Nanny&Me

I work for an organization, L'Arche Toronto, that supports adults with intellectual disabilities in an intentional community. Recently there was a campaign at the national level of the organization designed to educate people about the value of 'with', that is to understand how fulfilling life can be when you laugh 'with', share 'with', dine 'with', and talk 'with' others. Living 'with' is the idea of togetherness and community, it is about appreciating the value of living, growing, and being with others.

Welcoming our nanny into our home has very much been an experience of "with" for us. One of the ways that we encourage our sense of "with" is through family outings that include our nanny (as she has been welcomed into our family).

Here are some of the fun things we've been doing together:

Kensington Market. One of our favourite Toronto neighbourhoods. We had a lovely Sunday morning outing for muffins, coffee, and a stroll through the market.

Garage Sailing. We are VERY into garage sails and we've been tickled pink that Genette loves them as much as we do. Every Saturday morning for several weeks running in peak summer garage sailing time, we load the whole family into the car and head out on a hunt for trinkets, toys, and other fun items. Often after hours of sailing, we adventure to a new neighbourhood and treat ourselves and Genette to some muffins or coffee (noticing a pattern?...yes we like muffins and coffee).

Bubble Tea. We like to go on evening outings to run errands, mostly to the bank, home stores etc. but we like to add a little something sweet to them with some bubble tea, and Genette is always up for a little evening outing and bubble tea at Gerrard Square.

Family Dinners. We sit down to enjoy a family dinner every weekday evening. Before Logan (and Genette's) arrival, we spent one too many nights camped out on the living room couch for dinner and we are thrilled to now have a family dinner time. Right now we're working on how we can take even more time to be 'with' one another during dinner. We live in a culture where we dine and dash so-to-speak, and are diligent about transitioning to a family mealtime where we slow our pace down, enjoy one another's company, and share our lives around the dinner table.

What else do we have planned for the rest of the summer:

Little India Festival. This weekend is the Little India Festival and we can't wait to show Genette around this amazing neighbourhood and festival. I personally am excited to buy more bangles!

Ontario's Wine Country. Also this weekend, we'll be taking Genette on a tour of some of Ontario's finest wineries in Niagara, followed by a special lunch at a winery known for a mix of carnivorous and vegan cuisine!

Toronto Islands. We are obsessed with Toronto's Islands. We'll be starting at Ward's Island for a wonderful and peaceful stroll, a picnic lunch, and a tour of the neat residential areas, and then making our way over to Centre Island for some fun on rides.

The Cottage. We're very excited to have Genette come enjoy a weekend with us at our family cottage. We are fortunate to enjoy my grandmother's cottage in the Haliburton Highlands and look forward to showing Genette this secluded spot on the lake.


What have you done to be "with" your nanny lately? Inviting someone new into your home provides a great opportunity to build a lasting relationship not just between child caregiver, but as a family unit, so take a few minutes and ask your nanny if they might be interested in joining you socially for some family time.