Eleven Lessons I Learned as a Traveling Nanny to My Grandkids

At least two of us were excited and ready to go!

It all began when I was younger, six entire months younger. My daughter told me she was attending a Veterinary Conference in Long Beach, California. I casually mentioned that if her husband didn’t want to go, I would be happy to go along and entertain the kids while she went to meetings. As the trip loomed closer, I began to have concerns that I would have the energy to keep up with my six-year-old grandson and even more concerns about my ability to corral my granddaughter, who had just turned three in October. Could this sixty-five-year-old, rapidly-falling-apart grandmom become a competent nanny for five days?

The trip began ridiculously early with a five a.m. airport arrival. The mood of the morning was mixed. I was nervous, but the kids were so excited – little bundles of energy – and their mood was contagious. Unfortunately, my daughter’s company only pays for Southwest Airlines, which is not the best way to travel for people like me who have flying anxiety.

My daughter paid the extra fee to get the kids and me in Group A, while she stayed in Group C. I was happy we were towards the front of the cattle call, oops, I mean line. I want to give her the benefit of the doubt and assume she was doing this so the kids and I would get good seats. However, this meant I was alone in herding my two young calves onto the plane while she was alone in line. The kids and I sat in one row, and she was across the aisle. My daughter read an entire book while I sat between the kids, doled out snacks, helped with tablets, read books, colored pictures, and cleaned up spills. Fortunately, my grandkids have flown numerous times and did very well on the flight.

Without boring you with a play-by-play trip rundown, here are the top eleven things I learned from this experience. I did some things right, and others I’d do differently. Here are the top eleven lessons I learned while being a nanny to my grandchildren for five days.

1. Snacks

My daughter is the Queen of snack packing! When I saw all the snacks she had packed, I thought she was overdoing it, but it saved us from meltdowns several times. Her kids are healthy eaters, so she buys snacks that reflect that. We had snacks in our carry-on bags, in the hotel room, and in my backpack for every excursion. Having snacks with us saved us from expensive purchases and, I’m sure, prevented more than a few “hangry” episodes. Next time, however, I might have to sneak some M&Ms into my snack bag.

2. Devices

This is a personal decision and possibly a controversial one. Usually, my grandkids have a limit on how much screen time they are allowed. That limit was drastically relaxed for the trip. My six-year-old grandson Callister was thrilled with the extra tablet time, especially on the plane. One afternoon, I had a terrible headache and needed a break. Allowing the kids an hour on their tablets gave me some downtime to feel better. Fortunately, Callister knew how to set his little sister up on the tablet with things she could watch or do because I knew nothing about navigating their tablets.

3. No Devices

As I said, the screen time rule was relaxed for the trip, but I also ensured we had plenty of time without them. At breakfast, we played many games of “Would you rather?” If you haven’t done this with kids, it’s an excellent way to get to know them better. Our questions ranged from the silly to the serious. We also played charades in the hotel room, and at night, we always asked each other about our “roses and thorns” (our favorite and least favorite happenings) of the day. Talking to kids is highly underrated. Their ideas and thoughts are fascinating.

Building sand castles was an activity they both loved!

4. Be flexible with plans

My grandkids and I are obsessed with swimming. Part of the reason we booked the hotel we did was because they claimed to have a heated pool. Their website failed to mention that it was heated to a temperature only polar bears would like. I’m pretty tough when it comes to cold water, but there was no way we were pushing aside the ice crystals to swim in that pool. I might be exaggerating a bit, but not too much. Fortunately, there was a hot tub that was more the temperature of a warm bath, and we had a great time swimming in that. We were all disappointed about the pool, but we adapted and kept a good attitude. It was a good life lesson.

5. Structure

It may sound like it contradicts the above point, but some structure is good, even on a vacation. Most kids thrive on having structure. We started every morning with yoga exercises (because without my morning yoga, my back would cease to cooperate), and Callister even invented a new yoga move patterned after a squid. Then we went to the hotel restaurant for breakfast every morning. It was a little overpriced, as most hotel restaurants are, but it was convenient, and they had a great kids’ menu. By the second day, the waiter knew our names, brought the kids extra big servings of fruit, and gave me a free Coke “to go” because he could see I needed caffeine!

