It’s been a long, hard year for nannies.

[Anonymous]

Especially those of us who live and work in the city with no outdoor space. Without playgrounds, libraries, music class and play-dates, I’ve come up with every way imaginable to keep my charges engaged, learning, and having fun. The isolation (my employers saw no one but me and I saw no one but them) on weekends has been hard, too. It felt like their was no outlet.

It’s been even harder, I think, on the parents. No break, no date-nights, working from home with a nanny and kids underfoot.

Now that things are looking up, I wonder how we’re all going to look back on this last year?

[Anonymous]

As a nanny, I learned a great deal. Formally, I took three online graduate school classes in Early Childhood Education on weekends. And experientially I found ways just to be with my charge and let him take the lead. We have one park - trees and grass (not a playground) where we’ve gone everyday and I’m kinda amazed by what he’s discovered on his own to do and play with. I’ve also done a lot more “academics” (phonics, numbers and sums, reading, French) with him since we’ve had so few distractions. He’s way, way ahead of his peers.

I’ve also gotten to know my employers well and really like them.

But yes, it’s been SO HARD!

[Anonymous]

Being stuck inside was the worst. Now that the weather is changing and we're all getting vaccinated things are looking up. But yes the past year was horrendous. I thought the kids handled things as well as they could maybe better than the grown ups sometimes. I heard my "babies" saying over and over again 'when the virus is over we will be able to do......".

Trying to focus on things looking up and being grateful. And OP you are right, this was a nightmare for working families.

[Anonymous]

Yes. This time last year I remember thinking it was going to last a month.

[Anonymous]

We, employers and I, stuck to strict isolation and I live alone so the loneliness was definitely hard on me. Luckily I’m very close to this family so I spent the holidays with them.

I think the other difficulty has been needing to be the everything-teacher to my charge. Without play-dates, other kids, music class, library story-time - I had to teach, do, and provide it all or he wasn’t going to learn it!

[Anonymous]

I'm a live-in. We quarantined in one area, moved and then quarantined here. I haven't seen any family in over a year, because my family is either not close or not willing to cut back on their exposure for even two weeks prior to spending 2 weeks with me. While their family has been wonderful about exposure, which has allowed multiple older relatives to visit the kids after being vaccinated, it's hard to see that and just keep reminding myself that I can't fault my employers for prioritizing their children's health and emotional wellbeing.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Being stuck inside was the worst. Now that the weather is changing and we're all getting vaccinated things are looking up. But yes the past year was horrendous. I thought the kids handled things as well as they could maybe better than the grown ups sometimes. I heard my "babies" saying over and over again 'when the virus is over we will be able to do......".

Trying to focus on things looking up and being grateful. And OP you are right, this was a nightmare for working families.

As a teacher's assistant/ Nanny it was never hard for me. We weren't " stuck" inside, we still did our daily walks through the neighborhood, cooked, play games worked in workbooks had a daily plan just as in school!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Being stuck inside was the worst. Now that the weather is changing and we're all getting vaccinated things are looking up. But yes the past year was horrendous. I thought the kids handled things as well as they could maybe better than the grown ups sometimes. I heard my "babies" saying over and over again 'when the virus is over we will be able to do......".

Trying to focus on things looking up and being grateful. And OP you are right, this was a nightmare for working families.

Being so called vaccinated doesn't mean a thing. CORONAVIRUS CAN STILL BE CAUGHT AND IT'S BEING REPORTED. JUST WAIT UNTIL THE THIRD BOOSTER WILL COME OUT IN THE FALL. That will not be the end of these jabs.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Being stuck inside was the worst. Now that the weather is changing and we're all getting vaccinated things are looking up. But yes the past year was horrendous. I thought the kids handled things as well as they could maybe better than the grown ups sometimes. I heard my "babies" saying over and over again 'when the virus is over we will be able to do......".

Trying to focus on things looking up and being grateful. And OP you are right, this was a nightmare for working families.

Being so called vaccinated doesn't mean a thing. CORONAVIRUS CAN STILL BE CAUGHT AND IT'S BEING REPORTED. JUST WAIT UNTIL THE THIRD BOOSTER WILL COME OUT IN THE FALL. That will not be the end of these jabs.

Calm down, PP. You’re screaming information we all know already. Things are looking up because we can be outside (it’s spring).

And we’re not “so called vaccinated” - we’re actually vaccinated. No vaccine ever discovered or administered is 100%.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Being stuck inside was the worst. Now that the weather is changing and we're all getting vaccinated things are looking up. But yes the past year was horrendous. I thought the kids handled things as well as they could maybe better than the grown ups sometimes. I heard my "babies" saying over and over again 'when the virus is over we will be able to do......".

