What I've learned as the Nanny

I know our parents said it about us, but kids are just different these days! We used to mop the floor, now the kids want to know if I'm going to "swiffer." Do they know what a mop is? There's all day kindergarten and caring what your hair looks like when you're 5. I never wondered if my friends were going to like the clothes my parents bought me (at least not until junior high) and we didn't do our shopping together on the internet. We had frogger and pack-man and now kids all around the planet play World of Warcraft together. We didn't have cell phones - crap, we had a party line and a rotary dial!

But even with all the differences, there are some things that remain the same. Little Evan told me matter-of-factly today that I'm his family and he asked who my family was. I told his he was my family, too. We took advantage of an 80 degree day and blew up the pool and made "rain" with the hose and tramped around in the soaking wet grass after we poured out the water. Each day walking home from kindergarten Lilly takes one hand and Evan takes the other and we look both ways before crossing the street.

It's a pretty incredible mission to help shape these young lives. To be responsible for their safety, their learning, their manners -- all the character building that will lead them into adulthood. It's daunting and thrilling and I'm looking forward to what's ahead for these intelligent, beautiful children.