| Abstract |
I first conceived of Super Nanny Certified on a creative "power" cruise off the coast of; Croatia. At the time, I had just left what I hope will be my last nanny position where I spent two; years aiding in the healthy development of toddler twins. I walked onto the cruise ship with the; aim of presenting myself as a creative writer, wanting to distance myself from childcare as I felt; it did not truly represent me. While there are countless aspects of nannying that I love, after 12; years in the field, I felt that it was time for me to find new challenges and employment that; fulfilled all my needs. The problem was, I had no idea where to start. I have gone through so; many career changes, first as an actor, a writer, a producer, a pursuer of academics, and a nanny.; While nannying has always been a constant in my life, I always viewed it as supplementary; income when my creative endeavors failed to pay the bills. In a way, I resented that I had to be a; nanny and always failed to give those childcare experiences the proper respect because it wasn't; what I felt was my true creative calling. I'd always felt like a drifter searching for a path and was; struggling with the concept that I'd done nothing with my life.; On the cruise, I met a man in his 60s named Larry who relayed to me that he has lived; multiple lives. In his 20s he was a party boy with no care for the future. In his 30s he started to; settle down and piece together his life. In his 40s and 50s he worked until he was bone tired and; now, in his 60s, he gets to be the version of himself that enjoys all the benefits of his past; experiences. This conversation sparked an idea in me that perhaps I wasn't a drifter but just; hadn't yet found the glue that pieced together all the lives I've lived.; The cruise is designed to discover, highlight, and build off of the best parts of the; individual participants with the aim of bolstering their mental health and projecting them into; their most successful selves. I found my "aha!" moment during a particular exercise called the; Sparkle Zone. In the exercise, the participants made a Venn diagram with three circles labeled; purpose, play, and prowess, and all the items that fall in the inner circle are considered the; Sparkle Zone. This inner circle highlights all the qualities in a job where one's life purpose is; met, that align with activities that they actually enjoy doing, and all the activities that they do; well. What I discovered shocked me.; During the reflective exercise, I discovered that the purpose I am most passionate about is; encouraging healthy communication with children that aligns with their development. While; earning my Master of Arts in English, I researched and wrote an essay entitled, "Leading by the; Nose: Combating Baby Rhetoric with Parenting Rhetorical Practices." During that research; process, I learned about brain development and how it relates to the cognitive abilities of; children, and how caregivers should tailor their parenting approaches to those abilities. I couldn't; help but lament my lack of knowledge during my initial nannying years and how the information; would have prepared me and how I could have been a more effective caregiver if I'd; better-understood kids. I felt impassioned to find a way to make a difference.; When I pieced together my newfound purpose with what I love to do, writing and acting, with; what I do well, website and video production, it became a no-brainer that I should design a visual; eLearning experience for the next generation of nannies. I want to teach them all that I didn't; know so that from day one, they can raise their children in the healthiest environment supported; by effective communication that meets their needs.; I will forever be grateful for this experience as it helped me to realize that all of my past; lives did, in fact, serve a purpose. All the childcare experiences that I once resented, have; allowed me to solidify my path forward and truly make an impact on society. With Super Nanny Certified, I now have a life goal and purpose. Ironically, and wonderfully, that purpose is to make life a little easier for children and nannies. |