Trying to focus on things looking up and being grateful. And OP you are right, this was a nightmare for working families.

As a teacher's assistant/ Nanny it was never hard for me. We weren't " stuck" inside, we still did our daily walks through the neighborhood, cooked, play games worked in workbooks had a daily plan just as in school!

I’m also a former teacher who had our days planned and live in Southern California where the weather is always nice and it was still fricking hard. I used to run playgroups for my charge and take him to two libraries and two gorgeous playgrounds during the week until covid closed it all. My charge missed other kids as did I.

Also because I formed a pod with my employers and live alone, my weekends were really lonely. I missed my friends, my former charges, and my family. Thank God I love my employers like family and enjoyed spending Thanksgiving, Christmas and all birthdays with them.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Being stuck inside was the worst. Now that the weather is changing and we're all getting vaccinated things are looking up. But yes the past year was horrendous. I thought the kids handled things as well as they could maybe better than the grown ups sometimes. I heard my "babies" saying over and over again 'when the virus is over we will be able to do......".

Trying to focus on things looking up and being grateful. And OP you are right, this was a nightmare for working families.

As a teacher's assistant/ Nanny it was never hard for me. We weren't " stuck" inside, we still did our daily walks through the neighborhood, cooked, play games worked in workbooks had a daily plan just as in school!

I’m also a former teacher who had our days planned and live in Southern California where the weather is always nice and it was still fricking hard. I used to run playgroups for my charge and take him to two libraries and two gorgeous playgrounds during the week until covid closed it all. My charge missed other kids as did I.

Also because I formed a pod with my employers and live alone, my weekends were really lonely. I missed my friends, my former charges, and my family. Thank God I love my employers like family and enjoyed spending Thanksgiving, Christmas and all birthdays with them.

Live-in here.

PP hit it on the head. I've homeschooled before. It involved playdates, library trips 2-4 times per week, storytime at both the library and two independent bookstores, homeschool gym class, music classes, sport practices and games, scouts, religious services and youth group, informal coop science experiments in our home whenever we had a unit that could be expanded to include others, etc.

The kids this year have had a few online classes, numerous nature hikes, but not much else. It's just not the same.

[Anonymous]

Yes, it really has been!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Being stuck inside was the worst. Now that the weather is changing and we're all getting vaccinated things are looking up. But yes the past year was horrendous. I thought the kids handled things as well as they could maybe better than the grown ups sometimes. I heard my "babies" saying over and over again 'when the virus is over we will be able to do......".

Trying to focus on things looking up and being grateful. And OP you are right, this was a nightmare for working families.

Being so called vaccinated doesn't mean a thing. CORONAVIRUS CAN STILL BE CAUGHT AND IT'S BEING REPORTED. JUST WAIT UNTIL THE THIRD BOOSTER WILL COME OUT IN THE FALL. That will not be the end of these jabs.

Calm down, PP. You’re screaming information we all know already. Things are looking up because we can be outside (it’s spring).

And we’re not “so called vaccinated” - we’re actually vaccinated. No vaccine ever discovered or administered is 100%.

Most don't know jack. They think taking the jab is the end all not to catch Covid. This isn't a vaccine it's a trial not even FDA approved. Don't tell me about the flu shot either, never had the flu or shot.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Being stuck inside was the worst. Now that the weather is changing and we're all getting vaccinated things are looking up. But yes the past year was horrendous. I thought the kids handled things as well as they could maybe better than the grown ups sometimes. I heard my "babies" saying over and over again 'when the virus is over we will be able to do......".

Trying to focus on things looking up and being grateful. And OP you are right, this was a nightmare for working families.

Being so called vaccinated doesn't mean a thing. CORONAVIRUS CAN STILL BE CAUGHT AND IT'S BEING REPORTED. JUST WAIT UNTIL THE THIRD BOOSTER WILL COME OUT IN THE FALL. That will not be the end of these jabs.

Calm down, PP. You’re screaming information we all know already. Things are looking up because we can be outside (it’s spring).

And we’re not “so called vaccinated” - we’re actually vaccinated. No vaccine ever discovered or administered is 100%.

Most don't know jack. They think taking the jab is the end all not to catch Covid. This isn't a vaccine it's a trial not even FDA approved. Don't tell me about the flu shot either, never had the flu or shot.

Please stop embarrassing yourself, PP. Posting furiously on every thread isn’t going to change our minds. Being vaccinated is essential to stop the spread and mutation.

Just find another line of work, PP. Being around children just isn’t right for you anymore.

[Anonymous]

Ugh. The unvaccinated nanny took over this thread too. So tiresome.