Nanny Shecando

Supporting the international nanny industry

DIY Up-Cycled Photo Frames

photo, frames, diy, gift, anniversary

DIY Up-Cycled Photo Frame Art

This is a really easy, cheap and fun artsy DIY activity that I did recently with Miss6. I made them as a gift to celebrate the boyfriend and mine’s anniversary. We’ve also been working on decorating our apartment over the last few months. It’s a very slow progress because we are going very slow and thinking about every little piece before we buy it. Whilst we share so many interests, ideas and perspectives it seems that we don’t always agree on decoration. Bummer! Where I want to do very clean lines with a mix of french country and classic (lots of white, wooden materials and simple designs), he seems to be a little more into the “geek” side. Our taste is proving to be so different that I keep threatening (promising) to make him a designated ‘man cave’ where he can keep all of his toys and collectables that he loves so much. So I decided that this little gift would be the perfect excuse to get some more art up on the walls, sans lengthy deliberations!

Further Reading: The Only Arguments In My House Are Because My Boyfriend Plays Video Games

I had planned to make these up-cycled photo frames over a weekend but as usual my plans changed and I found myself doing them at work. Of course Miss6 didn’t mind! She’ll happily enjoy any reason to take part in a little arts and craft. Although I did have to promise that we could make some more for her own bedroom that we’ve been repurposing and redecorating.

diy, photo, frame, craft, nanny, shecando diy, photo, frames, craft, nanny shecando

photo, frames, craft, DIY

What You Will Need:
  • photo frames
  • acrylic based paints OR spray paints
  • paint brushes (size relative to the size of the frames)
  • paint mixing palates
  • coloured cardboard or photo backing paper
  • scrapbook sticker dots
  • scissors
  • plastic sheeting or plastic tablecloths

Then add something artsy to fill your photo frames!

I used a love heart stencil to cut out significant locations on a map of Sydney that were special to my relationship with the boyfriend. Although you could use anything to put inside your frames e.g. special photographs, ticket stubs from movies or festivals, restaurant business cards, jewellery etc. I got the original idea from these photos on pinterest, I’m completely addicted to it! I find that pinterest is great platform for bookmarking because it’s very visual (which helps me to remember things better). But it’s also a huge time pit – 5 minutes easily becomes 2 hours! By the way, you can follow my boards on pinterest {here} if you’re not already doing so.

Steps:

  1. Suit everyone up in art smocks to protect clothing
  2. Cover the work area in plastic sheeting or an old plastic tablecloth
  3. Lay out the paints, paintbrushes and the photo frames
  4. Paint the frames in your chosen colours and leave to dry
  5. Whilst frames are drying, arrange your display art
    e.g. stick photos to cardboard or get a little crafty with some love hearts like I did!
  6. Fill your frames and wrap with a big red ribbon

diypaintedphotoframes-NSCD diypaintedphotoframe-NSCD

paint, art, diy, photo, frames

What is your favourite craft activity? Do you give gifts on anniversaries? Do you also have a boyfriend that likes to hoard collectables?

Not On My Watch: Preventing Children’s Injuries

injuries, children, parenting, safety, nanny shecando

It’s a huge thing this Nannying gig. Really huge. In some cases, it can implicate life and death situations. Especially when concerning the care of babies and small children. The care provided by an adult or someone deemed responsible for children is hugely significant.

Recently I had a traumatic experience. A child placed in my care was injured, and I couldn’t have done anything reasonably foreseeable to prevent it. The ordeal once again called to mind the significance of my job as a nanny and made me question something.

>>> Preventing Children’s Injuries: What to do when something goes wrong?

The Incident + Injury

Bub banged her nose quite severely on the arm of the couch one day not long ago. She was bouncing around excitedly and face planted the couch. The result was some severe carpet burn, some blood and a whole lot of crying! It looked worse than it was, and once we had calmed down I was able to stop and think and assess the damage. I could see that she didn’t have any immediate bruising around the nose and eyes.

injuries, parenting, children, nanny life, nannyshecando

After a good half an hour of consoling my poor little munchkin, some serious off-key lullabies and a warm bottle to send her off to peaceful, I just cried my eyes out and now I’m exhausted sleep, I turned on myself. The full weight of criticism came attacking and self-doubt was rife in my head.

