As the new school year has quickly approached us I'm about to be wearing my nanny hat more often. Though just like any nanny I strive to be "practically perfect in every way" not all of us are Mary Poppins.
Every year right before, or this year just after, school starts I'll make an itty bitty table for each child of what activities they have this year for each; Mind, Body & Soul. This year for example the youngest (age: 9) will be pursuing the feats of the high flying trapeze, be challenged mentally by being reintroduced into the world of Girl Scouts, and focusing on daily devotions and church on Sunday for her searching souls nourishment.
As the older two, now lil preteens, pursue feats of social circles and school gossip their faced with the mind games that make up middle school, high school, and eventually the real world. Mentally this year they will be challenged with their own self esteem and treachery of navigating their growing and changing bodies as well. Any advice on all that is quite welcomed!
It's easy to let them get caught up in all that they would like to do as they get older and have much stronger opinions on all activities so this year I included the older two in creating their itty bitty tables and was pleasantly surprised by how quickly they took to my little task. Each picked their top two activity in each, to my amusement, almost exactly lining up with what I would have selected for them.
Now for the selfish part of this post. I need to focus on myself too; Mind, Body, Soul.
Merely a flight attendant/nanny I may dare to compare my chaos with those of mums everywhere just trying to do right by their kids and still make it to Tuesday Pilates and Friday yoga without losing it.
I made my itty bitty table yesterday...
Mind; Rosetta Stone French Course
Body; 24hr fitness for the midnight elliptical and PRESCHEDULED yoga classes during school hours
Soul; Church (mostly online #falife)
Is it easy to take 30 min a day to selfishly study French while the dishes still need done and laundry and sports clothes have already piled up? Absolutely not!! Is it necessary; we all know the answer to that.
Being part of the village to help raise the next generation I think it is key to find that balance of a good life for the kids and a continued life of our own for ourselves. Why does enrichment have to cease if you're taking care of a child?
So to all the parents, nanny's, guardians, grandparents and the rest of the village raising the next generation; live the life you wish for your child, show them how to love a full and fulfilled life by your example. As a dear childhood friend of mine, now raising her first rugrat with another on the way, shared recently a touching story of her son mimicking his father just by placing his shoes in the same place (she asks him not to) under his desk after long days at work, her son started to do the same with his. Her reminder that children do not listen to much of what we say but will mimic most of what we do really struck a cord with me.
My life as a nanny has changed so immensely even just in the last 6 months, for the first time in the 7 years I've been with them they are aware of my significant and serious relationship and how I act in all of it is being keenly observed, especially by the girls. Even early on in this relationship I made an adamant point on date 3 to scrub my face clean before going out on a date with him, to their delight, and mine, he still took me out on date 4 and here we are almost 9 months later and I feel pretty confident in the example I can be to them but it's not without caution and probably a little over thinking. Isn't that just what it takes as part of the village though.
What will you be focusing on in this next chapter; Mind, Body, & Soul?