One week into my role as summer nanny. I have only just unpacked my suitcase. These two statements are directly connected.
I have known childcare is all consuming. I have friends with kids. I enjoy visiting them and their children and have spent hours and hours giving my creative, emotional, physical, and intellectual energy to the children in my life. I know they interrupt trains of thought and demand action and attention at all moments, even if just in the background. There is always the possibility a crisis will arise and hostile confilict deescalation, or at the very least, peaceful negotiations will be needed at a moments notice.
But I have never been in charge of kids Monday to Friday for 8 to 9 hours a day.
It is a totally differnt game.
Before taking on the role I had assigned alliterated themes for each day.
Mystery Monday–themed scavenger hunt
Tell-Me Tuesday–a day out exploring museums, galleries, libraries.. anything learning!
Warring Wednesday–a day totally devoted to play fighting of all kinds: nerf guns, toy swords, water balloons, and everything in between.
Thespian Thursday— a themed day to play dress up and watch films and be characters.
Fun Friday— the day we go out and do fun thing: theme parks, soft play, trampolene zone… all the fun things.
Theoretically it all sounded like a good plan. I woud avoid the tiresome droll of hour by hour “what to do next”? boredom. I had anticipated the problem before hand.
erm. No.
What this inexperienced nanny did not factor was… everything. The age gap, atachment, the chaos of scheudule disruption, the breakdowns over lego droped on the floor. And every. other. little. thing.
If you have done childcare for 8 hours a day you probably know. There are so many things that go “wrong” in a day. Or so many ways plans get derailed. This inexperienced nanny is learning.
I have to rethink my whole plan.
I have just unpacked my suitcase. I am reorganizing my inner world to allow for 8 hours stretched where I don’t have access to it. I am re grouping and catching my breath.
Onward. Adventures are capacity stretching. And with that I would say nannying might be one of the biggest adventures I take on in this life.
I here for it. All of it. Every meltdown over dropped lego.
Alexandra Ross Works 