How could I have let this happen! Her mum leaves her entrusted in my care and look what happens! This is not good enough, imagine if it had have been more serious! This is my first day back at work after having four days off over Christmas. Maybe I’m not cut out to be a nanny. Clearly my motherly instincts are desensitized after having time off. Maybe I’m not a natural after all.

After this I called MumBoss to tell her of what had happened. I filled her in on the details and let her know that Bub was fine save for a large red bump on her nose. I then divulged my anguish, telling MB that I was so sorry to have let this happen, On My Watch! To which she said:

This kind of thing happens all the time. She’s getting more and more mobile these days. She’s not aware of her spacial distance just yet. If it wasn’t you, it would have happened to someone else! Don’t blame yourself! I’m just glad you were there to do some first aid and give her cuddles. You’re her other mother you know! Don’t feel bad. I accidentally left her sitting on the couch the other day and walked off to the kitchen to put her nappy in the bin and next thing I know she’s fallen off the couch and face planted the carpet. There was a deafening thud! So I know what it’s like.

After some reflection I went back and just sat watching Bub sleep in her cot, checking constantly to make sure she was still breathing. So I guess I do have all the motherly instincts after all. The ordeal got me thinking of the heavy responsibility we take on as nannies and other child care providers.

The responsibility we bear to care for other people’s children:

1. When driving them in the car.

2. When giving swimming lessons in the pool.

3. When taking them out and about in busy places.

4. When walking them to school.

5. When overseeing all education and developmental milestones.

6. Even down to the ‘feed them responsibly, bath them safely, provide emotional and mental support effectively’.

So I state again, with strong conviction, and with 110% dedication to do my every bit to make sure that my little children do not experience hurt. I say: not on my watch! For I attempt to be Superwoman, or at the very least, Super Nanny.

Further Reading: 5 Things About My Job (The Nanny Life)
It’s a huge thing to take on, this Nannying Gig. It mustn’t be taken lightly. #nannylife #childcare

Click To Tweet

children, injury, nanny life, parenting, safety

>>> Have you had a child get injured whilst in your care?

Are You Siri-ous?

A Friend To Talk To: Are You Siri-ous?

Miss Charlie and I were in the car the other day en route to a play date with some friends. They were going sailing out on the Harbour, now that’s some play date! I had programmed the address into Google Maps and Siri was guiding me. Miss Charlie piped up from the back and says,

“Why don’t I have series? Mummy and Daddy have series on the iPads but I don’t.”

Not sure what she was on about, I sad something about how they might watch tv and have lots of series on their iPads but that she only uses her iPad for games. There, done. Sorted. That’s that.

“What? I watch tv too! Why would that mean I don’t have series? I really want to have series. I want to have a friend I can talk to.”

OK. I’m pretty sure she’s too young to have seen that episode of Big Bang theory but maybe I’m wrong…

Finally realising that she was actually talking about Siri, that annoyingly monotonous voice in my phone that mispronounces street names, sends me the long way to the milk bar on the corner and calls my ex semi-mother in law instead of the boyfriend on voice call.. awesome.

Getting back to topic, I still wasn’t sure how to answer her question. I began to explain that different iPads have different models, that my iPhone was a newer model than her sisters and that Mummy’s iPad was even newer than Daddy’s. Then I began to explain how lucky she was to even have an iPad to call her own. Mercifully she was spared my ‘back in my day’ speech as we arrived at our destination, and with only three unexpected detours thanks to Siri and her affinity for sending us around the block, I’d say Miss Charlie got off lucky.

Still if I were her, I’d be rethinking that desire to have Siri and just elect to go more for the Scarlett Johansson in Her. Now she’s a person worth dreaming about when you’re in need of a person to talk to.

Who Would You Rather

More They Said What?!

Dog Biscuits Are For Dogs

Dog Biscuits Are For Dogs,
and not for babies!

You know that old saying, “you’ve got to crawl before you can walk”?

Well I can tell you first hand, it’s actually true and I’ve found myself saying it a lot lately. That and, “just take some baby steps, you know, stepping-stones… slow and steady wins the race!”

Why have I been hauling out these old clichés you may ask? Because, guess what, wait for it…

Baby Viv has finally started to crawl and teeter around on gingerly placed tip-toes. Hooray! She’s got a bit of a wonky-donkey, I’ve-had-one-too-many-red-wines-and-now-I’m-stumbling-over type thing going on with her legs, but man can she get some speed. Everybody look out, we have a runner on our hands!

