I'll be honest with you — when I first started this job, I had two motives...
1. It was a great resume builder — nannying a little boy with a disability as a special education major?! Hello, Perfect!
2. And the pay is better than going back to Panera.
Yet, little did I know, this one little 6-year-old boy would have such a large impact on my life. I thought I was signing up for school pickups, soccer practices, dinners and homework help — easy, right up my alley. What I got instead was so much more than that.
When I first got the Interview for this job, I was scared out of my mind and wanted to immediately back out. But something told me to stick it out. Not all days are easy, most days he gives me a run for my money but every day it is worth it. All of our good days outweigh what seems to be a bad day.
One of the best feelings that I have had is walking into that house after what is a typical college stressed-out day for me, and I hear a little boy running down the hall, yelling my name for a big hug and many kisses. And right then and there, my heart smiles and my mood does a 360.
I never had the opportunity to have a younger sibling and watch them grow up and experience all of it as someone watching. Being a nanny, I have been blessed with the opportunity to watch this boy learn new things every day. And it is honestly so rewarding to know that I am being the impact of what this boy is learning and sharing the happiness along side with him.
Being the role of a nanny I am more than the one in charge. It's like a job that requires me to be a kid. A job that I am excited for every day. My job is to be a role model for this little boy. Yes, we do homework, and yes, I cook him dinner. But mostly I am here to have dance parties in the kitchen, to play basketball and hide and seek. My job is to kiss the boo boos from soccer practice, share favorite moments from school and so much more.
Never would I have thought that a 6-year-old boy would impact my life. I would have never guessed that I would have actually miss work. I miss going to my job five days a week. And I actually look forward to going back to work. I look forward to seeing him smile and laugh. I even look forward to cleaning up spilled yogurt. He has made me know for sure that this is what I was meant to do, showing my how great my love and passion for children with disabilities is and just continues to grow.
Being a nanny can be an exhausting job, I leave work at 6:30 p.m. ready to crawl into bed almost every day. But It has become one the most rewarding and impactful things that I have done. Watching a child grow up before your eyes, you become very emotionally attached and your love for the child that you nanny only grows.
So no, this is not my child, ma'am and no, the car seat in my car is not for my kid, but I love him as if her were my own, and I love being his nanny.