Hope Skinner, founder Nanny Shecando

Part II: School Holiday Activities

Last week we had a special guest on the blog, Marika, who goes by the moniker Nanny McTreehugger. Marika is a fellow nanny based in Sydney’s eastern suburbs and has her hands full each day with three rambunctious children whilst endeavouring to keep a busy family organised. She’s popped up on the blog before when she gave us the run down on life as a Modern Day Nanny.

As fellow nannies, we got talking recently (when we met for coffee) about the looming school holidays. We were both like, “ermahgerd what are we going to do with the kids for three long weeks”. Throw in children at different ages and you’re definitely in for a wild ride! From there, conversation pretty much went along the lines of, “oh hey, so you know, you should totally write another piece for Nanny Shecando about surviving the winter school holidays”…

So here it is, Part II: Out + About In Sydney With School Holiday Activities of The School Holiday Survival Guide. If you missed Part I: The Cost Of School Holidays, you can find it here. So Marika, once again, over to you.

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Nanny McTreehugger, guest blogger
Hiya, I’m not sure about you, but we’re already into the 1st week of school holidays here. Friday last week saw it all begin and I’m still getting geared up for it. Luckily one went off to a playdate and the rest of us explored the dollar shops in an effort to keep the costs down. School holiday savings tip #1 tried and tested!

When it comes to school holidays, the tricky thing for us is that we’ve all got different interests. Plus, the parents have certain expectations in terms of activities and achievements. So today I thought I’d share some activities that we like doing during the holidays. Activities that will hopefully keep you (and the kids) entertained, busy, and sane!

Activities From The School Holidays Survival Guide

Note: these activities have been selected with the parents wishes and expectations in mind.

* A Visit To Sydney University

No, we did not go to the school of medicine’s cadaver lab (despite Mr 6’s wishes). We did the next best thing and went to the Nicholson Museum. The Nicholson Museum has free entry and boasts the most breathtaking LEGO model of the Acropolis in Greece. A must see by any super keen Lego architects!

Oh, and Sydney University looks like Hogwarts! Need I say more? Also, there was nothing cuter (or more fitting against the backdrop of the medieval-style architecture) than watching Mr6 brandishing his plastic sword against an imaginary opponent on the perfectly manicured, velvety quadrangle lawn. Naturally the girls and I enjoyed a picnic and the one-man show!

* A Day With The Animals: Taronga Zoo

An outing to Taronga Zoo is one of the best activities to do with the kids. Taronga Zoo is for the wild! They get to learn key information about the survival of particular species, they learn of the responsibilities and what goes into caring for animals and get a taste of the difference between living in the wild and captivity. What’s more, after a day spent trekking up and down the seemingly mammoth hills at zoo between the seals and the elephants, you can be assured they’ll sleep well that night! Just remember to pack your own picnic lunch if you’re looking to keep the expense of the day to a minimum.

* Sydney Sea Life Aquarium

The kids love going to the Sydney Sea Life Aquarium. It doesn’t matter how many times they’ve been there already, each time we visit, it’s always a full day of eventful activities. The aquarium offers numerous interactive and educational activities for the kids to partake in as they make their way through the centre. In fact last visit, we particularly enjoyed learning about the habitats of sharks and of the need to protect our whales. The Sydney Sea Life Aquarium now offers children ‘a day in the life of a marine biologist’.

* Debating

This is suitable for kids of all ages with basic literacy and reasoning skills. However a more structured debate is better suited to kids aged 8 and over. You can get them to choose their own topic, but as my charges argue for up to two hours over stuff as trivial as the week’s ice cream rationing, I throw democracy out the window and choose a suitable topic for them.

I figure why not! Because if they insist on arguing with each other as a holiday pastime, I might as well put it to good use. Plus, debating is similar to most kids’ other favourite pastime of putting on a well rehearsed “show” for the adults.

* Play Dates

One thing that kids really miss over the break is their friends. So having someone from “outside the family” is an excellent distraction and helps to reduce the risk of your kids killing each other with boredom. The advantage of the guest usually being on their best behaviour also means that the dynamic works well. Provided there are no huge age gaps between the siblings of course. Plus, the presence of a friend is generally sufficient enough to make the kids less picky and argumentative about the day’s planned activities. Which of course means you can get away with taking them to easy-breezy places like the beach, the park or the movies.

