Footprints in Paris

I’m looking for nannies in Paris to start up a network.

When I say Nanny I don’t mean Au Pari or Babysitter, I mean Professional Career Nannies. (NB There are Au Pair and Babysitting group on Facebook for you lovely people) However in this case Nannies and Professional childcarers is what i’m looking for……Look forward to hearing from you soon :D

Dear All Nannies (and Parents)

Ever noticed how hard it is to learn about Newborn babies through studying? Well last year I took a postnatal carers course in London, UK. If you are looking for courses about Newborns in general including sleep, routine, breastfeeding, and postnatal depression then this is the place to find it.

These are all credited and international (you can do the courses online after having done one course at their site) as well as being taught by the very lady that in fact wrote the courses. You can also get references from the course teachers and they are linked with agencies that can help you find the right job for you.

Please check the courses out!

www.newborneducation.co.uk

Footprints in Paris

Baby had his first Under 3’s playgroup today which was all very exciting! However, it did also give me the opportunity to talk to the mums and see if they were having the same problem as me….we are talking about under 3’s playgroups and meetings ect! Can you believe it NOT one single mum could find anything, even the french swimming classes you had to sign up for a YEAR beforehand.

  This subject came up the other day with my only nanny friend in Paris…. there is a massive lack of support for mum’s and nannies alike, and this informqtion doesn’t make me very happy as any mum will tell you that the need to get out of the house with a baby can be a life saver!

Solution is - that i’m going to have to do something about this.

Nanny out!

When we train as nannies we are always told to ensure that the mother and baby get enough rest BUT they never warn you just how exausted you will get ensuring that mother and baby have their needs met! So how do you, well! stay awake and focused?! ….

Answer, try and get yourself into a good routine and sleep when you can! The routine will help you do things automaticly and remember what needs to be done. Also, make sure you write things down and keep notes, not to mention eat properly. But if you get to the point where the exhaustion is too much, do talk to your boss and discuss a solution. Being that the parents are a similar situation to yourself, hopefully they will be understanding and you can work as a team and make things work.

Remember if you get to exhausted, you can’t do you job properly and this means you are no good to anyone especially the child/children that you are looking after.

Nanny out.

So as most of us nannies know, hours aren’t always a 9 to 5! My day started at 7:45am …a little early for a live out but hey! its worth every second when you walk in the door and baby smiles at you.  I realised that you will always know that you were born to be a nanny when by 8:30am you are laughing because you already have baby milk reflux (vomit) aaalllllll the way down your sleeve lol!

So while baby sleeps i’m going to catch up a little on the adventures of the week so far. Monday was a return to work after a week holiday only to have tuesday off as its jour ferie in France! I still can’t get over how fast babies grow, this past week it seems that baby’s legs have doubled in length along with his alertness and and talking time. Its amazing how a 4month old can have a conversation with you (baby noises of course, but listening to you talk and then making noises back is mind blowing). The importance of talking to a baby and explaining what you are doing to him/her really is underestimated and I really want to take the opportunity to encourage all nannies and parents to talk, smile and have good eye contact with their babies. This will set up the great bond between you and baby and encourage good social interaction for baby later on in life as well.

Today I also found a Nanny Association which has made me very happy because there is no english speaking expat professional community in Paris that helps nannies and parents alike (not the i’m aware of and i’ve been here 3years exc hospitals).

There also seems to be a lack of baby equipment shops in Paris too…in UK for example there is Mothercare everywhere….I walk everywhere in Paris and I’ve not seen any proper baby shops so where do all the French people buy there equipment mmmm, to be researched farther!

Right, I’m off to do some more research and study…and clean the house lol! And yes, just because I’m a professional nanny with letters after my name, doesn’t mean that I know it all. Even after 10 years in my career I still read and study childcare as any profession nanny will tell you, the learning curve is never ending.

Nanny out!

After a little search over a long time, I’ve finally found an association that is just for nannies :D

www.nanny.org

So far I know nothing about it BUT I’m going to register and find out…then I’ll get back to you with more info!

So I finally managed to get where I wanted after 10yrs of working and studying for my profession…a full time nanny for a young baby working with a wonderful family… day 2 of my new job and I know that after a few weeks of settling -baby and nanny included- we are going to have a very busy timetable…PERFECT!

The question is, Do I miss being able to go home without baby milk sick all down my clothes?…the answer is “NOT a bit!” Its all part and parcel of the job I love doing!

First time parents and even first time nannies a gentle word of advice, with any age baby you have or will have, take a deep breath because a baby is an endless round of feeding, winding, cleaning and changing…its tiring but the rewards are worth every second!

And it is possible to fit some “you time” in plus all the house work! So don’t be too hard on yourself if the ironing isn’t done and make sure you get that “you time” because you need and deserve it as much as everyone else, although yes! you may have to be a little creative as to how you get that time even if it means dad, grandma, friends or even your older kids helping out a little :)

Hopefully soon I’ll be able to get some Paris info on to this tumblr now that I finally have the opportunity to go and see great activites ect for mum’s, dad’s, and nannies in Paris.

Remember, One FootPrint at a Time ;D

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