Weekend Round Up

Weekend Round UP

Here are the links to this weeks articles in case you missed something:

Monday Moxie: The sixth article in Kellie's series: Taking your support group to the next level

Tuesday Tips: Some of our friends favorite children's books and great books you might not have heard about.

Wednesday Creative Nanny: Glenda reminds you of some Simple Car Games you might have forgotten.

Thursday Table Talk Christy Ochs shares her experience with learning about "Love and Logic"

Friday Financial Nanny: Alice shares tips on affordable organics.

We are coming up on our one year anniversary for Regarding Nannies. We will have lots of excitement the week of July 5th so stay tuned. Be sure to share with us your favorite articles and features from the past year or what you would like to see in the future. We LOVE to hear from you.
Next week we will feature the grown up books that our readers recommend, Kellie will share more themes with us on Creative Nanny Wednesday and on Financial Friday Alice will tell us about Swagbucks!

Thursday Table Talk: Great communication benefits everyone

Great Communication Benefits Everyone
by Glenda Propst

Good relationships must have a foundation.
Communication is the foundation of a good employer/employee relationship.
Communication begins with the first interview, and is an ongoing process between the nanny and the parents. During the interview, expectations of both parties need to be clearly defined and understood.
¨ Guidelines regarding discipline must be established and agreed upon in the beginning, and they need to be refined and adjusted as the need arises.
¨ Consistency is crucial.
¨ Children need to know they can take you at your word.
¨ Children need limits. it is important for the nanny and the parents to present a united front. This means that if one of the parents has a problem with the way the nanny is disciplining, they will discuss it in private, not in front of the children.
Communication must be implemented into the daily schedule.
Some ways to do this :
¨ Notes
¨ Journals,
¨ Conversation,
¨ Phone calls throughout the day.
¨ Short talks (come 10 minutes early, stay IO minutes late)
¨ Dinner away from the house without the children (this is relaxing, non-threatening, neutral territory.
¨ Family meetings
Things to Remember:
¨ As nannies especially when we live in, we have a tendency to take everything personally.
¨ Try not take everything personally. Sometimes your employer is in a bad mood because he/she ( or they both) had a bad day, not because of something you did or did not do.
¨ Sometimes parents don't even realize that what they are doing is upsetting us.
¨ Don't assume your employer can read your mind.
¨ Say the words.
¨ Learn to stand up for yourself.
¨ When you finally have the opportunity to sit and talk to the parents about a concern or a problem, here are some suggestions for making the most of the opportunity.
¨ Be Prepared
¨ Learn to distinguish between what is important what is not important.
¨ Take time to prepare an agenda of what you want to talk about.
¨ Under each item make a list of the points you want to make.
¨ If you write it down, you will not forget anything.
¨ The other advantage to writing things down is that it sends a very clear message to your employers that his was important to you and you prepared for it.
¨ Try to balance the negative with the positive.
¨ Try to create win/win resolutions.
¨ If you present a problem, offer some solutions.
¨ Do not place blame.
¨ Keep in mind that if you have a concern or a problem it is not going to go away. You must learn to deal with it like an adult.( isn't that one of the very important character traits you are trying to teach your charges?)
If you have a difficult time learning how to communicate effectively, take an assertiveness training class. It will be worth the time and money and it will benefit you in every area of your life for years to come.

Spotlight on......Individual Nanny Coaching At The INA Conference

Individual Nanny Coaching At The INA Conference
by Alice Shaffer

Have you ever just wanted 15 minutes with one of the professional nannies you have met online or at a conference? Well this year, INA has slated from 2:45-3:45 pm on Saturday May 21, 2010 your chance to have your 15 minutes with a Nanny Coach. This is a great opportunity to meet some of the various nannies who have various experiences and potentially some helpful advice for you. Don't forget to sign up for one to four of these Nanny Coach slots when you get to the INA Conference. We hope to meet you there!


Kellie Geres
Working with Divorced Families
Kellie Geres is a professional nanny / household manager with 21 years of experience and has spent the past 12 years working exclusively with divorced parents. She is the 1997 INA Nanny of the Year, former INA board member, current Association of D.C. Area Nannies (ADCAN) president and member of INA and NANC. She is one of the development members of Regarding Nannies. She blogs at All Things Nanny.

Becky Kavanagh
Professional Development / Marketing Yourself as a Professional
Becky Kavanagh is the 2006 INA Nanny of the Year and has over 20 years of professional nanny experience. She is past president of INA and in 1998 was awarded the prestigious Parents Magazine Child Care Award. Ms. Kavanagh is active in the nanny community and also serves on staff as a placement coordinator with Nannies from the Heartland, a Minnesota-based nanny placement agency. You can find her blog posts at Nannies from the Heartland.