* Putting The ‘Fun’ Back Into Chores

Now hear me out, this was a very happy accident that occurred one summer. The kids had been required to clean out the car after leaving it in a state of disgrace due to what I like to call “Teflon Hands Syndrome”, a chronic condition whereby food wrappers slip uncontrollably out of kids’ hands the second the food is extracted. Because it was a hot day, they got into their swimmers and had a ball with the hose. Not only that, but the kids from across the road joined in the fun and helped out! Miraculously the car itself got cleaned, a great time was had by all and even more miraculously, I got to sit back and simply supervise.

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So there you are fellow nannies, moms, sitters and even you grandparents out there harbouring kids these holidays. I hope I’ve inspired you a little and given you a little shot of optimism.

The School Holiday Survival Guide
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1. School Holidays: 10 Things The Kids Are Looking Forward To
2. Part I: The Cost Of School Holidays
3. Part II: Out + About In Sydney

P.S. if you’d like to support me in raising awareness to the “Teflon Hands Syndrome”, you can email me on NannyMctreehugger@gmail.com

images: Sydney University | Taronga Zoo | Sydney Sea Life Aquarium | MPMK

This post is linking up with Essentially Jess for IBOT.

The Cost Of School Holidays

Nanny McTreehugger, guest blogger

Wow, the winter school holidays are almost upon us. What happened to these last two school terms? These days it feels as if the holidays are almost as long as the terms! So how do you survive them, the cost of school holidays? How do you survive the burden of economical commitments whilst also surviving three long weeks with kids? How do you survive the challenge of pleasing kids whilst also meeting the expectations of parents?

The Cost Of Occupying Kids

My point is that while in no way do I begrudge my charges their long holidays, I have noticed that we often find ourselves half way through and the kids are already bored. It’s most likely because they are so used to rigorous school schedules and before, during and after school extra curricular activities. Their time is pre-organised and planned for them. Which means when they have time to themselves, they swing between moments of whining about being bored or hungry or feeling disenfranchised over the delegation of equitable leisure time spent on the computer, iPad and TV. Sometimes it seems they’re so upset that their actions look set to stage a riot.

The Financial Cost

What’s more, school holidays are expensive! Traditional kid-friendly activities such as movies, bowling, laser tag and shopping centre entertainment have one sole purpose, to leech your wallets faster than a Dyson vacuum. Think kids want to be taken to the bowling alley to bowl? No way, it’s more a matter of them halfheartedly tolerating one game of bowling in order to make their pilgrimage to the biggest money sucker of all; the games room. That mecca of addictive token-operated virtual speedways and other old school stuff like table hockey, foosball, mini basketball hoops, and the dreaded claw machine. This contraption, along with its buddies the gumball and small toy dispensers (which at least guarantee you something for your coins) are the scourge of the retail world, the Venus flytrap of shopping centres, movie theatres and play gyms.

The Cost Of Meeting Expectations

To be honest, in some ways it was easier when I had more say in what we do during the school holidays. Because in the past few months the kids’ parents, who are very goal driven, have been quite insistent that they [the kids] make use of their time constructively. They’re given weekly goals they must achieve. No TV is allowed during the week, there are expectations placed upon mandatory exercise and a strong push for them to pursue intellectual pursuits. This translates to me being obliged to pack up the kids and trek them through university campuses, museums and other ‘intellectual’ places of interest. Mind you, museums are fun. Ask the kids and so too is the gift shop.

The Cost Of Balancing The Books

Personally, I believe we should enjoy some balance between activities and “chill time”. I’m all for letting kids be kids. Do I want them lolling around doing nothing but whine and tattle for almost three weeks? No. More specifically, the answer to that is a clear “I’d rather be dragged off by my fingernails by a flock of hungry magpies”.

So how have I learned to balance the parents’ wishes whilst also appeasing tired children? How have I learned to survive the cost of school holidays?

The answer? Well it’s still a work in progress. But in the interim, I’ve attempted to find that perfect compromise between free entertainment and allowing the kids a bit of a concession. We’re on a mission to find material gain that does not cost the earth. Think two dollar shops for example. Although just make sure the one you visit has a quick exit to the car park so you can be on your way to the non-coin operated outside world.

So as we gear up for the upcoming winter school holidays, the majority of us frantically trying to fill three weeks of kid appropriate activities, I’m on a mission to help you out. Join me next week when I share my list of things to do in and around Sydney with kids. It’s set to be a list of kid-friendly activities to appease both kids and parents, whilst also keeping the supervising adults in good spirits!

What’s your usual school holiday routine? Do you dread them or wait with fevered anticipation for the long days no longer subject to school routines and extra curricular scheduling?

Nanny McTreehugger

*Please feel free to email me at NannyMctreehugger@gmail.com with any suggestions, queries or just general expressions of empathy!

