I am finally leaving the nanny business.
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Anonymous
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I've been a FT nanny for eight years. I am 28. I loved the flexibility, the autonomy, creativity, funness, and EASINESS of this profession. I have worked for, surprisingly, awesome families. Over the years I've gotten picky (only worked for families I were positive were a good fit), finally wrote up a contract/work agreement, and have gained so much patience, knowledge, and have also developed a backbone/assertiveness.
Why am I leaving? I am so burnt out. I love the kiddos, and I don't let it show. I hide that I'm burnt out. Meaning, I pretend I still love the job (even those closest to me), but the truth is I'm embarrassed by it. I'm embarrassed that I'm a college grad who is almost 30 who is still a nanny, a job that was supposed to be just a year or two. Additionally, I'm just sick of it. I'm tired of the the things I once enjoyed. Playing outside in the sun- now I hate running around and being 'on' while getting hot and sweaty in the sun, only to have the kids throw a temper tantrum when it's time to go. Building snow forts and sledding- I now dread spending 20 minutes bundling them up and getting all dirty and slushy. I've gotten lazy and too comfortable. I take the easy route. I look forward to nap times. I hate board games and play with minimal effort. I enjoy their independent play. All that patience I've gotten so good at using is starting to deteriorate. When the kids are extra whiny, I don't have it in me to be calm and explain the right way to ask for something. I get snippy about it. I'm bad, I know. Thats why I'm leaving. It took me too long to admit, and now I'm over the point of being burnt out. Everything I do now is fake because I truly don't enjoy and aspect of it. Again, I don't let it show (I'm not mean or neglectful, I love my charges), but I just don't have any juice left in me. I am leaving in less than a month for a new job. An entry level position in an office environment. I haven't had a non-nanny position in a very long time. It will be a big adjustment (mentally, physically, socially, financially), but I need a big change. |
Anonymous
| Sounds like you are doing the right thing. Working with children is extremely hard work, even when we love the children. That's why lots of parents prefer to get an office job to. Good luck to you. |
Anonymous
| You'll do fine. Every human being needs a change once in while. Most parents have had lots of jobs including being nannies. That life. Best of luck! |
Anonymous
| I'm so burnt out that I don't even want to have my own kids anymore. But I don't have a college degree and I'm 30, so it will be hard to find something else with benefits that will pay a high school grad $20/hr so I stay. I feel the same way as you and I hide it, but nap time is my favourite time of the day. Lots of people don't like their job, and they still go to work every day. |
Anonymous
| ^^ PP again, what I mean is that before anyone goes off on their high horse about me having the nerve to wrk with kids and being a horrible person for not like my job, I'm not alone. There's lots of people who don't always like their jobs and they still go to work. |
Anonymous
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Good for you for recognizing the signs that it is time to "retire," and getting out before you let your frustrations show. It's so much better for you, your charges, and your employers. It also gives a nanny who is still enthusiastic about her career a chance at a great job.
However, I don't think you should feel embarrassed for being a nanny for 8 years. From the way you've described yourself, you should be proud to call yourself a professional career nanny. My in-laws were certainly a little nicer to me when my title was "teacher" (when I taught pre-school for a year between nanny jobs), but I make nearly $10/hr more as a nanny. I'm also college educated. I personally can think of quite a few more embarrassing professions. |
Anonymous
| I feel you on all aspects. I'm just doing it until I finish my undergrad in two years at the ripe old age of 28. I can't afford to get any entry level job doesn't require you to have a degree already. I'm also extremely embarrassed as a 26yr old to tell my peers, dates etc that I'm a nanny. They look at me with such pity and most of the time I'm making more than they are! I'm just ready to grow up get paid a steady income with benefits and retirement. Hopefully I won't be so jaded that when I have my own kids everything will be exciting and new again. |
Anonymous
You won't be, trust me. It's completely different when they're your own. I do understand where you're coming from, though. |
Anonymous
| As messed up as this sounds if kids didn't come with parents I'd love my job anymore. The parents make me dislike what I'm doing more than the kids.... |
Anonymous
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I did the same thing. Started at 18 and nannied til I was 28. I was done. I had the same feelings as you. I also was a live in, which made it worse. I wanted a social life that didn't involve kids around. I took an office job and slowly got better at it. I enjoyed the adult contact at work every day. I worked in a few different office settings over the past 7 years and where am I now? Back to nanning! I was laid off from my last job (I was there 2 years and it was my dream job). They were downsizing due to lack of business. I couldn't find a job and went thru my savings and the unemployment is a joke- I think it covered my car bill each month and that's it. I ended up back nanning. I found I actually missed being with kids (not dealing with the parents - that still is annoying). I'm now working on my bachelors degree so I can teach. Wish I would have done it sooner but hey better late than never.
Good luck to you!!!!!! You will do amazing in whatever you do. |
Anonymous
+1 its the parents that burn me out! |
Anonymous
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OP change is good. You may want to consider thinking about what you would really like to be doing with your career. An office job is just a job too unless you are very interested or passionate about what you are doing.
Your interests don't need to be lofty. Too many people think that if they aren't cut out to cure cancer then any office job will do. Some people love interacting with other people, traveling around, and have a high social IQ (and possible lower academic IQ) can really get into sales and do well. People who love organizing things and structure may really enjoy project management. There are different types of "office" careers out there. |
Anonymous
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OP here. I am so grateful for all the positive responses here, despite my "over it" stance in my post.
To address a few PP's-- I hope I didn't offend anyone by admitting I was embarrassed about explaining to people that I'm a nanny. It's a hard job, takes a lot of patience and skills that many people don't have. I think I only started being embarrassed over the past few years when I would get the same questions/reactions when I said I was a nanny, so it's more of a learned embarrassment (I think- I'm still trying to work through this in my head). The entry-level position I obtained is something I'm *kind of* interested in- I don't want to say the company on here in case someone works for them, but there's lots of room for growth, movement to different positions, as well as different options geographically. Some of the jobs I was interested in (marketing, project management), you need some basic/learned office skills which I really just don't have (even if I think I just automatically have them, you still need minimum experience). I spent about two weeks just applying to any type of entry level position I saw online. I applied to maybe 50 positions, heard back from five, and chose to interview for two. Somehow, I rocked the interviews (even though I was a nervous wreck), got called back for two 2nd interviews, and one immediately offered me the position and I took it. Somehow, they are paying me as much as my nannying position- and that was one of my biggest reasons I haven't done this sooner- I figured I would only be offered positions that were $10-11/hour (I'm in Boston and make $20/hr as a nanny if that matters). So, I don't know how many people are in the same position as me, but I would say just put yourself out there, spend time filling out applications (and customize for each job, this really is important). The PPs that don't have a bachelors- so many job postings I saw did not have college degrees as a requirement. Could you start taking night classes or online classes, working towards a certificate program or an Associates? That way, you're technically working toward something when you start applying? Which is similar to actually having the education, IMO. |
Anonymous
| Op, I'm in the same boat. 28 and ready to retire. Raising children isnt easy, especially if they aren't yours. You shouldn't be embarrassed because your job is one of the most important there is! Good luck to you! |
Anonymous
+2 Same here, the parents burn me out. |