Hello, Nanny Community.

It’s been a while since our last blog post. Just in case you have been living under a rock, let me catch you up to speed on the world we currently live in. We are in the midst of a worldwide Pandemic! Yes, you read that right! You have not been in a nightmare this whole time. Amongst other things, our society, economy, and everyday life have been turned upside down and flipped backwards about five times over. I wanted to write a blog that reaches deep into my feelings and all the way to you nannies.

We saw so many of you furloughed in March. In that moment, our hearts truly broke for our community, as we watched wonderful, loving nannies suddenly have no homes to go to, and curious, aweinspring children go without the joys their nannies brought into their lives. We feel for you. It was tough, but out of the ashes arose the National Nanny Relief Fund, started by Rachael L. Lubin, to help out nannies with bills, groceries, and anything they may need. Through the Relief Fund, we saw our community of families, nannies, and agencies donating what they had to support those who had nothing. Creating a united community.

We also saw so many, like myself, go from nanny to nanny/householdmanager/onlineschoolfacilitator/chef/maid. In a situation where our work load almost doubled overnight, or suddenly parents were working from home, maybe some of us fell at first. I know I did. Nannies, parents, and children were scared, confused, and very, very stressed, with no answers or end in sight. Transitioning to this new schedule, we know you slowed down, took breaths, and got used to this new way of life, but that did not always make things easier. No more parks, museums, or storytime, and yet, still a 40 hour work week. No more playdates, but more time with the older kids who were no longer in school. Stressful Zoom calls, but freedom to learn through play and mess.

We see all of you. We have felt your pain, fear, and stress. We have seen you step up to the plate to support nannies and families alike. We have read your stories and listened to your troubles. We pride ourselves on finding the silver lining in any situation and trying to remain positive. Our hearts glow with pride to know so many wonderful nannies who have emotionally, financially, and physically cared for others this year. Out of the ashes that is the year 2020, will come renewal, hope, and change. We have each learned to be more grateful for the small joys in life. We now write gratitude lists to recenter ourselves, and we find that checking in with those closest to us, even for a bit, makes all the difference to others.

This year, National Nanny Recognition Week, will look quite different than it has any other year. Don’t be discouraged, we are still going to celebrate! Take a look back at the last eight months and all of the things we have accomplished as individuals and as a community. All that growth is worth celebrating, and we can’t wait to spoil nannies nationwide with giveaways and goodies. To start, we are giving a way one FREE ticket to our upcoming conference, Building Blocks: a Foundational Conference for Parents and Caregivers. To enter to win, just complete the following:

  1. Like and Follow our new program, Ready. Set. Recess on Facebook and Instagram. 
  2. Like, comment and share the pinned post about the conference on our Facebook page linked here.

If you prefer to purchase a ticket now, use the code NNRW to get 20% off your ticket. Just go to buildingblocksconference.com. 

Go forth into life knowing that you matter, you are making a difference, and you are supported, always.

Love,

Your Family First Team