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[quote=Anonymous]I second communication.

I don’t fly out, ever.  It’s very unprofessional to need to run to the store to get toiletries on the way to the house.  I also bring a ton of resources, and the airline can’t/won’t allow me that much baggage.

So, I drive or take the train.  While I appreciate help taking my things inside, I pack heavy to save space, and it’s often easier if the parent keeps younger children out of the way. If I take the train, I unload the car so the driver can leave, then take my things downstairs.  If I drove, I unload the rental car piece by piece, then get an Uber or taxi back from the rental office.  Depending on the family, I either unpack and start the following day or kids swarm me and I hit the ground running.

Every family has done a driving test with me.  However, the point is that it’s a test including all of the possible hazards I will experience in the area.  I do sightseeing and find locations with waze on my own time.  Before I arrive, I’ve already been given all the addresses and contact information I will need, and I’ve already looked up their position relative to the house.  I’ve already researched every park (with and without playground), pool, lake, hiking trail, nature center, museum, rec center and everything else potentially useful and fun for kids.  My first two or three days off work are spent exclusively finding all of them and determining whether they are worth the trek or not.

Some nannies like to have linens provided.  I bring my own.  Some nannies like a small selection of toiletries.  I bring my own, and I’m very picky.  Some nannies appreciate a handful of menus for take out and delivery and/or a gift card for a restaurant; I rarely eat out, and when I do, I’m very picky.

What I love are the signs that the kids are excited to meet me in person.  No matter how much I’ve already talked with them on the phone and FaceTime, it’s still a blast to having kids buzzing around.  I treasure every homemade sign, welcome mug and weird collage I’ve been given.  I make them a part of making it my home too by having them help me decide where art from previous kids goes in my room.  (I can’t keep everything, but I don’t discuss that until I’m moving on.  When that time comes, I ask each child to look through everything they’ve made for me and pick two things for me to keep forever, and they help me take pictures of everything else.)

I also appreciate the signs that the parent is welcoming me into their home.  They let me know that they stocked certain foods I like in the refrigerator (which means they listened while I talked to kids or that kids told them what to get for me).  They ask if I want to join a family outing immediately or later that day, without pressuring me to feel I have to acquiesce (especially if it’s long!).  They try to keep kids out of the way when I bring things in, but allow them to tug me everywhere to show me the things children feel are most important.

To me, the most important aspect is that the parent and I know we are a team.  I don’t want or need them to treat me like a guest.  I’m ready to jump in and immerse myself in their family and children, which is why we talk so long prior to coming to an agreement.  I live in because it’s what the family needs and because I get the relationships I want, not because I need somewhere to live.[/quote]

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