I’ve been working as a nanny for four years now. It has mostly been to save money for a car and college. As a nanny for a handful of families, I have spent several months and even years getting to know families and their awesome children. From six months old to fifteen years old, I have seen and been a part of a lot. From first communion to first steps, from Irish dance classes to marching band competitions; I have seen so much of it.

It’s crazy to know that initially, I have started off as a stranger, a young, eager, energetic girl looking for a job but ultimately a bond and eventually, with time, became so much more than just a babysitter.

While taking care of children in various settings, I have been subjected to a lot of weird questions, looks, and statements from strangers, family members, neighbors, and the kids. To my fellow nannies, I’m sure you can relate to some of these.

Here are the five things I constantly hear while caring for these kids.

1. When a stranger says, “You girls are behaving so well for your mommy.”

No they aren’t. (It’s not because they aren’t well behaved but rather because I am in fact not their mother). I’m a twenty-year-old who can’t even take care of herself…trust me I don’t have any children, I just like to take care of them and return them to their parents at the end of the day. Nannies could definitely benefit from having a shirt that says in large, bold letters: I'M THE NANNY.

2. When a stranger says, “Oh my goodness, she looks just like you!”

This happened to me at a library parking lot while taking a two-year old out of her car seat. It honestly made me giggle. Like I said, I don’t have children so this child in fact doesn’t look like me. The child’s mom definitely got a good laugh out of this story.

3. When the kid says, “My mom told me I could…”

Here are some of the statements that have filled in that blank over the years:

1. Watch movies all day long.

2. Have all five cupcakes.

3. I could play with…(Insert a random neighbor’s child’s name).

4. Miss the bus to school (Are you kidding me? I’m not a personal chauffeur).

5. Leave all of my toys on the ground. (Perhaps a toy or two would be fine but 200 puzzle pieces, cars, and legos is not gonna happen).

You are a sneaky little liar, too bad every single child has tried pulling that fast one, including this kid (me!). It’s not my first time around the block but really, for a four-year old that was a solid effort, you were so close.

4. When the kid says, "I think you should clean up the mess today."

Excuse me? This happens way too often and I must admit, it's not because the child is obnoxious or because the parents haven't taught them to clean up for themselves and help during clean up time. However, sometimes the kid thinks that it's my job. I quickly end this weird little conversation by responding with, "I spend all day cleaning up messes that aren't mine, so I need you to pick up your toys. If you don't want to have to clean up, then you shouldn't make such a big mess." I'm not sorry that you decided to dump out your bin of Doc McStuffins toys and your train set pieces. Next time, choose wisely.

5. When the kid says, "Today's a stay at home day."

Sneaky, sneaky little lady. I have worked for several families whose parents sometimes work from home. Although I don't mind it, this can be the most difficult thing ever for a nanny. Little people (kids) generally like spending time with their parents and get sad when they know that their parent is working but is still in the house. I get it, how confusing is that for a two and four-year old?! Whenever this happens, I plan a fun day outside of the house. We usually go to the park, feed the ducks, get ice cream, go to the library, etc. Although I present these activities with as much excitement as possible, sometimes my little four-year old friend says: "No thanks, today is a stay at home day." Great manners young lady but no it isn't. I know what you're trying to do. You're trying to wait for a moment when I'm warming up a bottle of milk or fixing lunch for you to go downstairs, take down the baby gate and run into your dad's office. Not today, we're leaving in three minutes.

As long as I continue to be a nanny, I will continue to hear all of these things. To my fellow nannies, I'm positive that you have experienced some of these utterances and if you haven't yet, I'm sure you will. Even after hearing these statements hundreds of times, I still love my job and these awesome kids! I'm sure that this week I'll be hearing more "my mom told me I could..." statements...I can't wait!