When I say that our nanny is the best thing that’s ever happened to me, I’m not lying. The kids LOVE her (especially Walker, who she is with most of the time since Capri goes to school) and above all the things she helps out with, she’s also taught me SO much about my own children when it comes to what they like to do. She takes Walker on adventures daily and they never seem bored or like they’re trying to pass the time…which TBH is how I feel if we don’t have anything going on. After sharing a little bit about this on Stories last week, you guys flooded my DMs asking for more advice from my nanny. This post is all about what I’ve learned from her so far. I hope it’s helpful!
P.S. You guys seem to like it when I share articles on the kids. In case you’ve missed them, here are a few more: How to Entertain a Toddler, Baby + Toddler Transitions, Snacks I Feed the Kids, Traveling with Kids, and Favorite Places to Shop for the Kids.
PLACES TO TAKE YOUR KIDS:
With Capri, I felt like we lived in our playroom which got old quickly. It was the height of Covid, but I also felt restricted by her schedule and being home. Looking back, I wish I knew how to be more flexible and creative with taking her places as our nanny does with Walker. Here are some ideas:
+ Pet store
+ Library or children’s museums
+ Fire station (call in advance for approval)
+ Target to let them play with toys
+ Petting zoo or zoo
+ Concerts
+ Aquarium
+ Local pool or splash pad
+ Open fields for things like kites, running and exploring
+ On a hike
+ A creek
+ Music store or class
+ By an airport to watch planes and have a picnic in your car
+ Your own yard. Our kids play in the yard every day but it can feel old since I hadn’t been creative with what to do. Let them do a nature hunt or collect rocks to paint. Bring out blankets and let them build a fort with your outdoor table…stuff like that.
MORE LESSONS FROM MY NANNY:
Our nanny takes Walker places I never would think of but she’s also smart about how she does it / keeps him entertained. Here are a few other random things she’s taught me:
+ Let them eat in the car. With Capri, I was always stressed about getting her back home to eat at the table. Turns out, Walker LOVES to eat in the car, so our nanny often packs up his lunch for in-between activities. As I mentioned above, she also sometimes packs his lunch and they do a picnic in the back of the car by the beach or airport.
+ Play in the car while waiting. I feel like a lot of her tips involve the car LOL. But realistically, you’re much less limited with the schedule if you figure out how to utilize the car. Walker likes to crawl and play in the car so now if we get somewhere early or he has energy and I do not, I let him play in the car. Turn on the music and let them do their thing.
+ Make snacks an activity. Capri helps me in the kitchen whenever I’m cooking meals but I hadn’t thought of making snacks an activity. You can fill a muffin sheet with different snacks in each or organize food by colors to make it fun and educational. There are obviously a million mom blogs that probably cover this sh*t but it was new to me.
+ Break up long car rides. In the past, Paul and I have stopped the least amount of times as possible during long car trips with the kids. Our nanny gave us the idea to split it up instead so that the kids could get a break and we could go somewhere that might otherwise be too far of a drive. For example, this past weekend we were in LA, and on the way there we stopped at Pretend City in Irvine (which is far enough that I wouldn’t opt for it on a regular day). We also explored San Juan Capistrano on the way home. The kids LOVED it and it was honestly nice turning the day into an activity vs. a stressful rushed car ride.