Over these 15 years I (Miss Lisa) have taught Kindermusik in Dallas, I’ve met some exceptional Nannies. At Kindermusik, we make every effort to value these wonderful caregivers for who they are—a child’s dance partner, teacher, and super-snuggler.
I’ve gotten to know many Nannies over the years so let me tell you about a few who stand out. (Some names have been changed.)
Courtney: I remember this Nanny, an educator at heart, a degreed teacher. She stayed with one of our families from Kindermusik through piano lessons and she sat down with the little girls and practiced with them every day. That little girl made more progress than any of the other children I taught because she had such a wonderful “teacher” at home.
Dalia: This Nanny was the life of the Kindermusik party. She had all the Spanish-speaking Nannies organized into one corner in class and she led them with enthusiastic participation. My favorite memory of her was when we’d dance with scarves. She didn’t just twirl and play peek-a-boo. No, she was having more fun than any child in there. She was “In the Zone” and turned it into quite the dance, if you know what I mean. There is one particular recording I cannot play without thinking fondly of her and smiling.
The Teitze Park Gang: If you live near Teitze Park and you’ve met this group of women, consider yourself fortunate. This is a group of Spanish-speaking Nannies that has bonded and has daily playgroups at the park. I’ve had many of them in Kindermusik over the years and frankly, I think there are too many to count. But they are a wonderful group. Besides the fact that they support each other and socialize with the children, they are best known for their birthday celebrations. Any child lucky enough to have one of these women as a Nanny gets a traditional birthday planned by Mom and Dad PLUS a Nanny party. And these are no small affairs!
The “Mannies:” We’ve even have had a couple “Mannies” over the years including Junior and Carlos. What a treat for these lucky children.
I’ve also had the privilege of “Repeat Nannies”. That means that I’ve been doing this long enough to have the same Nanny, but with two or even three different families. I cannot tell you how wonderful it feels when a new child comes into Kindermusik and then I see a Nanny from years back. Shout outs go to Marina, Debra, Isabel, and a few others, too many to name here.
Special mention in this category goes to:
Tina—our Jamaican “firecracker”. This woman knows how to wear a baby in a sling like no other. With her second family, when the new brother came along, she wore him alone until he was easily 30 pounds or more. She never batted an eye, just tied that wrap and danced with big sister. Tina Nannied two or three different families through Kindermusik. If you were in the class with her, you wouldn’t forget her. She was always the most enthusiastic singer and dancer!
Elydia—she cared for a boy with the chubbiest cheeks you’ve ever seen. She was a mother herself of big kids, and while caring for her charge, had a bonus baby of her own! We loved both those boys in class. Now, she’s back with a sweet little girl. Seeing her walk into class again, so many years later, like seeing an old friend, was a rush of joy for me! I adore this woman. She is so strong and loving and hard working (and has a lovely voice, too).
Debbie—I’ve known Debbie for maybe 12 years and three different families. She still works for two of them. She’s pretty much as good as it gets. When I saw her name on the family’s Kindermusik registration form, I immediately emailed mom, “You mean THE Debbie!” I was happy to let mom know she happened to have her child in the care of one of the neighborhood’s very best.
From our Music for Aardvarks class:
I have a Nanny named Annie she’s really uncanny and always happy.
I’m never alone when my parents aren’t home, cause Annie the Nanny’s with me.
When we’re together we don’t mind the weather, all over the city we roam.
We’ll have an adventure and quite a big tale to tell when Mom and Daddy come home.