Susan Lehman
Discipline Issues
Susan Lehman is a certified positive discipline associate and certified professional nanny. She has over 20 years of professional nanny experience and has dedicated her life to developing happy, secure and independent children. Ms. Lehman uses the tools and skills she learned at the Coaches Training Institute in San Rafael, California, to coach parents on every aspect of their child’s development and care. Her teaching style brings warmth, humor, comfort and enthusiasm to all her lectures and experiential workshops for parents, teachers, child care providers, and any groups who work with children or families.

MaryAnn X. Meddish
Multiples and Specialty Diets
MaryAnn X. Meddish is the 2009 INA Nanny of the Year and has over 20 years of professional nanny experience. She specializes in working with multiples and children who require special dietary considerations. You can find some of her articles on the INA Blog.

Glenda Propst
Leaving a Family
Glenda Propst has 25 years of professional nanny experience. She was the 1991 INA Nanny of the Year and has been with her current family for 16 years. Mrs. Propst specializes in helping nannies through the transition of leaving a family. She is is one of the development members of Regarding Nannies. She also blogs at Gentle Transitions

Angela Riggs
Traveling with Families
Angela Riggs has been working with child care providers, students, parents and families for over 20 years. She has researched and participated in extensive traveling experiences with children and has planned enriching learning opportunities for them by utilizing local community resources as well as creative resources when traveling abroad.

Alice Shaffer
Getting Started in a New Community
Alice Shaffer has been a professional nanny for the past 15 years and is one of the development members of Regarding Nannies. She is also known by her peers and through her blog as “The Financial Nanny”.

Interviewing Red Flags

by Glenda Propst, Regarding Nannies Development Team

Last week we talked about “Surviving a Bad Reference”
The week we are going to talk about Interview RED Flags:

If you are a new nanny just starting out you might not know these, and if you are a seasoned nanny back on the job search you might need a refresher course.

Sometimes there might only be one red flag in your interview, but you need to pay attention. First of all, ideally; both parents should participate in the interview. It is a good idea if the nanny meets only the parents at the first interview. If that first interview goes well, then the children can be present for the second interview.

And they're off ....
Red Flag: If the parents only want to do one interview and do not want to do a follow up interview or a family meeting.
Red Flag: If the parents don’t want to do a trial period.
Red Flag: If they don’t want to talk about money until they hire you but promise you a great wage.
Red Flag: If they don’t want to with hold taxes.
Red Flag: Interviewing with the assistant and never meeting the parents.
Red Flag: Both parents are not present for all or at least part of the interview.
Red Flag: One or both parents seem uninterested or uninvolved with their child.
Red Flag: One or both parents don’t know details about their child - schedule, favorite foods, books, activities, abilities etc.
Red Flag: If the child hits the parent during the interview and the parents do not do anything about it, this is a pretty good indication of who is in charge.
Red Flag: Parent gives child junk food constantly during interview.
Red Flag: If the family pet is being a nuisance (jumping up on you, or barking and the parents ignore it).
Red Flag: While one parent is giving a house tour and other parent who is supposed to be watching child leaves child alone in dangerous situation.

Caution: Debris ahead!
Red Flag: If you go to the interview and the house is a wreck, don’t take this as a sign that they really need a nanny. Take this as a sign that they need a housekeeper.
Red Flag: Parents dirty, child dirty.
Red Flag: No family photos displayed
Red Flag: House is not appropriately baby proofed.
Red Flag: When parents give you a tour of the house and every room has a TV and every TV is on even though no one is in the room.

Final lap ...
Red Flag: The parents aren't asking questions about YOU, your past, the present, your skills, your areas of expertise. They just want to tell you about the job and hire you on the spot.
Red Flag: Parents are in too big a hurry to hire you.
Red Flag: When you bring up a contract and the family seems uninterested or says “Oh sure” we will do that after you start.
Red Flag: If they don’t want to check your references, or say “Oh we will just take your word for it”
Red Flag: If they have a history of going through lots of nannies
Red Flag: If they bad mouth their previous nannies or only want to talk about negative experiences.
Red Flag: If they refuse to let you talk to the current or previous nanny.

One last thing: We recommend that you always use a reputable agency when searching for a job.

It gives you one more one way to have someone advocating for you and what you are looking for, but it also gives you one more source of support in looking for red flags.

Regardless of how you search for a job, always let someone else know when you are going on an interview and to be on the safe side, always be sure that someone knows the address of where you are going to be.
So, what are your Red Flags? While these are all good indicators, and come from years of combined experiences, diligence and professionalism are a must when interviewing families. Don’t be afraid to ask questions. Ask to speak to a former nanny, ask for references. Make sure you see where your room/bathroom will be, if a live-in.

