Post Punk Kitchen Forum

Helping to raise someone else's human being is hard work, rewarding, and at times, isolating. Anyone care to share stories, swap tips on child care, and how to deal with parents? The good, the bad, and the temper tantrums.

I take care of two little one's. A 4yo guy, and an 18mo girl. I've been with the family for about 3.5 years, and get along really well with the family. I have the flexibility to set our daily schedule, which is awesome. I am also a champion bus rider. I can barrel through a crowded bus with two kids, a diaper bag, and an umbrella stroller, and make it out alive.

I'm not full time but I do nanny! Originally, I was under the impression the gig was full time, the mom said I need you four days a week (she works four 10 hour shifts). Sweet. But then it turned out she meant she would need me more like two or three days a week out of those four days she works but it would change. So I had to keep my other job which is too bad but I'm liking it so far.

Great job with the bus! When I was in San Fran Frisco I could barely handle myself on public transportation. :) I feel like I was the best at the newborn stage, seriously I was like baby whisperer, and now that the bambino is 8 months old its a lot harder.

I used to nanny! Two little boys, a 2-year-old and an infant. I miss them! But I don't miss how hard it was when one wouldn't go down for a nap and the other wouldn't stop crying and I'd look at the clock and I'd have 4 hours left to go...

I babysit a bunch for a lot of different families and I'm basically the back-up nanny for one family--I'm with them like 10 hours a week, so definitely not full-time, though. I've been full-time and part-time with a few different families in the past. The family I'm working for 10 hours a week is great, I've been babysitting for them for 2.5 years, was their main nanny for a while when their twins first came home from the hospital, then took another full-time position and only babysat on weekends for a while. I've been back with them regularly for a few months now--the twins are turning 2 in December, and their brother is 4. It's super fun and I've loved seeing them grow up though I don't like cooking them eggs every morning.

Yeah I feel gross feeding the babes non-vegan food. Its not that I want to force my beliefs on them, I just don't think its healthy.

Yup! As soon as they start to develop free will, it's not so easy!

Abelskiver, and Strawberry rock, I agree. It's hard for me to hand them that cup of milk everyday, knowing that there are different forms of nutrition way more beneficial to their little growing bodies. Do you guys have any fun vegan snacks you like to give them?

I was a nanny for some little girls who LOVED beans and quinoa for a while. The two year old would start yelling kee-wa! kee-wa! when it was time for lunch.

The two kids I nanny (8 and 10) always demand that I cook them vegan food when I'm staying late. Yep. Their reasoning? "We want you to be able to eat, too!"

I let them run around and shout and say dirty things (oh, at 8 and 10 they're saying poopie head. They need to get it out somehow). My biggest rule is 'be respectful of everyone and everything around you.' and once they break that, there is hell to pay. If they are, they can do whatever, but I include the little things, like 'clean up your messes, keep your chair on all four legs, don't jump on the furniture' under being respectful of things.

Well I just bought Veggie Booty for my nephew, he's another kiddo I watch but its not really the same when its family although I am here enough that they pay me so I don't have to get another job and therefore not be able to watch the kidlet. (I feel bad for taking the money but they are reeeeeally picky about who watches him so I guess it works)

Veggie Booty probably isn't the best thing but better than Goldfish crackers which is what they usually give him. He's pretty vegetable-phobic but he did alright with a few baby carrots yesterday so yay!

Ok so he LOVES Veggie Booty and Amande strawberry almondmilk yogurt! I'll have to stock up on the yogurt cuz its on sale. Oh and organic fruit leathers, those went over well.

I made "shhh, don't tell the little one there are veggies in there" tomato sauce. The 4 year old will eat ANYTHING, but not his sister. I added red pepper, carrots, onion, and kale and blended it, saving a small bit of chunky veggie for lil dude and I. Add some soy curls, and bam! Not my most creative meal, but whole, healthy, and cruelty free!

I've been watching my nephew (18 months) a lot more because I'm actually (hopefully) temporarily living with my sis. Its easy for them to just ask me to watch him for 15 minutes while they get stuff done, obviously they wouldn't have me drive over just so they could do a little yard work but since I'm already there it works. Anyways, been having a super fun time! ALMOST fun enough to start wanting my own...

He loooves my food! I swear its great for my diet, this kid runs me ragged then eats 10% of my meals! Today at breakfast he absolutely wrecked my jar of almond butter. We think he just likes to eat off people's plates 'cuz my sis offered it to him yesterday and he cried. She also says he won't eat vegetables, but he gets really upset if I don't share my curry haha.

