Nanny Needs a Playdate

Just like being a parent home with your child all day, being a nanny is very rewarding , but it can be a bit isolating at times. Unlike being a parent, I can't just pop little M into the car for an outing.

I've been with this current family for a year and started when little M was only 2-1/2 months old, so it's been a wonderful year of growth and many discoveries for both of us! Because he was so small and his parents' first child, they did not want their little guy (understandably) to be driven around town. Other than the fact that our 10-hour days together are a long stretch and nanny wouldn't mind a change of scenery now and then, I really had no reason to take him away from his cozy room and nearby play space.

Now that the weather has passed into spring and M is almost confident enough to take those first few steps without his Little Tikes push toy by his side, I'm about to bring up the topic of a weekly outing -- in the car! There are playgrounds, petting zoos, and libraries to see, and I can't wait!

This need to be out and about prompted me to see if there were any nanny playgroups in my area. I checked meetup.com, but there seems to only be parent playgroups on this end of my small state of Rhode Island (Bristol and Newport County). I know that I'd have to find a group VERY close to M's home, as Rhode Islanders think any drive over 20 minutes is TOO long, and I'm sure his parents wouldn't be up for more than 10 miles away.

We used to have the RI Parents Paper, a local publication that I wrote a couple of articles for when my daughter was younger, which had local info on fun day trips and other parenting resources. While it is no longer in publication, my search led me to a great resource for parents in Rhode Island:

http://kidoinfo.com/ri/

Unfortunately, I still didn't find too much information for my little neck of the woods. So, here I am blogging as a way to reach out to others who love spending their days with babies and toddlers, but could use a little interaction and maybe share some tips and resources along the way!

Photo Credit: Mario Gonzaga