Life
Nannies, y’all. Where would be without them? The trusted caretakers who wear so many hats, from playmate to housekeeper, surrogate parent to close friend, make so many households function. I know many close friends whose nannies have become additional member of the family and part of their children’s lives long after the little ones need care. If your nanny goes above and beyond time and time again, even in the midst of a pandemic, one way to express your gratitude for them is to share an Instagram caption dedicated to them Nanny Appreciation Week 2020, which is from September 20-26 this year.
Maybe your nanny knows just the right thing to cheer your child up. Or maybe they are a whiz in the kitchen. You may love them for their thoughtfulness or incredible punctuality. Whatever the case, a message on Instagram is a nice way to acknowledge their work and how much it means to your family. It also shines a light on this often overlooked profession that employs some 562,420 according to Overgrade.com. So this week, give a little social media love to the nanny in your life with a nice Instagram message (a card and sweet surcee or some paid time off wouldn’t hurt either, just saying) and make their week with your children a little bit brighter.
1
“Everything is possible, even the impossible." —Mary Poppins. To our own Mary Poppins who makes our lives possible each day, thank you!
There's a reason Mary Poppins is such a beloved character. She embodies the magical realm of people who can bring fantasy to reality while making life better for everyone around them. Know a nanny just like that? Tell them how much you appreciate their magic.
2
"When you need me, but do not want me, then I must stay. When you want me, but no longer need me, then I have to go." —Nanny McPhee. To our own sweet Nanny, wish you were still with us.
For kids who have come to lean on a nanny, it can be hard to let them go. I have two friends who nannied who still stay in touch with their kiddos, 15 years on. Show that the time they spent with you is still felt and appreciated all these years later with this Nanny McPhee quote.
3
“A person’s a person, no matter how small.” —Dr. Seuss. To the woman who always puts our little person first, we love you.
It takes a special kind of person to bring the amount of patience necessary to the role of childcare provider. They have to see little people the same unique, special people their parents do. Here's to the nannies who do just that.
4
“They may forget what you said, but they will never forget how you made them feel.” —Carol Buchner. Thank you for making our kids feel special every day.
The lessons imparted to small children can go on to last a lifetime. That's something the best nannies know all too well. They may leave a family eventually, but what they impart to kids will stay with them for years to come.
5
"It take as a village to raise a child." Lucky to have you in our tribe.
The African proverb says that "it takes a village to raise a child" and that's certainly the case for families who employ a nanny. You can tell them how sacred you feel their role is by citing this classic quote.
6
“Children have never been very good at listening to their elders, but they have never failed to imitate them.” —James Baldwin. Grateful to have your voice in our children's ears.
If imitation is the sincerest form of flattery and children often emulate the ones they look up to, you better hope the people you're presenting to them are good role models. For so many families, the nanny is that person and for those who lead by wonderful example it's worth telling them how much that means to you.
7
“The job of an educator is to teach students to see the vitality in themselves.” —Joseph Campbell. Here's the great education you've provided our kids!
While teacher isn't in the nanny title, so much of what they do is provide children with an education. Their greatest role in that education is making a child understand their value. Use this quote to let your nanny know how priceless you know that gift is.
8
“A child must know that he is a miracle, that since the beginning of the world there hasn’t been, and until the end of the world there will not be, another child like him.” —Pablo Casals. Thanks for protecting our little miracle each day.
All parents think their child is a miracle, but it's a special something to find someone who agrees. Nannies are one of the rare exceptions and when you've found someone who can find the beauty in your child (even at their worst) that's a person worth celebrating.
9
“Play is the highest form of research.” —Albert Einstein. To the greatest play maker, our sincerest thanks.
The ability to escape modern distractions, concerns, and adult worries and truly escape into play with a child is something that takes an enormous amount of energy. Nannies do it every day. What a gift.
10
“Tell me and I’ll forget; Show me and I may remember; involve me and I’ll understand.” —Chinese Proverb. Here's to the woman who makes our kids understand.
Show, don't tell is a common refrain in writing, but it can apply to life as well. Show a child how do to something and they'll remember it rather than hearing it said over and over. For the nannies who take the time to show, not tell, give them a big old thank you with this Instagram caption idea.
11
“Making the decision to have a child — it’s momentous. It is to decide forever to have your heart go walking outside your body.” —Elizabeth Stone. Grateful to have our beloved nanny walk beside this child.
As parents we wish we could protect our children from everything. But we can't always be there, especially in today's society with work commitments and career goals. A nanny is there when we can't be and what a blessing it is to have them watching over this little piece of our hearts.
12
“God gave burdens; he also gave shoulders.” —Yiddish Proverb. To the shoulder I rely on each day to care for my children, thank you so much!
It's hard for some parents to admit they need another adult to provide care. But what a huge relief it is when they accept that they need help and realize that it doesn't make them less of a caretaker, but a better, happier family. Nannies help to shoulder some of the burdens of raising children.
13
“The simple act of caring is heroic.” —Edward Albert. Here's to the nanny heroes and all that they do.
Not all heroes wear capes and that's especially true of nannies who are more likely wearing bits of a child's lunch than a superhero outfit. But they're heroes all the same for every boo-boo they kiss, tear they wipe, and hug they give.
14
"Children need love, especially when they do not deserve it.” –Harold Hubert. And my nanny certainly shows it.
Children can and will be difficult. It's part of growing up. a great nanny knows how to handle unpredictable behavior, put up with it, and guide children to be better humans all while caring for them along the way. That's some next level love right there.
15
"We must teach our children to smell the earth, to taste the rain, to touch the wind, to see things grow, to hear the sun rise and night fall – to care." —John Cleal. Thanks for raising my child to appreciate our mother earth.
For the nannies who go out of their way to make the world a bigger and more exciting place for a child, this John Cleal quote is good. It shows how much presenting nature to a kid can change their world view for the better.