I'm in the middle of an 8 day stretch, because the parents are out of town. So the kids have been eating what I eat. At least for dinner. The folks requested that the kids get meat at lunch at least :( . Last night for dinner we had bbq soy curls, and everyone had seconds!

Abelskiver, on another note, since it's your name sake, do you have any yummy ebelskiver recipes?! I've never made or had them, but have access to a pan.

Unfortunately I do not! I've seen several types of recipes; the one my grandma used involved whipping egg whites for fluffiness so I haven't figured out how to replicate that. Some other recipes don't do that but I'd like to stay true to the 'skiver I ate growing up. Maybe I'm making it more complicated than it needs to be. I'm eating sugar again after Lent is over so I'll start experimenting and let you know. :)

Also, I need soy curls.

I'm about to start a new full-time nanny job, with 1-year old twins! I start training tomorrow.

I nanny a 16 month old, almost three year old and a 6 year old. I have been with them a year and I absolutely love my kids. Although I do find the younger two are at a pretty difficult age right now. My patience runs pretty low by the end of the week. Unfortunately, being a nanny doesn't really pay the bills and so I am looking for a new job. I am sad to leave them and know it is going to be so hard for them. I started working with the family about 6 weeks after the Father died and understandably all the kids have attachment issues. I want to find them a really great replacement nanny!

How are my fellow nannies doing?

I've stopped watching my nephew as they've put him in daycare fulltime. The first week he got bit TWICE (in the face!!!) and I was pretty upset but now he loves it. I haven't really told my sister how broken up I am about not seeing him as much; its their kid and their decision and not my place to get a say. But I'm still sort of grieving...

As far as my other "charge" (16 months), he just got over a pretty brutal hitting/throwing crepe at your head stage. Still does it here and there but its not constant anymore, thank goodness. A simple "no hitting!" and walking away usually does the trick. I get a lil sad feeding him, because unless the mom leaves leftovers they buy all these overpriced Gerber Toddler Meals which are way processed and honestly look nasty. Its super easy to nuke one but I would love to make him a healthy meal from scratch! I know they get them partially for my benefit, the convenience and all. Maybe I'll just cook for him one day, tell them (especially if he liked it!) and see what their reaction is. I've already mentioned that he's getting interested in my food and that I'm willing to share if they don't mind (they didn't).

Speaking of my food, did I mention that the family keeps the freezer full of Amy's dinners for me and a case of Diet Coke at all times? :):):)

Wow abelskiver I wish you were my nanny! Mine doesn't cook anything, or even clean up the dishes he uses at our house to make eggs for his daughter. (yuck!) I think he figures his job is just to watch the baby, so he does absolutely no other domestic stuff. We don't pay him as much as a regular nanny though, so I just grin and bear it.

I feel so bad already because we are planning to move soon, which means my son will be getting a new caregiver. His nanny's daughter is his best friend that he's been with 5 days a week since he was 3 months old (he's 21 months now) so I feel terrible! But there's nothing we can do about it...I got a new job that's over an hour away so we need to move closer. Ever time I think about it I feel guilty.

Kids are pretty adaptable, don't feel too bad! Plus its easy to make friends when you're that young. :)

I wouldn't say I do housework exactly but I try to male Sure things are picked up by the time they get home. Usually I just use a fork and cup, maybe a plate and to be honest if that is it I just leave it but any sort of pot or pan I definitely clean that! The problem I have is I forget about the dishes until its almost time for me to go, then I don't want to stand and wash them because the baby will scream at me for not paying attention to him and id rather they not arrive to a screaming child.

What's up with those Gerber meals!??! I decided to have a look to see if any of them were vegan, because I thought hey, they might be a good BLW food, but they're a) not vegan, and b) totally full of garbage. Who wants to feed that stuff to their kids? They're not any healthier than regular adult convenience food in terms of weird additives.

Vi loves to share frozen Amy's meals with me, though - today she had some black beans and veggie tamale, yesterday she had some of the mattar tofu or whatever it's called. I wish they made them BIGGER, though - there's barely enough for me as is!

Oh hey I've been working that nanny job I posted about for a while now! It's good. Twins have special ways of making you totally insane but I've worked with them before and knew that already...

Well I'm off for two weeks since the fam is on vacation; couldn't have come at a better time because Baby Boo went full force back into hitting last time I was there. Oh man. Love the little guy but glad to have a breather.

Hoping to find another gig soon! I interviewed with a couple but they went with daycare instead because my availability isn't great. Wish I had my own place so I could watch the babies at home, but I'm back at my mom's, until I have enough money to move out, which won't happen unless I get another gig, which would be easier if I had my own place. Eek.