Because Callister was missing three days of school, we had a little school session in the mornings. He worked on math, which is his favorite, and then he helped his sister with her counting skills. One day, at their request, we had an art class, and they drew pictures for their mom. Another day, we had music class or a loose translation of music class. We sang “Wheels on the Bus” for Sylvia’s benefit, and then we danced to “Another One Bites the Dust” by Queen.

Swimming in the hot tub was a daily activity, followed by relaxation and quiet time in the afternoon before their mom returned from her meetings.

6. Know Your Limits

At times, I felt a little guilty because I limited our excursions to evenings when my daughter was with us. If it had just been the six-year-old and me, we would have explored more on our own. Having two on my own, especially a three-year-old who is fiercely independent and a bit of an escape artist, made me uneasy. To get anywhere, we had to cross a busy six-lane street. Even ten years ago, I could have chased her down, but I’m not as confident in that ability anymore. Unfortunately, like many American cities, Long Beach has a significant problem with homelessness.

7. Plan excursions

My daughter is great at planning. She was in meetings from 7:30 to 4:30 every day, and then she returned to the hotel to energize us all for the evening’s outings. There were days I didn’t think I could muster the strength to go, but I’m so glad I did. The weather was perfect the entire time, with temperatures in the 60s and 70s.

We went to the Long Beach Aquarium, walked all over the historic Pike area, visited a lighthouse, saw the new Disney movie “Wish” (the catalyst for some great conversations the next day), and walked around the pier. My favorite outing was the evening when we took a sunset glass bottom boat ride. We saw several dolphins, many fish, and cruised by the Queen Mary. We made two trips to the beach, where the kids played for hours building sand castles and wading in the cold water.

The aquarium was my daughter’s favorite outing.

8. Even a nanny needs some downtime

I’m not an introvert, but I am the kind of person who has always craved alone time. On our third night there, after a busy day and an evening of adventures, I told my daughter I needed some alone time. She is an extrovert who thrives on constant activity and interaction, so she doesn’t really understand that concept. However, she knew it was best to give me an hour off duty. I went to the restaurant bar and had a drink and read a book. It was a much-needed respite that gave me the energy to move ahead to the rest of the trip.

9. Strollers

This is a point my daughter and I disagree about. I know three is a bit old for a stroller. In fact, Sylvia decided a little before two that she was a big girl and wasn’t going to ride in a stroller anymore. However, we walked at least three to four miles every day, and that’s a lot for a toddler. This is not based on any scientific facts, but I think that’s equivalent to a marathon in toddler steps. A small stroller would have helped immensely.

10. TSA Pre-Check

This may seem like an odd thing to include, but if you’re flying with young kids, it’s essential. The Tulsa International Airport rarely has a long security line, but that’s not the case in many other cities. When we arrived at the Long Beach Airport to return home, we were all feeling exhausted and just ready to get home. I was in the bag drop line with two kids, two suitcases, a car seat, and rapidly dwindling patience while my daughter was trying to get her boarding pass. Of course, Sylia picked this time to turn into a puppy, dropping to her hands and knees, crawling and barking. Callister, his dog-sister, and I made it through the bag drop line and met up with my daughter as we headed to the security line, which stretched on and on, at least a 45-minute line. Then we spotted the TSA Pre-Check line, which was totally empty! It was like seeing a waterfall in the middle of the desert! I was so thankful we had signed up for TSA Pre-Check! It was worth every single penny!

11. Time Difference

There’s a two-hour time difference between Tulsa and California. Because we were only going to be there for five days, we didn’t try to make the kids adapt. We just went to bed early and woke up early. If we had been staying longer or if they were older, we might have made a different choice.

When I got back to Tulsa, my husband asked me the same question he asks after I return from every trip: “Are you glad you went?” I didn’t answer immediately because I needed to recover before I could answer fairly. The trip was a great opportunity to spend time with my grandkids sharing adventures and experiences. Time is the love language of almost all children. My grandkids may not remember this trip in a year or two, but the feelings and memories will be embedded in them. The next day, I gave my husband his answer. Yes, I’m glad I went, but next time he’ll be going with me! Having a partner would make it all much easier!

They still loved me on the last day of the trip, so I guess my stint as their travel nanny was successful!