From Nanny to Babysitter

For the past two years I was Bear and Bug's Nanny.

Now I am there Babysitter.

Same thing right?

Wrong.

Because I am still living with my old Nanny-Family, several people have asked how it is going. In a nut shell wonderful! My cousin's made great employers and now they make even better housemates.

My first month back from my trip to New York I felt like I was barely home. I started a new job my first week back. Between working 45+ hours and catching up with friends I was never home. I was barely seeing my cousins much less the boys.

As August settled down and turned to September I finally was home more. Enjoying weekend breakfasts with the family, watching the boys for date nights, and taking trips to the park with them and their mom. Last Thursday included such a trip. While their mom drove the boys to the park I went for a run and met up with them afterwards. It was sweet to enjoy the not so little toddlers these guys have become. Pushing them on the swings, chasing them around the grass, wrestling them to the ground, and hearing the gibberish child conversations between each other made me melt.

It took me stepping out of their lives to appreciate them again.

I had to walk away from being their nanny to enjoy this all. To be totally honest the last few months as their nanny was stressing me out and they were great boys. They were just toddlers. I felt at times I was picking more battles with them then enjoying the above moments of laughter and joy. So when people ask is it hard to not be with them anymore I can honestly answer no. Only because I still get to see them every day.

I am now their babysitter - even though I feel more like an aunt. I get one night a week to play with them, give them baths, tell stories, and cuddle them down for bed.  Their mom told me the other day that Bear told her that he missed me. It felt good to be missed. To know that I did my job as a nanny well that he missed playing with me.

Being a good nanny is allowing me to do my job as a babysitter well. As a nanny I didn't want to spoil them to much, I was a bit more intentional on not letting the "bad" habits slide, and was more concerned with consistency in discipline. As their babysitter I have a bit more freedom to spoil them with a second cookie and extra playtime before bed. I am more concerned that the 2 boys don't beat each other up than I am they why they are doing it. I get to make up for the times I had to be strict, to teach and train them in their toddler-hood. I have more freedom to love them as they are and not correct the wrongs in their life.

So if you were wondering how it is going, you now know. I absolutely LOVED being the nanny of Bear and Bug. That season is over and now I adore being their babysitter.

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