This is truly a great thing. I’m excited for her. She’s finally found some freedom and renewed opportunity to explore the world around her; and from her own vantage point too. However, what’s not great? Is that with her new skill of crawling around on hands and knees means that I must acquaint myself once again with the same. I now find myself chasing after pudgy little baby legs. Adorable little pudgy legs yes. But also the same little pudgy legs that can now get themselves into the laundry to eat the dog biscuits. Yes, not kidding.

So it’s time to change things up a little bit, time to view the world from Baby Viv’s perspective…

“Oh no you don’t, don’t crawl that way, there’s a light switch over there!”

“Oh no you don’t, don’t crawl under the Christmas tree, you’ll be covered in glittery baubles and disappear!”

“No don’t crawl that after the cat. And whatever you do, don’t pull her tail.. she’ll get frustrated and take a swip)!”

“Oh no you don’t, quick, close the door! Viv is on a crawling mission to escape!”

Yep, that’s right. Baby proofing is happening at the moment. And with the rest of the munchkins back at school today, it’s an excuse to undergo some much-needed late summer cleaning.

On the To-Do list first:

  • get a baby gate for the stairs, and
  • secure that thing good!

Actually, you know what, that’ll have to come later. Right now I’ve got a Baby Viv sitting in the dog’s water bowl looking at the doggie biscuits with a dangerous glint in her eye! Catch you later.

You’ve got to crawl before you can walk… or something like that. #nanylife

Click To Tweet

20140128-095607.jpg

That face!
Baby Viv, 9 months

 

________

>>> When did you little one first start to walk? Were you baby-proofed and ready?

Monday Funny: A Hobo Skipping

Guess what, it’s a Monday and I’m writing this from the comfort of my lounge.

Hello Long Weekend!
So glad you’re here. Please stay a while, happy to have you anytime you want to visit again. Like next week maybe?

Today I’m sharing a blast from the past. Well, the more recent past that is.

This conversation occurred with Miss Charlie not long after I’d become “The Nanny” (quotation marks here because yes, I get how that sounds). The relevance is that I was still getting to know her; the wild, crazy, unpredictable ball of energy that is Miss Charlie, age 6.

At the time I was all: Who. Is. This. Girl?? … she’s crazy!

Now I know: you’ve-just-got-to-smile-and-go-with-it.. “smile, nod, ahuh, cool!”

I’d love for you to give me your take on this.

  • Is this real?
  • Did she really do this?
  • Or is it just a charming, funny, but totally made up story to bring laughter to the likes of newly employed and naive nannies?

… The jury’s still out on that one.

The Hobo Skipping Rope

Miss Charlie came bouncing home from her first day back at school yesterday.
By bouncing, I mean that she was quite literally, jumping up and down with excitement.
Excitement mixed with intense anticipation to get started on the (just announced)
‘Jump Rope for Heart’ fundraising competition happening that term.

In between quick gasps of air and with her head rising 20cm in the air
with each of her sky-jumps, she filled me in on the details.
Although, she was quick to point out a major flaw in this competition;
a competition that naturally as a middle child (major competitive streak),
meant that she’d of course just have to win (her words, not mine).

She says to me that she needs to ‘practice her skipping to win the competition’.
Yep, logically speaking, I can see how she’d need to do this. Practice makes perfect.
(Though it looks as though she’s already doing this,
based on the already noted observations of her jumping up and down on the spot)
..but you know, I could be wrong.

So I say that ‘we could go out to the garden and jump up and down until our heart’s content‘,
(patting myself on the back for that “heart” line – being Jump Rope for Heart and all).
To which she replies:

“I can’t because I don’t have a skipping rope anymore.
I used to have one but I sold it to some hobo!”

So there you have it. A couple of things here:

  1. she was jumping up and down sans skipping rope
  2. she seemingly thinks she can’t practice without a skipping rope, despite (from what I can tell) doing just fine on her own without one
  3. she supposedly sold her skipping rope to a hobo

Disregarding the morality of supposedly ‘selling’ something to a hobo as opposed to ‘giving’ it, a more pressing thought formulating in my mind at the time was:

How does she even know the word “hobo”, let alone use it correctly in a sentence? And yes, as I said, she’s six.

Miss Charlie, age 6

Miss Charlie, age 6