All of these come into play when finding the right job, the right family and being happy in your career.

Special thanks to Andrea Flagg, Andrea Brocklesby and Buffi Gentry for helping with this article.

Monday Moxie: Surviving a Bad Reference

Surviving a Bad Reference by Glenda Propst

Recently, a good friend emailed me for advice on what to do. She had decided to leave her "not so great job" and try to find a new family. She called her agency, filled out the paperwork, listed her references and waited for the phone to ring.
She went on a few interviews but nothing came of any of them. Even the ones where she felt she really connected with the parents she never got a call back.
Finally, one day her agency called and asked her if she knew that her former employers were giving her a bad reference. She had been with the family for 2 years, and even though things were not perfect, she could not believe the parents were giving her a bad reference. The nanny was fortunate that she was working with an agency that knew her and knew what kind of nanny that she was and gave her the heads up on what was happening. This is why working with a reputable agency can be a benefit.
She asked me for advice, and I turned to my panel of experts, a list for parents, nannies and agencies that I co-moderate on Yahoogroups.
Not only did I get great feedback, but I found that this is something that happens to nannies often, with and sometimes without their knowledge. Most of the parents said that if a nanny had been with a family for 2 years, and the parents had kept her employed, they often felt that was a sign that things were not as bad as indicated and the length of employment spoke for itself. They also said that they checked all the nanny's references before making a final decision and that often times that was the only bad reference they got. If that was the case, they would not let that keep them from hiring the nanny. They also said when they specifically asked what the problem with the nanny was, the problems were most often not related to the care they gave the children.The nannies and the parents all felt that honesty is the best policy. It is never good to start a trust based relationship with a lie.
If the nanny knows that the parents are giving her a bad reference, and not using the reference would create a big gap in her work history, it is best to be honest. Simply say that this was not a good family match but that you loved the children and that was why you stayed.
I can’t stress enough the importance of using restraint and diplomacy when talking about a former employer. The nanny should always take the high road and even when confronted with what the former employer is saying, say only as much as is absolutely necessary. Refrain from opening up to any potential employer about the personal lives of former employers just to expose the real picture of what went on there to justify your exit. The world of professional nannies and the families that employ them is much smaller than you can imagine, you never know who knows who. Do not go on the defensive. State your case simply and move on.
There are other ways to get references from previous jobs besides using the parents. If the children went to pre-school, or school, you might be able to get the teachers to write a short letter of reference. They could simply state your time of employment and their observation of your interaction with the children. Sometimes in situations like this you can use a neighbor, a soccer coach, a piano teacher, anyone who saw you interact with the child on a regular basis.
When you list your references, list your good references first with contact information.
List the name of your bad reference on the sheet without contact information. When the potential employer questions the lack of contact information you can simply say that they were upset when you left and are not giving you the best reference. Offer them the contact information but warn them that when they contact them, if they focus on your childcare abilities the reference should be fine.
The best way to protect yourself from being the victim of a bad reference is to be pro active. Never start a job without a written work agreement, that stipulates a yearly review. Ask your employers to put your yearly review in writing for your files. This way, if a relationship goes sour, you have a written record of positive things your employer has said about you. As professional nannies we must remember that our jobs do end. We have to make a conscious effort to prepare for the next family search so that we don’t get caught in these awkward situations.
When a former employer is slandering you, of course you have a choice to take legal action but if you are a nanny that has other good references, that should be your very last option. Sometimes legal action will only make a bad situation worse and even if you stop them from slandering you, you may very well put an end to your nanny career.
You can never go wrong taking the high road. Refrain from trying to get "even" with your former employer because in the long run, it will only hurt you.Always project the most professional image you possibly can.

A history lesson on the INA Nanny of the Year

By Glenda Propst, Kellie Geres and Becky Kavanagh
Former INA Nanny of the Year Recipients

This year will mark the 20th anniversary of the INA Nanny of the Year. We take a look back at the first NOTY and reconnect with three of the women honored with the award, who give us a look at what their nomination process was like and what they learned and value as being an INA Nanny of the Year.

In 1990, Harriette Grant was awarded the first INA Nanny of the Year Award.
The President of INA at the time felt that it would be a wonderful way to honor a professional nanny, project a positive image of the nanny profession and show the world what a true, dedicated professional nanny really looked like.

Harriette Grant was the epitome of all that a professional nanny represented.

She was a long term nanny who was smart and educated and dedicated to improving the nanny profession. She had been a nanny for over 30 years and she was the key player in organizing ADCAN, The Association of DC Area Nannies, which was the first nanny support group in the United States and holds the honor of being the longest running nanny support group in the US today.

