with an ambitious career

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