We are so excited to meet Amanda this year at iNNTD. Amanda shares with us what she feels it means to Shine Bright! Amanda it sounds like you are an incredible nanny and we are excited to learn and sparkle with you on Saturday April 21st at international nanny training day!

Amanda Simons shares with us what it means to her to Shine Bright as a nanny:

“Shining bright as a nanny means that I get to be my best self while doing a job that I absolutely love. I get to share my love and experience with a family who trusts me with their most prized possessions. I get to use my education in Early Childhood Development every day. I get to be the person the kids run to with a smile and hug in the mornings, the one who shares in their excitement to tell me about what happened last night/over the weekend. I am responsible to the safety and well being of children who are not my own, but who I love like my own. I’m the one they run to when they are hurt, afraid, or just need a hug. It means being responsible, understanding, caring, and willing to give and receive love.

It can be hard coming into a family, not exactly knowing your place/the family dynamic. A good nanny is a team player, a self starter, and a good communicator. They find their place and help make everyone’s lives run a little more smoothly. It’s being so excited to share in so many new experiences; first teeth, first words, first steps, learning to ride a bike, making new friends, etc. I get to see the world through a child’s eyes, full of pure joy and wonder. Every day is different, and the kids are always growing, learning and exploring.

Shining bright as a nanny also means that you keep calm and composed in tough situations. It’s not all rainbows and butterflies, like some people think. It’s hard. Days can be long. Kids don’t always cooperate. But as their nanny, you need to be that calm, consistent voice of reason that they need. You are there to be fun, plan activities, play and be goofy, but also to keep them safe and teach them right from wrong. Sometimes I think of myself as the ‘mean nanny,’ but then I think about how happy, caring and loving the children are, and am reminded that they need the firm boundaries along with all the fun. I’ve come to have a great balance of learning and playing, where the children are having fun and at the same time are learning boundaries, manners, etc.

I am a huge believer that books are such an important part of life, especially my own. I am a book lover and have tried to pass that along to all of the children that I’ve cared for. It’s so exciting seeing a child develop a love of reading.

I’ve been so lucky with the families that I have been able to work with in my 10 years as a nanny. I truly love all of the children that I’ve cared for, and can’t imagine my life without any of them. I still get excited to see the children I used to care for, and it always seems to go right back to how things were when I was caring for them. I am excited for every birthday, graduation, soccer game, and am even more excited when I am able to attend any of these.

I love that I am able to have a positive impact on the life of a child, and hope that they always see my best self. I love that they learn something from me, and that they know they will always have another person on their team, rooting for them and loving them, even if it is from afar.

Shining bright as a nanny also means that I am always learning. I am always looking for new ways to stimulate the minds of the children I care for. I attend learning events like INTD and INA. I take courses online for things like sleep training, positive reinforcement, family assistant training and more. I’m always checking for updates to CPR, first aid and AED training. As a nanny, I want to be as best prepared as I can for any situation, and want to be able to offer informed opinions if needed. This has always been appreciated by the families that I’ve worked with.

I first got into nannying as a way to get out of my hometown, to ‘see the world.’ I figured i’d do it for a couple of years, then continue on to something else. I started as a live in nanny, which was such a great experience. I was really welcomed and became part of their family, and still consider them family today, 10 years later. Being their nanny made me fall in love with being a nanny. I never imagined when I started that I’d still be doing this 10 years later, but I am so happy with the career choice that I’ve made.”