In addition to that, she was a founding member of INA who was serving on the board of directors. Her employers raved about her, her children adored her and even her former charges maintained their relationship with her into adulthood.

When it came to choosing the nanny to represent all nannies, she was hands down the winner.

The next year, INA made the award a little more formal, they had an application process. You had to be nominated by an employer or your agency. The committee was the President of INA, an agency owner and the previous NOTY.

You had to fill out your paperwork, give your education, your background, your work history, how you came into the nanny profession, what ages of children you worked with, what being a nanny meant to you.

Your employer had to fill out a paper on their family, their lifestyle, their kids, and how you as a nanny worked with their children, how you used your skills to provide age appropriate activities and what you did above and beyond the call of duty that set you apart as a professional.

Here were the questions:
• Please describe your candidate and why your candidate should be selected Nanny of the Year.

• Nanny's contribution to development of children's skills such as how nanny has encouraged child's language, creativity, social and emotional development.

• Nanny’s Adaptability (such as how the nanny has coped with special problems, changing requirements of the child or family etc)

• Give one specific example of exemplary professionalism that your candidate for Nanny of the Year has shown. Something your nanny was responsible for, performed or responded to which you think has earned her special recognition from her peers. Put another way, tell us a good nanny story.

Then as the nominator you had to list your own references. Each nominee also had a phone interview, her employers had a phone interview and each person who gave her a reference had a phone interview where they were asked specific questions.

The nannies were scored with a matrix that took into consideration all aspects of your professional life, your commitment to your family, and your work towards improving the profession.

There were 6 nominees that year, the winner being Regarding Nannies own Glenda Propst. The Nanny of the Year was flown to the conference, picked up in limo at the airport, did an interview on Good Morning America and then went out to dinner with the previous year’s recipient and two other people of her choice.

As time went on, the NOTY award continued to change and grow and evolve.
In the early years, just the award was the award but as time went on, the agencies and nanny support groups became more involved and wanted to contribute gifts and special things to the NOTY.

Kellie Geres, 1997 Nanny of the Year
I was new to INA when I was nominated for Nanny of the Year. A member for only four years, 1994 was my first nanny conference. In 1997, nannies could still nominate themselves for the award. That was my plan. I remember working on the application during a trip with my then employer. We were flying at the time, and she was curious what I working so hard one, during the flight. I told her and she said, “we’ll nominate you”. That was the beginning of a wonderful experience leading up to winning the award.

We both worked on the application together. I even went to her office and sat with her to during her work day to go over the application, while my charge was in school. We took this very seriously. We wanted it to be the best, stand out and we accomplished that. I took great pride in putting together my portfolio. The application is similar to what it is today asking such questions as Nanny’s general ability, contributions to the development of the children, adaptability and an example of exemplary professionalism your nanny has shown.

I was one of ten nominees that year, and upon hearing the news, I was shocked, and called my boss … conversation went something like, I won. You won? I won. YOU WON! I was treated to dinner out to celebrate and numerous cards and calls.

During my reign of NOTY, the Louise Woodward incident happened. I was thrust into the media doing television and print interviews on the nanny point of view. What I really ended up doing was educating the media and the public of the difference between a nanny and an au pair. Something I find myself still doing to this day.

I also have to credit all the wonderful nannies I looked up to in my short career as a nanny up to that point, and the saving value of nanny support groups. I would not be the nanny I am today, without my involvement in nanny groups.

I take great pride in knowing I am NOTY alum, and encourage any nanny who feels they are Nanny of the Year to consider the nomination process and be honored and recognized by your peers for a job you love. I am in a wonderful class of individuals whom I am proud to call friends and colleagues. My charges are in awe that their nanny is a Nanny of the Year. I have stayed involved in this industry by serving on the INA board of directors, other nanny groups, speaking, interviews and most currently and proud to serve on the development team of Regarding Nannies, in addition to several other blogs, and co-moderator of Nanny Island.


Becky Kavanagh – 2006 Nanny of the Year
Mary O'Connor, owner of Nannies from the Heartland, nominated me. Both Mary and my employer had tried to nominate me previously but I didn't feel the time was right - either because of other things happening in my life or serving on the INA Board of Directors which felt awkward. So 2006 was the year and I was ready. Mary cited not only my long term employment as a nanny but the ongoing involvement in the nanny industry both locally and nationally in her nomination statement.

This was the first year of the implementation of a new process for the NOTY Selection Committee using an objective weighted rating scale for each area of consideration. These areas include - experience, training, exemplary action cited by nominator, volunteer work and contribution to community, application and portfolio, interview, and references. The selection committee has always used these areas in considering nominees but it was never defined as a rated or weighted scale before.

