Personal reflection: A Journey of Acceptance
When, aged 10, I told my grandfather that I wanted to work
with children when I grew up, he replied "as long as you don't become a
nanny, they're like glorified slaves". Growing up in a small English
town, frequently surrounded by young children in the neighbourhood, my
interest in early child development was peaked and inspired my career in
the childcare field. My Granddad's comment stuck with me though
throughout my graduate studies, teaching practice and my first nanny
job, which, I self-justified, was only to supplement my 'real' job as a
preschool teacher.
It wasn't until I emigrated to Australia six years ago and
was nannying full time, that I caught myself explaining to others that I
was 'just a nanny' and didn't have a 'real' job like they did in an
office. I assumed that my friends in higher income jobs thought that I
simply 'played' all day and had it easy, an opinion that I parried by
defensively offering that information first; if I demeaned my job first,
then others wouldn't be able to. It took a long period of soul
searching and friend-therapy to realize how my grandfather's statement
had affected my thinking. My non-nanny friends in fact respected my
ability to care for and educate children, while they themselves couldn't
imagine a more challenging position!
Ultimately, I'm now in a place where I'm proud to call
myself a nanny. As the profession becomes more widely recognized for the
all encompassing role that it is, I'm proud to attend conferences such
as NannyPalooza, networking with like-minded others and spreading the
word of the work we love to do and brain-storming the challenges that we
face. I've been with my fabulous nanny family in Sydney for 3 years now
and will remain for as long as they need me. I have a unique working
relationship with my Mum Boss who works from home, and am proud to be
co-raising 3 independent, confident and resilient boys. I'm proud to be
passionate about my job and this, in turn, motivates me to further my
own knowledge through ongoing professional development.
Building a special bond with a child and a family over time
and being a part of the person they become is a magical thing. I know
now that regardless of my grandfather's comment when I was younger, he
would've been happy that I've found a career that I love whole heartily
and would be proud of the person I am today because of it.
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