My time as a nanny
As I sat staring blankly at the blinking cursor in front of me, the sudden ring of my phone cut through the numbness of my writer’s block. Reaching for the phone, I instantly recognized the picture flashing on my screen. It was the little girl I had nannied for the last year and a half calling as though she knew I was struggling to start my article about her and her brothers. For almost an hour, I had been racking my brain as to how I was going to fit all the incredible moments I had spent with these kids into this article. Seeing her face reminded me that there was simply no way to encapsulate all the amazing adventures they had taken me on and all the trouble we had gotten ourselves into. However, I can share with you the important lessons that each one of them has taught me.
One of the most important lessons came from the youngest of the three siblings: Weston. He taught me that you can show love to anyone around you. Every time I entered the house, I was met by a great big smile often followed by a hug. It wasn’t just me who got to experience all the love this energetic little boy had to share. Anywhere we went, whether it was the trampoline park (a favorite) or just for lunch, he loved to make people smile. His big heart can hardly be contained and often comes spilling out, much to the delight of those around him. When I first started working for his family, Weston could not say my name. Every day that I came he would greet me with the closest name he could muster. No matter how frustrated he was, he would keep trying to say my name. I remember clearly, over nine months later, I walked up to Weston just like time and time before, but this time was so much better. This time he greeted me with an excited hug as he exclaimed, “Kendall!” He had worked so hard to show me that he cared about me, and it nearly brought me to tears. Weston proved to me in that moment (and so many more) the significance love holds.
Laughter is without a doubt one of the most underrated cure-alls. It can pick us up when we are feeling down and it can make a moment all the more special. Like most others, I have always appreciated humor, but it wasn’t until I met Landon that realized its true power. Somehow, this kid always knew what to do to make me laugh. Plus, he comes fully loaded with a fail proof arsenal of Tik Toks. No matter what kind of a day he is having, Landon always has a smile on his face. I vividly recall one day when he was trying to learn how to do a drop-in on his skateboard. He wiped out so hard and I could tell that it had knocked the wind out of him. Even then, he kept smiling and on the way home he was even laughing about it. I learned in that moment that it’s okay to laugh at yourself and that I don’t have to be so uptight all the time. Essentially, what I am saying is Landon taught me how to have fun and probably made me a more likable person overall.
Nevertheless, the person I have learned the most from was my partner in crime Kylie. I remember the first day that I met her; I knew instantly she was the real ruler of their kingdom. Instantly, my rule was to make sure to get on her good side because I feared the alternative. More than a year later I am proud to say I officially won her over. Additionally, I learned her most admirable trait, even more so than her bubbly personality, is her fierce loyalty to those she cares about. Before I started this job, I had never known that someone could be so devoted to those around them. The more time I spent with Kylie, the more my faith in humanity grew. She reminded me that even though the world can be a hard place, there are still countless great people in it. There are people that will always have your back, or if they are like Kylie, people that will send you “cringe” videos to remind you that there are more embarrassing things than ourselves.
Now, I know that this article may sound like one big cliché, but we are so quick as a society to dismiss children. Adults commonly mistaken themselves to be more knowledgeable and more mature simply because they have more years under their belt. But if I have learned anything from my time with these extraordinary kids, it’s that they are better versions of ourselves in every way. The world will be a much better place if we all take a moment to learn from the future generation; they truly do know more than us. Thus, if you want someone who is always on your side, to laugh harder than you have ever laughed and unconditional love, nannying may be the job for you.