The process seemed very straight forward to me, but that could also be due to the fact that I have served on the selection committee several times years before my own nomination. I guess I was comfortable about what was being asked, but that doesn't really prepare you for the time needed to complete your portion of the nomination documents and support materials. Securing letters of recommendation became fun as I found so many people delighted to be asked. When I read their responses I was touched by not only their strong recommendations but in the examples that they cited. We don't often get the opportunity to hear from a variety of people just how much we have meant to them. I can't really describe how it feels - amazing seems too small a word. I can tell you that if I'm having a bad day or wondering if I make a difference to anyone all I have to do is read one of these letters and I'm back in business!

Along with a detailed resume nominees are asked for a list of courses/seminars/conferences, other qualifications and special skills, hobbies and interests, and your professional goals. There was a section dedicated to your professional experience, industry involvement, and continuing education. There were additional questions about your nanny journey that focus on certain aspects of the industry. Finally there were three essay questions on industry issues - these reflect questions that media might ask an INA Nanny of the Year.

Part of the process also includes an interview with one of the committee members. They also ask several questions that might be posed by media or about how the nominee would handle media questions. I remember that I was interviewed by INA NOTY 2005, Jenny Brown, she did a wonderful job to put me at ease while we went through the set of questions. Each committee tends to select these questions based on current issues - they are trying to determine how comfortable each nominee is with speaking and their knowledge base. I believe any experienced nanny would be able to handle these questions.

I think I've said this before but the process nominees go through would be good for all professional nannies to experience. Think of it - putting together a portfolio that depicts your full career experience, obtaining letters of recommendation from individuals that think so highly of you, being able to express yourself about real and significant issues facing the industry - well it's a journey I wish every career nanny would take! It was an honor to accept the award on behalf of all the nannies dedicated to their profession and the families they serve, but it was a real growing experience for me to go through the process of becoming a nominee which has even more value to me.

Today, if you look at the nomination packet it is a little overwhelming, but if you are considering a nomination this year, you need to print out the paperwork, and formulate a plan for what you are going to do and how. Just take it one section at a time, talk to your friends, get their ideas for how to best go forward, and go for it.

The nomination restrictions have been eased this year, you don't have to be a member of INA but you do have to join once you are nominated. You can be nominated by a peer, your nanny support group, your agency or even a friend. This is a great opportunity for nanny support groups to support each other and nominate a special nanny.

Are you a former INA Nanny of the Year? What was your experience and what would you tell nannies considering nomination?

Do you have a special memory of an INA Nanny of the Year or has one of them influenced you somehow?

Share your comments with us and our readers!

A Favorite Monday Moxie: Growing As A Professional

This post originally published on August 3, 2009 but it has been slightly modified and updated. I hope that you will make this your personal challenge in 2010

Monday Moxie: Growing as a Professional

Growing as a Professional by:Glenda Propst

How do you feel about what you do?
Do you see yourself as a professional?
How do your employers treat you?
How do your employers' friends and family treat you?

Many of our feelings of self worth come from our employers. How you see yourself has a lot to do with how others treat you. Whether you realize it or not, people do see you, and they watch you. It may be a friend of your employer who recognizes the children, or it may just be someone who knows you are a nanny. Everywhere you go -- the grocery store, the mall, the dry cleaner, the park -- you never know where you're going to meet someone whom you know or someone who knows you.

You may be the only nanny someone knows. You are a representative of nannies everywhere. We owe it to each other to always conduct ourselves as professionals, no matter where we are.

I know it's hard to feel professional when you have no office, wear casual clothes to work, and get paid to read books, play peek-a-boo, and go to the zoo. We have no lunch hour except naptime (which our charges eventually outgrow). There is no one in the next room to whom we can run over and tell a joke, and our real bosses are usually under the age of five! As important as our work is, it's extremely isolating and lonely at times. A nanny who is not happy is not going to do a very good job. It's important for you to take care of yourself and to make sure your needs are met.

Nannies need to have a life outside of their job. Nannies also need to find other nannies with whom they can network. No one understands your frustrations like a nanny does; not because they don't want to, but because they don't do what you do. Nannies can offer support to each other and help each other work out solutions to problems but is one on one nanny support enough?