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For more on Nanny McTreehugger, you can read her previous guest post adventures with kids in A Modern Day Nanny. For more on school holiday fun, here’s 10 Things The Kids Are Looking Forward To These School Holidays.

Out Of Control

Taking Control Before It Spirals

In the last few weeks some things went down in the nanny family that for the briefest of moments seemed were going to determine my future. Things beyond my control. And being at the mercy of other people’s decisions sucks!

Although, being dependant on other people’s decisions and is not necessarily something out of the ordinary. Because as an employee, you work for other people. You fulfil demands to match the requirements of those that employ you and work according to a culture dictated by others. When I was in the hospitality industry I didn’t enjoy this scenario. I didn’t enjoy working in a field that expected insanely high demands and yet gave limited resources to work with. Talk about stress!

On the other hand, I do quite enjoy working for other people within my role as a nanny. Because my role is assigned purely to ease the stresses of the family life for those I work for. My job is to care for the children, to see to their physical, emotional and psychological needs. I cultivate a stable and safe home environment that has a consistent support network. I provide a shoulder for the parents to lean on and create opportunities for an enhanced family dialogue. I enable parents to go to work and fulfil their needs with complete dedication, knowing that their children are well provided for. This means that Mom Boss can confirm a 2pm meeting and not worry about it running over and being late for the school pick up.

That being said, every now and then the balance changes along with priorities. This usually occurs as a direct result of monetary influences. One of the most difficult things within the nanny role (along with managing your time and juggling responsibility) is cementing your worth and holding on to your job when financial factors must enter the equation. For in situations where the role of a nanny is viewed as being a luxury (which it is) and as being a non-essential expense (which at times it can be), it’s usually the first thing to go when cut backs are needed.

Recently factors beyond my control threatened the stability and security of my job. Out of nowhere, I suddenly found my job in jeopardy. And however brief it was, it was unsettling to stomach. Because for a fraction of a second I felt the panic set in. It set in not only at the notion that my seemingly stable three year contract was on track to be broken, but also at the thought of having to walk away from the kids. I have grown overly attached to these kids!

In the days after, I tossed around various ideas about how to solve my situation. But mostly I was down in the dumps (and ice-cream was my friend)!

But then I picked myself up. I got my act together. I set about taking steps to win back some control in the scenario.

I scheduled a sit down with Boss Mum and Dad and together we re-worked the job description. Together we updated the household budget, and we shuffled commitments. We made plans.

For the briefest of moments things were spiralling but we got them under control and set a plan to better manage the outcome. We all agreed that with a very blended family, it would be more beneficial to hold onto as much stability for the kids as we could manage.

Long story short, I kept my job and my three year contract.

‘Life is not about avoiding the falls, it’s about rebounding faster’
Jess Lively

But these events were a timely wake up call. It was the push I needed to get back to working on my own future career plans. It was a reminder that my business plans were never going to come to fruition if I let myself continue to put it off until another day. So whilst taking steps to secure my job in the here and now, I also recommitted myself to securing my future. A future in where I hold the answers to my own growth and happiness.

Because if you’re anything like me, you don’t like getting caught off guard. It hits you like a ton of bricks and you’re dirty for letting yourself get into the situation. When you find yourself blocked along the path by a stubborn and unyielding tree trunk, it sucks. Like me, your first thought might be that it’s a good little spot to curl up and have a nap until help arrives. But chances are that you’re going to get really cold in the dead of the night before your knight-in-shining-armour swoops down to save you.

Because guess what, you are that knight in shining armour. ‘Aint nobody else going to do it for you!

So here’s a little reminder for you, incase you’re also sitting on big plans of your own and hesitant to take them that little bit further.

Life is what you make of it. And you control it. The power is yours!

image: Yellow Bird Yellow Beard

So the big question, are you a chocolate or ice cream fiend when down in the dumps?
And what big plans are you sitting on at the moment?

5 Challenges Of Being A Nanny

When I first began to write this article, Five Challenges Of Being A Nanny, I’d just finished a trying week in the nanny life. It was the first week back at school after a busy school holidays. Two weeks in where we’d celebrated Easter and Anzac Day long weekends and then to top it off, four birthdays within the space of a week. I was run-down, over-worked and ‘over it’.

There are many challenges of being a nanny, and most of us encounter them fairly regularly. Here’s my top 5 challenges of being a nanny that I currently face.

1. The Never Ending Chores

The birthdays meant we’d had both sets of grandparents visiting from interstate. With the arrival of grandparents, extra family members and cosy school friends I was turning over beds quicker than some hotels. The kitchen cupboards were emptying faster than I could stock them and the craft supplies were running dangerously on empty.

