Nanny Nicole Vaz watches over Reily Sheeran, 2, left, and 10-month-old EJ Sheeran on Tuesday morning at the children's home in Lodi. (Brian Feulner/News-Sentinel)

What we can learn from Nicole Vaz

Local nanny shares tips of the trade, 'day in the life'

Following a seven-month stint working in a tax office, Nicole Vaz began working as a nanny for one of her co-workers. She quit to go to school, but after the demands of planning a wedding, she found herself back at home and working again as a nanny. Vaz, 22, now works as a nanny for two families, a job she says is fun and flexible.

What is your typical day as a nanny like?

I work with two different families. One is on Tuesdays, Thursdays and Fridays. I get there at about 9 a.m. and the kids are just waking up. I play with them for awhile. We just stay at home and do a lot of playtime. The 10-month-old then takes a nap and I play with the two-and-a-half-year-old. Then she goes down.

I get to have some quiet time, but the 10-month-old is usually up within 10 minutes of the other going down. Then, we have a snack and get back to playing. Since the weather has gotten nice, I have started taking walks with them.

The other family I work for is on Mondays and Wednesdays. The kids are older. I take and pick them up from school. A lot of times I get to teach. It's kind of a different job from the other one.

What is the hardest part about this job?

I think the hardest part is you have to really get to know the kids. When they are sick, they don't want anything to do with me. They just want their mom. And when their mom leaves, they don't like her to leave.

Do you ever feel like Mary Poppins?

Not really. Actually, it's not like I'm with them every day, all day. I do feel very close to the family. Lisa, their mom ... if she needed anything, I would do it for her.

In what ways do you feel like a part of the family?

Lisa's husband, Jim ... his family lives in New York. Sometimes they have me house-sit for them. I feed their dog, Winnie. They obviously feel comfortable with me if I can stay in their house for a week.

How do you deal with attachment issues?

Of course, I'm getting more attached to them. When Monday comes around I'm always excited to go see them even though it has only been the weekend.

What do you enjoy the most about it?

I think what I enjoy the most is I don't have to be super serious. I get to go have fun. It is a kind of stress reliever, like therapy. I get to go play games and laugh. It gets stressful with little ones but it is a different kind of stress. It's just a really fun job. It's also really flexible. They are really cool if I have an appointment. I really like the flexibility.

Do you feel this is becoming a common job?

I don't see it as a long-time career but it's good for young adults ages 20 to 25. It's flexible if you're in college. It's less stressful than other jobs. I have two friends and we are all in the same boat. We will talk about it and say, "How did we get here?" (Laughs)

What is your hope for the future of the children you are a nanny to?

Of course, I hope they grow up and do well in school. I hope they make lots of friends. I sort of feel like if they were my children. I just want what's best for them — everything I would want my children to have.

Do you plan on having children?

Oh, yeah. My fiancee is one of six and there's three of us in my family. We want at least four. I know it's hard having a lot of little ones running around, but once they get older it will be fun. We want the fun and love a big family brings.

Have you had any funny experiences?

It's funny with little ones because they will say the funniest things. Reily (the two-and-a-half year old) is hilarious. She'll say anything. I told her a photographer "person" was coming to take our picture because I didn't know for sure who was coming. So, when the doorbell rang, she said, "Person's here." She also can't say my name. She calls me Micole or Bicole.

Contact Panorama Editor Pam Bauserman at pamelab@lodinews.com.