A very wise woman once said that nannies are the Cadillac of child care but unfortunately, many of us care for children the same way that our mothers cared for us.
We all came to this road on a different path. No matter what brought you to this profession, whether you went to nanny school or just had childcare experience, finding a job was only the beginning of being a nanny. If you want to learn and grow as a professional, you must work on your professional development. You can’t operate on the assumption that once you land your first job you are done.All professionals are required to seek out ongoing education. They are required to attend seminars and workshops to update themselves on the latest technology and research in their chosen field.
If we want to be treated as professionals by our employers, and we want the world to realize the importance of what we do, we must continue to educate ourselves, improve ourselves, stay abreast of what is happening in our field, and the current trends that relate to the ages of the children in our care.
The internet has opened up a whole new plethora of ways to educate ourselves. There are websites and blogs galore about child care, parenting, how to find a nanny job, how to interview, what to ask, and what to expect, but beyond landing the job, you have to keep growing yourself professionally. We are never done!

Joining a chat group and talking to other nannies is a great way to find support and solutions to problems we face on the job but is that really enough?
After all, chat groups are simply other nannies sharing their experience, often dealing with children the best way they can, and experience is important and valuable but it can never replace education and training.
To really expand your professional horizons, you have to reach a little bit further than your computer keyboard or the dial pad on your phone.
As nannies you should also be seeking out educational opportunities in your community. It could be a class at the local community college on child development, or a workshop for new parents on Baby 101 at the local hospital. Opportunities to educate ourselves are everywhere if we just look for them.
The greatest professional motivator for me has always been other professionals in the field of child care. I am not talking about just other nannies, but also about agency owners, other parents who employ nannies, early childhood educators and parenting professionals as well.
I have attended a professional conference for 20 of the almost 25 years I have been in the nanny profession. I am convinced that I could have never lasted in this field if I hadn’t been able to create a professional network of resources.
I hear nannies complain that they don’t get anything from professional organizations.
I hear nannies complain that traveling to conferences is too expensive.
At last years INA conference, the wise Dr. Lynne Keeney said that you don’t get anything back if you don’t give something away.
It sounds like a simple concept but I don’t see many nannies doing that.
In fact, I don’t even see nannies taking advantage of things that are given to them for free.
Over the next few months there will be opportunities to win conference scholarships, registrations and memberships. The qualification process is not hard it simply requires a little effort. I am hopeful that this blog has encouraged each of you to reach out and strive to widen your horizons this coming year.

Sometimes it is hard for me to understand what it takes to motivate others in my profession. We say we want professional respect, we say we want professional benefits, we say we want professional pay, we say we want professional recognition but oftentimes we don't want to put forth any effort to either give back or expand our professional horizons.

Nominations for INA Nanny of the Year are open right now. This is one of the most rewarding ways to not just give back to your profession but also receive the validation you do for the job you do so well. Do you know a great nanny that deserves that honor? Is there one in your support group? Nominate her! Giving back is the best way to get something back.

The one thing that I have learned in my nanny experience is that you can not quit. You can not stop working to improve the profession, you can not stop trying to educate the public and you can not let those who do not understand, keep you from working to achieve your goals. My life is richer, my world is bigger and my vision is clearer because of the connections I have made beyond the safe haven of my job and my home. Being a nanny does not define me, but being a nanny has helped me define what matters most to me in this life. It has taken me to places I never knew I would go, it has allowed me experiences I would have never had and to make friends I would never have met. It has changed me in ways that I could not have imagined and grown me beyond what I ever thought I could be.
I have learned that you get out of something, as much as you put into it.

So today, you may think that Monday Moxie is a lot of moxie, but for those of you who know me, you know that every once in a while, I wake up at 3 A.M. with a burning question on my mind and have to write about it before I can go back to sleep.

My question for you today is what has the nanny profession done for you?

And more importantly what are you giving back?

A Nanny for the Ages - Harriette's Story

The 2010 INA Nanny of the Year will mark the 20th Anniversary of honoring outstanding professional nannies for this organization. Do you know who the first INA Nanny of the Year is?

Harriette Grant was the epitome of a Professional Nanny. Here is her story, as told by Glenda Propst in remembrance of her dear friend. This article first appeared in the June 2001 NAN newsletter and has reprinted with permission.

Harriette's Story
Harriette Grant passed away on June 30, 2002. She had been a nanny for 40 years. You can read her story in the book Like a Second Mother but here is my tribute to her life and her enormous contribution to nannies everywhere.

A nanny for the ages by Glenda Willm Propst

These are some newspaper headlines from 1961:
U.S. Breaks Off Diplomatic Relations With Cuba;
John F. Kennedy Inaugurated as President of the U.S.
Peace Corps Established by Kennedy;
UN General Assembly Condemns Apartheid;
‘Freedom Riders’ Attacked by White Citizens in Anniston and Birmingham;
Bay of Pigs Invasion;
Kennedy and Khrushchev Meet in Vienna to Discuss Disarmament;
Berlin Wall Constructed; Actor Gary Cooper Dies at Age 60.