2. The Time Spent Being A Taxi

To add to the madness, the twins’ ballet camp happened to fall over the same days they were to be flitting between mum and dad’s place. This of course meant I spent more time couriering forgotten ballet slippers and preferred leotards between each home and ballet studio rather than actually sitting and observing the ballet.

3. The Family

It wasn’t always supposed to be so challenging. With the grandparents visiting I had originally been granted some time off. BossMum had agreed it was the perfect chance for them to spend some quality time with the grandchildren whilst I enjoyed a bit of much needed ‘down time’. Except of course, my compassion for the kids saw me volunteering to ‘pop in’ each day. It was an attempt to tactfully navigate the necessity for the grandparents to enjoy their grandkids whilst also making sure the kids didn’t succumb to the boredom of the elderly oscillating between the kitchen to make tea and the lounge to watch TV.

4. Becoming ‘Attached’

On the first day of the new routine, I popped in and was immediately faced with a howling baby. She was clinging desperately to the family dog in the corner of the room with both grandparents unsure of what to make of it. I quickly understood that with the baby in the dribbling stage of painful teething and at the height of her clinginess, she was sooner comforted by the familiarity of the family puppy than with the grandparents she’d regrettably not seen much of. There went my “down time”.

5. The Inconsistency

The compromise meant I could still enjoy an easier day whilst maintaining my roles and responsibilities of the nanny life. Unfortunately those easy days remained elusive. Because as I’m sure any nanny, babysitter, teacher, child care worker or parent will agree to, no two days spent with children are ever the same (no less predictable).

As nannies we share the responsibility of developing children into respectable young people. #nannylife

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(So Why Do It?) My love and attachment to the little baby I’ve cared for since she was tiny, and my fondness for the older girls whom I’ve seen grow and prosper since sharing their lives meant I’d rather see to their needs than punch my time card and claim my holidays.

Which brings me back to the original thread for this article, the things that make my job [the nanny life] challenging, because as I’m sure you can appreciate, this job is no walk in the park.

As nannies we are tasked with the role of caring for other people’s children. We share the responsibility of developing them into respectable young people, whilst adhering to the attitudes of the parents and ensuring the children are granted enough freedom to be their own person.

Usually we spend majority of the contact hours with them and yet it’s advised we don’t get too attached. Plus, we must carefully navigate family dramas and mediate differences in parenting opinions without compromising ourselves.

The many challenges in the nanny job can be difficult and the desire for some ‘down time’ feel desperately needed. But in my opinion, as a committed nanny whom balances the good with the bad and takes each day as they come, the rewards can be plentiful and far outweigh a few challenges that pop up along the way.

>>> How do you go to work each day and front up to the challenges?

This Is Exactly Where You Need To Be

Life is rushing by rather quickly at the moment. I get the impression that it’s a candle being burnt at both ends. Sadly, it’s not one of those delicious Ecoya slow-burn candles either. Changes are happening in the nanny family and my hours are increasing to match the demands of the job. It’s great to spend more time with the kids doing what I love, but not so great when trying to balance everything else. Add to that a few personal pursuits and something of a social life and things start get a bit crazy.

But as evening well and truly transitions to night and I at long last sit down to enjoy time for myself (before promptly falling asleep on the couch), I’m left wondering where the hours went? And if I used those hours wisely? Because how could it be that I had 8 hours wide-open on my schedule and yet I’ve still not made a dent on my to-do list?

So I’m feeling a little bit as though I have so much on my plate and so much I want to achieve, without having enough time available to make it all happen. I’m sure you can relate.

Perhaps reassuringly, it seems I’m not alone in this. Norah spoke of a similar problem and of the difficulties when choosing how to spend your adventure. Charli Mils explained the dilemma of needing to prioritise our priorities and suggested we ‘find a balance by simplifying’.
Mums Take Five offered tips to better manage your sleep routine and Blog Society and byRegina.com both suggested we take part in a business #creativecleanse.

I guess it’s a comfort to know that we’re all sharing in these issues together.

But how do I resolve them? How do I make more time for myself to pursue that which I want to do? How do I make it possible for my dreams to come true? And how do I make them happen on my time frame?

I don’t know the answers yet, I’m still working on uncovering the specific questions I need answered first. However, what I do know is that this is exactly what I’m supposed to be doing at the moment. This is where I should be, this is for me. My best course of action is to simply remember that ‘this is exactly where you need to be’. So live in the moment, enjoy it and know that good things take time.

Are you struggling with the same dilemma? How do you manage your time to fit everything in? Do you find yourself having to forgo one passion for another?

image: love from ginger