If you employ a nanny, then you know: Your nanny is the unsung hero of your household. But most days, you probably don’t find the time to express your heartfelt gratitude and admiration for your household hero. Well, as National Nanny Recognition Week (it’s Sept. 22-28, 2024) approaches, it’s the perfect time to recognize your remarkable caregiver.
During this dedicated week of appreciation, make time to thank your nanny and celebrate the invaluable role they play in nurturing, teaching and supporting your child. (And if you are the nanny, let this be the nanny appreciation week when you take it all in — reflect on why you love your job — and go ahead, bask in the glory of all that you accomplish each day.)
In celebration of nannies everywhere, read on as several parents share touching anecdotes that highlight all that their nannies do to contribute immeasurably to their lives and keep their kids feeling safe, happy and loved.
1. For a new mom, lessons learned
New York City mom Candice Braithwaite remembers learning most from her nanny when her two sons were young.
“I am very introverted, and my nanny talked to my babies nonstop,” she recalls. “It made me realize I needed to narrate more to help their language development. Even though it didn’t come naturally to me, she was a good model for me. Both boys weren’t great talkers, but they understood a lot.”
“She always put my twins first… She even used to heat their towels in the microwave so they would be warm after their bath!”
—Anna Mullenski, parent from North Carolina
2. The little things have the biggest impact
The nanny who stepped in to help Anna Mullenski when she returned to work shortly after giving birth to twins is still a close family friend. She even attended one of the twins’ wedding earlier this year. What Mullenski appreciated most about her? The little things.
“She always put my twins first,” the Raleigh, North Carolina mom says. “She spoiled them while taking extremely good care of them. She even used to heat their towels in the microwave so they would be warm after their bath!”
3. Pets are part of the family, too
Crystal Brown’s nanny quickly became a part of the family after she started her new job, cooking, cleaning and chauffeuring her sons around. But it’s not just her care for her sons that stands out to Lewis.
“One thing I really appreciated is when she called one day to let me know that our aging and sick dog was struggling to walk and seemed disoriented,” the mom from San Antonio says. “It gave me time to get home and spend time with him one last time.”
4. Better than Theraflu
When the flu hit Sarah Netter, it came like a ton of bricks dropped from a skyscraper. The single mom by choice remembers her nanny coming to the house to wake her son up, feed him breakfast and care for him all day and then leaving when he went down for a nap.
As soon as she heard him begin to rise via the baby monitor, Netter called her nanny — who lived nearby — and the woman ran back to spend the rest of the day with him until he went down to sleep.
“For three days, I laid on the bathroom floor. I don’t think I saw him other than to wave at him from the door,” Netter, who lives in New Orleans, says. “She is the only thing that got me through that stomach flu.”
She was very much a valued partner in our family, and I couldn’t have gotten through those hectic early years without her.”
—Jody Allard, Seattle parent of four
5. A close companion
Seattle mom Jody Allard had two sets of twins when she hired a nanny to lend a hand while she was at work. It was the first time she’d used a full-time nanny, and she was unsure about having someone in her home at first. But the feeling didn’t last long.
“Almost immediately, our nanny became a lifesaver,” Allard says. “She did the kids’ laundry, cooked them dinner on nights I had evening classes, ran errands and generally was completely indispensable. Plus, since I worked from home a few days a week back then so that I could be home to feed the babies, she was a companion I soon grew to value on a more personal level. She was very much a valued partner in our family, and I couldn’t have gotten through those hectic early years without her.”
The bottom line
There are a million big and small ways that nannies make our lives better, and National Nanny Recognition Week 2024 is the perfect time to celebrate these dedicated caregivers who do so much. Whether it’s with a heartfelt gift, a dedicated thank-you or something else, there’s no wrong way to let the nanny in your life know they’re seen, appreciated and needed more than ever.