These are some popular books from 1961:
Stranger In A Strange Land, by Robert Heinlein;
Catch-22, by Joseph Heller; and
Tropic of Cancer, by Henry Miller (the first legal publication in the U.S.).
Some of the popular movies that year were:
"West Side Story,"
"The Hustler," and "Judgment at Nuremberg."

And among the most popular songs were:
"Love makes the World Go Round,"
"Moon River,"
"Where the Boys Are," and "Exodus."

How many of you remember any of these events and cultural markers? How many of you were even born in 1961?
Well, even if we are among those who were not yet born in1961, there was an event that in some way affected all our lives that year. This event did not make the headlines, but it changed our lives all the same.

In July, 1961, Harriette Grant began her career as a nanny. At that time there were no newspaper articles about nanny salaries or benefits there were no formal nanny training programs in the United States, there were no nanny support groups, and there were no nanny organizations.

Harriette was just 19 when she started taking care of Sylvia Whitman. In the book "Like a Second Mother," Sylvia writes about a very different Harriette from the person we know. Sylvia’s "Rat," as she affectionately called her, changed her hair color every week, and their house was the best patrolled in the neighborhood because all the policemen had a crush on Harriette.
Harriette was with the Whitmans nine years, and she maintains a close relationship with Sylvia Whitman, who is now all grown up with a child of her own.

In 1970 Harriette moved to Washington, DC, to care for the Brown children, with whom she stayed for 20 years. Even after the children were teenagers, Harriette remained and helped the Browns part time (she took a second part time job with another family in the neighborhood).
Harriette was there when one of the Brown children graduated from Princeton University, and when her other "child" graduated from High School. While she was in DC, Harriette began to get serious about solving the problems surrounding the lack of support nannies had.
Harriette Grant was one of the founders of the very first nanny support group in the USA. It was called ADCAN - the Association of DC Area Nannies. The group still runs strong today, and prides itself on being the oldest nanny support group in the nation.

Harriette was also a founding member of International Nanny Association, served on its board of directors, and was the INA’s first Nanny of the Year in 1990.

She was one of the three co-founders of NAN in 1992.

When Harriette moved to New York City in 1999, she became one of the founders of the Professional Nannies of New York.

I first met Harriette Grant at the INA conference in Vail, Colorado, in 1988. We were going to be serving on the INA Board together. It did not take long for us to realize that we had the same concerns, the same vision, and the same passion for the nanny profession. After the conference, we burned up the phone lines on a regular basis.

We became very good friends, and in 1992, along with Eva Harkness, we founded the National Association of Nannies.

In 1997, when Harriette asked me to run with her for Co-President of NAN, one of my greatest concerns was that it might hurt our friendship. We promised each other not to let that happen. I think we’d both admit that at times it has been a struggle, but we served as Co-Presidents for the last four years, and we are still on speaking terms. We did not always agree, but we always respected each other and we have always tried to make what was best for NAN our top priority.
NAN benefited from her vision, her professionalism, her steadfastness, her wisdom, and her commitment to the Nanny profession.

It’s a little overwhelming to think of all the things that have happened in the last 40 years, and of how far the nanny profession has come. I think of all the changes Harriette saw and of all the nannies she encountered on her journey.

When I think of Harriette Grant, I think of the quote by Ralph Waldo Emerson:
"Do not go where the path may lead, go instead where there is no path, and leave a trail."

Harriette led the way where there was no path. She blazed a trail for 40 years, .As her torch is passed, we can all learn a valuable lesson from her life, her example, and her dedication to her career.

It is up to each of us to continue the work that Harriette started. We are pioneers of the nanny profession, and it is our job to continue to blaze the trail.

Harriette, you have been our friend, our leader, and our inspiration. We will never forget you and we will work hard to continue your legacy.

You leave us with many wonderful memories but a hole in our heart that only you could fill.

Rest in peace dear friend.


Do you know a Nanny for the ages? Do you know an outstanding nanny that should be recognized by her peers for the work she does, the professional and personal accomplishments she has achieved in her career? Many nannies are uncomfortable asking to be nominated or are unaware of the award and recognition they deserve. Individuals, agency owners/staff and nanny support groups leaders are encouraged to reach out to your nanny community and consider nominating one – or more – nannies for the 2010 INA Nanny of the Year. Nomination details are available here.

Also NEW this year is the INA Nanny of the Year Mentor Program. Past Nanny of the Year award recipients are available to work closely with Nanny of the Year nominees and those individuals who wish to nominate a nanny for the INA Nanny of the Year award.

