A Little Plot Twist: From Finding Your Nanny to Building Worlds

by | Oct 17, 2026 | Families, Nannies

Handing your child to someone new is one of the biggest leaps of faith a parent ever takes.

In 2017, I started Family First Household Staffing Agency to make that leap feel safer. Having been a nanny myself, I knew the magic that happens when a family and their caregiver are truly on the same team. I also knew how much it costs everyone, kids most of all, when they aren’t.

So here’s a little plot twist for the Family First families: there’s another side of my work I haven’t shared much with you. But first, a look back at how we got here.

From Charlotte to a national community

What started in Charlotte grew into a trusted national agency, and into this community.

Along the way, I got to keynote the INA Conference, speak at Nannypalooza and co-host International Nanny Training Day four times. Those stages were a gift. But the best part was always quieter: helping so many of you find the person who helps raise your kids, and watching those relationships grow into something that felt like family.

The other side of my work

I’m also the CEO and Co-Owner of Livingrooms & Lizards, a multi-media production company that blends tabletop roleplay, immersive theater and collaborative storytelling.

Alongside my business partner, Sir Garin Hyde, our lead storyteller, and an incredible team, I help create experiences where kids and grown-ups don’t just watch a story. They become part of one. Everyone gets a character, everyone gets a voice, and the choices people make at the table decide what happens next. Yes, part of my brain is on nannies and household help… and the other part is on dragons and dice.

I’m also a game maker

I co-created our game, Adventure Pouch, and I’m the producer and project manager bringing it to life, from the first idea to the finished pouch in your hands. We built it around one question: what if a brand-new player could sit down and start playing in five minutes? No rulebook marathon. No prep. Just open the pouch, pick a character and start the story. That means family game night can actually start before bedtime.

What connects them: investing in the next generation

Every family I’ve worked with wanted the same thing. They wanted their kids to grow up curious, kind, confident and connected.

A great nanny helps build that every single day. And I’ve watched it happen around our table, too. For the last three years, Livingrooms & Lizards ran tabletop roleplay sessions in a Montessori after-school program. When we started, those kids were total chaos gremlins (lovingly). Week by week, I watched them turn into a team.

They came up with solutions together. They failed, and instead of giving up, they tried again. They found their voices, built on each other’s ideas, and picked up improv and literacy skills without even realizing they were learning.

That’s what happens when kids learn they matter. It’s a lesson that lasts long after the dice are put away. And for families, it’s real, screen-free time together that doesn’t feel like a chore.

Come find us

Curious what this looks like at your own kitchen table? You can find Adventure Pouch at livingroomsandlizards.com/adventurepouch.

We also host private events for kids’ birthday parties and adult gatherings alike. Think Dungeons & Dragons, simplified so first-timers can jump right in. No rulebook, no prep, and no experience needed. Sir Garin runs the story, and your guests become the heroes of it.

Want to bring Livingrooms & Lizards to your school, program or event, or just say hello? Here’s where to find us:

The thread through it all

Whether it’s a family and their nanny finding their rhythm, or a table of strangers who sit down unsure and stand up as a team, I keep seeing the same thing. Incredible things happen when people feel safe enough to be themselves and supported enough to dream boldly. That’s been the thread through everything I’ve built, and I’m so excited to share more of this next adventure with you.

Leigh Roberson is the CEO and Co-Owner of Livingrooms & Lizards and the founder of Family First Household Staffing Agency.