Nannies are not Your Normal Humans

Nanny: the word conjures images of nerdy 16-year-old homeschool girls who need a side job.

I prefer to call myself a childcare worker. (It creates a more professional word picture.)

But in all seriousness, the job of a nanny is overlooked. This post is for all those persons who make money spending time with kids.

Who else has the patience to handle 11 humans under 4 years old?

Who can hold 3 babies at once but a nanny?

A nanny spoils like Grandma, loves like mom, and teaches like dad.

It’s hard work. There are the days when every 2-year-old decides to unleash the terrible. All the diapers need to be changed at once, and everyone cries. That’s when a nanny’s superpowers shine.

It takes the toughest kind of patience to stay steady in moments like those. But it’s worth it.

You’re the last one to look into their eyes as they fall asleep.

You’re the one they run to when they are crying.

Those little voices call your name in play, and those little arms reach for you when they need love.

Yes, it’s worth every minute. And you gain a good set of skills working with little ones.

Goes to show that the most menial jobs birth the strongest qualities. Fellow nannies, we support and love you!

Insert Question Here

Questions are not a sign of ignorance, as many believe. Actually, they are smartest conversation tool we have.

Jewish rabbis are master teachers. They teach based on the individual. They rarely give students straight answers. Instead, they give a statement from which the answer can be inferred.

But the greatest teaching tool that a rabbi uses is the question. They believe rightly that a student who hears an answer out of the mouth of the teacher does not own the answer. Many will ask seemingly unconnected questions in order to lead individuals to find answers for themselves.

Ray Vander Laan, a teacher and an indirect mentor of mine, tells a beautiful story illustrating this point:

On a trip to the Holy Land, a woman stepped into a Jewish painter’s shop. Admiring the paintings, she asked the shop owner, “Which one is your favorite?”

The shop owner didn’t answer right away. Then he looked up at the woman and asked, “Are you married?”

Not the kind of answer an American looks for. But the woman replied, “Yes. Why?”

Insert: if she had not finished her answer with “Why?” the shop owner would have said “Ok”, and that would have been the end of the conversation. A big part of Jewish teaching requires a student to want the answer badly enough to keep seeking it out. No rabbi speaks unnecessarily.

“Do you have children?” the painter continued.

“Yes. I have three. Why?” the woman wondered.

“Which of your children is your favorite?”

Boom. Not once did the Jewish painter have to make a statement. The woman left the shop with a profound understanding of the owner’s attachment to his paintings. He didn’t have to go into long philosophical arguments about how he had poured his soul into each painting, and given each his best. In fact, his questions left a greater impact on the woman by connecting to her heart.

The power of the question is extremely underrated. Everyone has go to’s: “How are you?” “What’s up?” “How’s the weather?” But no one dares to ask good questions.

That is, except for children. They are full of curiosity, examining the world around them and questioning everyone that comes in sight.

What changes between childhood and adulthood? Many times children are shamed for making inquiries. That shame takes over culture, and by the time a generation of kids is grown up, we have a civilization who thinks it is a sign of weakness to ask a question.

I say that good questions are the strongest communication technique available to us. Why?

Questions engage.

Humans by nature like to talk about themselves. A good question directs attention toward the other person, sparking individual passions and desires. When you engage a person’s brain, he retains more information. Besides, everyone likes speaking with someone who stirs their thoughts.

Questions connect.

By showing interest in another person’s life, you create a connection point to that person. The best conversations happen when both parties are engaged in the discussions. The more people feel you have in common, the more they will gravitate toward you.

Questions Inspire.

Engaging conversations lead to strong connections. Strong connections birth ideas. That’s what relationships are all about: creating value for the world through the combined force of minds and souls.

Take the time to ask good questions. Here are several to get your brain going:

What did you learn today?
What do you know that I don’t?
What do you think about (insert common topic)?
Do you have any current projects you’re working on?
How do you like to learn?
What are you currently studying?
Who is your favorite thinker?
What is your favorite book?
What is the best aspect of today’s culture?
What do you wish people knew that they don’t?
How do you stay productive?
Would you rather (insert icebreaker paradox)?
Is important to know history in order to understand culture?

The things can ask anyone are endless. Use these ideas to strengthen the relationships around you. Stop letting the lie of weakness quell your questions.

People Power

There’s a common theme I have heard from numerous self-educators recently. It’s an idea that almost every successful dropout, entrepreneur, and freelancer attests to.

This concept is the power of networking. Yes, it’s cliche. Many do not understand it fully simply because the word “networking” has been overused. Continue reading People Power

Curiosity: an Education in Itself

“The important thing is not to stop questioning. Curiosity has its own reason for existing.” -Albert Einstein

One of the greatest minds of all time gives the credit for his genius to being passionately curious. Learning, at its core, consists of being curious about something and building new pathways due to this curiosity.

Then how did humanity get off track? I can’t count how many times I have heard parents shut down their inquisitive 6 year olds by saying, “You ask too many questions.” (Normally, this answer is also a cover for, “I don’t know the answer to your question but I don’t want to admit it.”) Continue reading Curiosity: an Education in Itself

Learning By Teaching: The Cycle of Education

Being raised in a large family, I am accustomed to the constant fuel of creativity, the continual exchange of new ideas. There is always a new project to compete in. The next breakthrough research is always just around the corner. The learning process never stops.

There is a key concept that naturally comes to life in a family of vast age differences: the best way to ingrain any piece of knowledge into your head is to pass on that information to another individual.

For hundreds of years, this was an expected cycle of learning. One learnt the information, reviewed it, formed his opinion of it, debated it, and taught another what he knew. (Socratic dialogue, anybody?)

It has only been in recent years that we have lost the concept of the cycle of learning. Teaching is reserved only for those who are so-called “experts” in a field. Everyone else keeps quiet and lets the experts do their thing, successfully cutting off the life of education by smothering conversation.

How would humanity change if each individual recognized the benefits of using the knowledge he has, no matter how small, to impact other people?

What if you sat down and wrote a short essay on every new concept you gained? Or if you found one person every day to question about an idea you have about the world? What if the cycle of learning could be refueled by those who are passionate about true education?

I challenge you: Teach someone something today. Build relationships. Pass on information. Create dialogue and healthy conversation. Encourage questions. Explore. Create. And watch the world begin to flourish around you. Life can only be complete when education flows through its intended cycle.