Past Nanny of the Year award recipients have volunteered to help guide nominators and nominees through the nomination and applications process and are available to serve as a resource for those individuals considering nominating a nanny or those nannies considering accepting nomination.

Past Nanny of the Year award recipients are also available to work closely with nominees as mentors throughout the Nanny of the Year nomination and application process.

Weekend Round Up

This week on Regarding Nannies we shared information about Liablility Insurance on Monday Moxie.

Pat Cascio gave us tips on How to Impress in an Interview

Glenda told us a simple way to Personalize Your School Supplies

Becky Kavanaugh talked about homeschooling and Nannies as Teachers

Alice talked about Saving Money with Staples Rewards

Coming up this week on Regarding Nannies
It's not to late to register for Nannypalooza!

The Creative Nanny Wednesday: Princess Day

What little girl doesn't like to pretend to be a princess. When my now 10 year old charge was about 3 or 4, we started a summer tradition by inviting 2 or 3 of her friends over and proclaiming it to be"Princess Day" We always started Princess Day out by making a crown. I usually got silver and gold card stock and had the crown already pre-cut. (Today I think you can probably go out and buy pre cut crowns out of card stock or fun foam at a party store) We would decorate our crowns with glitter and rhinestones and while that dried, we would work on our magic wands. As the girls got older there was more that they could do but the basics for the magic wand were: (Read more by clicking on the link)

Regarding Nannies Round Up of the Week

On Monday Moxie we launched the Regarding Nannies blog and announced the details of our first give away.

On Tuesday Tips we talked about transitioning into a job search

On Wednesday, the Creative Nanny offered ideas for Summer Water Play

On Thursday Table Talk you learned a little more about the development team

On Friday Financial Nanny talked about Your Opportunity Cost

We hope you enjoyed the first week of the blog. Please leave comments. Even if you don't want to enter the give aways, we would love to hear from you and we would also like for you to tell us what topics you want to hear about.

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If you need to contact us you can always email us @ gmail.com

Meet The Creators of Regarding Nannies

Glenda Propst is a Professional Nanny / Household Manager with 24 years experience, the past 16 years spent working with the same wonderful family.
Glenda is the 1991 INA Nanny of the Year, former INA board member, founder of the now defunct National Association of Nannies which was the first professional nanny organization run by nannies -for nannies.

She has dedicated the last 24 years to the advancement of the nannies in their profession advocated, education and professional involvement for all nannies.Glenda has appeared on Good Morning America, and local St. Louis television and radio, the New York Times and is currently concentrating on her blog Nanny Transitions that focuses on preparing for changes in your nanny profession.

Glenda writes at the following blogs: Nanny Transitions, Creative Nanny, and Career Nanny

Glenda lives just outside of St. Louis, MO with her husband. She can be contacted at nannytransitions (at)aol (dot)com.

Alice Shaffer is a Professional Nanny / Household Manager with 14 years experience. She holds a Bachelor of Science in Social Work from Western Carolina University, and has been in the Washington, DC metro area since 1996. Her current position is with three teenagers.

Alice has been involved with several nanny organizations, including The National Association of Nannies (NAN), the International Nanny Association (INA), and after moving to Washington, DC she became an active member in ADCAN (Association of DC Area Nannies). She is a member of INA, ADCAN, APN and NANC.

Alice is active on many levels in the local and national levels of the nanny industry. She has served on the boards of NAN, and ADCAN, has been featured in numerous nanny newsletters, including a regular column in the ADCAN newsletter, and is co-moderator on one of the longest running online yahoo groups – Parents With Nannies. She is also an active participant with the Nanny Network Community Board and Nanny Island.

Alice can also be found on The Financial Nanny blog which she created after realizing that many nannies have limited information and knowledge on personal savings, financial planning, retirement, budgeting and tax responsibilities.

Alice can be contacted at thefinancialnanny(at)gmail(dot)com.

Kellie Geres is a Professional Nanny / Household Manager with 20 years experience, the past 11 years spent working with Divorced Parents. She currently resides in the Washington, DC metro area caring for two teenagers – of divorced parents.

Kellie is the 1997 INA Nanny of the Year, former INA board member, current ADCAN – Association of DC Area Nannies President and member of INA, NANC, and APN.
She is dedicated to the advancement of the nannies in their profession and is an advocate for Nanny Support Groups.

Kellie has been interviewed for television, radio and print; has presented at numerous conferences and workshops and writes at the following blogs: All Things Nanny, Nanny Groups, and Regarding Nannies.

She also is administrator to the following blogs: DC Area Nannies, International Nanny Association.

Kellie is also a charter member and co-moderator of Nanny Island and can be contacted at allthingsnanny(at)gmail(dot)com .