“I will come when you need me but may not want me, and leave when you want me but do not need me”       

Nanny McPhee

You are here because you know you need some help when you travel but have doubts about working with a stranger. Take a moment and look over the site and hopefully you will  see I care as much about my  my parents as I do about the children.

Ten Years ago when I founded The Traveling Nanny I offered Temporary Nanny services as well as travel, newborn services.  As my reputation began to grow I realized I couldn’t continue giving in all directions and had to make some serious decisions as to where The Traveling Nanny would go.  I asked myself, what is your true passion?  What makes you excited to get to the airport?!  I knew that I loved the adventure of travel.  I love the idea of taking parents who are anxious about travel and ease them into a comfort level that allows them to truly enjoy traveling again.  

While I no longer do Temporary nanny services, I have been around for so long that I know almost all the temporary nannies and if you let me know what you need, chances are I can provide you with names and websites.  It’s just a courtesy I do for parents.  It saves you some research and lets you start interviewing quicker.

I also realized that I still love working with newborns.  I just wanted to do it a bit differently than normal newborn care. I wanted to nurture parents and coach them into learning how to care for this precious gift.    I considered it to be very different from travel and didn’t want to confuse parents with too many options.  Should you ever be interested in newborn care service too, visit www.ohbabynewborncare.com where our motto is Where every parent is a partner.  

Travel varies from quick business trips, family vacations, emergencies where I travel with the family or stay at home with the children.   I know what you are thinking, “Can I travel with a stranger or leave my children with one?  I can only say that in the years I have been doing this, once we start writing and communicating, you will find that place in your heart where it feels right.  I like to think it is because I treasure my parents as much as my childrenn.

Parents ask me what my child philosophy is and I have to smile.  I have always felt my philosophy is that there is no single general nanny philosophy. Each family is different! What works for one might not work for another. My job is to mold my style to yours, and I cannot do that if I am tied to one philosophy. Parents have it harder today than ever, and I feel they need a nanny that tunes into them as well as the children. I know that parents are not perfect, and I want to make them feel that it’s okay to just be themselves. My job is to accept them and appreciate them as parents doing their best. I want to offer parents some space to relax and enjoy their children.

I do believe in the honesty of children and their ability to see right through people. I do not rush them. I’m not there to impress anyone — I am there to offer some warmth and security, and I understand that trust cannot be rushed. If a child is shy, I don’t push them to come to me. I am content to make eye contact now and then, smile and maybe bring something out of my nanny bag that interests them. I’ve never had a child that didn’t warm up to me quickly but if I did, it would be okay. I am entering their world, and I wait till they invite me in.

My Story  (in case you are curious)

It’s very difficult to sum up your life without boring everyone to tears! However, I’m in such an unusual occupation that you may want to know all the roads I’ve traveled. The first eight years of my working career was in business. It gave me a salary, but I found myself bored and restless.

I was 26 when I started work as a teacher assistant for a third grade class in California. I ran the creative writing center, and found myself working the most with the children who had behavior problems. I was surprised and pleased when I realized for the first time that that I had a special way with children of all backgrounds, talents and needs.

At the age of 29, I moved back to my hometown of Louisville, KY to accommodate my husband’s education. I started work as a teacher’s assistant with delinquent teens in a school that was court appointed. While I may have been frustrated with the system, I loved my kids. It was quite a challenge, but what I learned about behavior modification and learning disabilities started a life long quest for understanding children.

By the age of 33, I had two children and a husband who had completed his degree. When he was hired by IBM, we moved to upstate New York, where I geared down to part time work as an administrative assistant to the Rural and Migrant Ministry. I worked with the director to organize a one-week summer camp for rural and migrant children. Since our camp was run by volunteers and free to the children, I spent a good portion of each year helping to fundraise and recruit counselors. I also worked with our lay ministers for weekend programs for children.

A few years down the road, I took on a Cadet and Senior Girl Scout Troop. At one time I had 35 teen-age girls in my troop! My daughter was in the troop, and we created some wonderful memories together. I credit Girl Scouting for the leadership skills I developed in those years. They taught me how to write grants and dream big. I would eventually write and get accepted for a Reader’s Digest Grant program that allowed me to take 8 teens and two adults to the Girl Scout National Center West camp site in Ten Sleep, Wyoming. Later I would take 3 girls and myself to the Girl Scout/Girl Guide World Center in Cuernavaca, Mexico.

At age 46, I found myself moving to Tallahassee, Florida when my husband accepted a job there. I took a part time job with a large church as their nursery supervisor of birth to two. I also ran programs for all ages on Wednesday night. It was a great two years, but an offer to do private nanny work for one of the church members appealed to me. I worked for that family of four for two years, moving on when the youngest child entered school full time.

My next job was with a family of twin boys for two years. Twins will teach you to multi-task quickly!

What amazed me was that every skill I had acquired in my years of working—from office management to teaching assistant to motherhood—had prepared me for this one fantastic career. Sometimes I wish I had been a nanny earlier in my career but upon reflection, I wouldn’t change a thing. I always tell my teens who feel like they master nothing that everything you learn prepares you for another step in your life. Nothing is wasted if you use it.

I’ve traveled many roads during my years of working with kids. I have worked with several disabilities including Autistic, Williams Syndrome, and ADHD, as well as a host of other learning and behavior problems. The sensitivity it takes to work with these children carries over into all my work. It has helped me develop patience and put problems in perspective.

I am  a member of the International Nanny Association.  I continue to learn about children and their needs by attending the INA’s annual conference whenever possible.   I belong to the National Association of Profession Women and am listed in the Cambridge Who’s Who.   

However, the only credentials that really matter come from parents and I can provide you with testimonials from satisfied parents.   We start out as client and employee but end up as friends.