I'm not going to lie, my job as a nanny for two toddlers pays very well. However, contrary to people's beliefs, being a nanny is much harder than it seems.
I used to be a summer camp counselor, for five years actually, before taking my first nanny job this summer. I prefer nannying way more over summer camp, but they both have their ups and downs.
For starters, many people believe nannying is sitting around while kids do what they want. No. If you love kids as much as I do, you want to make sure they are being productive and having fun for a majority of the day. Luckily, my boys have not started school yet, so there's not the pressure to give them the best summer ever, because staying at home and playing is all they know. That doesn't mean I'm going to let them sit around and watch TV all day, though.
In the mornings, I toast two Eggo waffles, one for each boy. I cut them up into small pieces, pour a little syrup and serve it to them with their mini forks and a small glass of milk with a straw. I let them watch morning cartoons as they eat their breakfast at the table.
After an episode or two of TV, I take them to the small playground in their neighborhood. I usually take the sidewalk chalk too so they have some variety of things to do at the playground. I used to take kick balls, bubbles, chalk and other outdoor activities all at once, but now I usually stick to one or two things to make it seem less overwhelming.
After about an hour of outdoor time, we come inside for a snack. One of the boys I nanny is just like how I was as a kid: an incredibly picky eater. Trying to find something he'll eat is a process on it's own.
Around noon time, I take the boys to the pond. They love throwing rocks into the water, I'm telling you, they can do it for hours.
Next, I'll take the boys in to get dressed for the pool. As you can see, I try to keep the boys outdoors as much as possible. That's what the summer is for!
After an hour of swimming, I let the boys cool off with a popsicle and some indoor activities. Coloring, Legos, and bowling are their favorites among the list. However, recently they have been super into paper airplanes. For working with kids for six years now, my inability to make a good paper airplane is disappointing.
At this point in the day, it's the evening so if there's some time to kill, I will drive the boys to a bigger park that they absolutely love. We'll go on nature walks and they play on the playgrounds there. If it's dinner time, then I let them watch more TV as I prepare their dinner. As always, the day ends with a bath and a bedtime story.
