Male Nanny from NYC 3+ years experience - Berlin

Hello Berlin families!

I just recently moved to Berlin from NYC and am looking for a family to work with. I was a nanny in NYC for three years and worked with children ranging from 5 months to 10 years of age.

Please email me with any questions you have or if you would like some references.

Thanks and hope to hear from you soon!

Ryan

I'm getting some views but no takers so I thought I'd include a writing I did. If you're looking for more info maybe this will help out a bit.

Ryan - ryantschetter@gmail.com

When I was born my father told my aunt, "Roxy, whats most important is not spending money on my children but spending time with them".  I believe my knack for understanding children came from my father, Captain Courageous. When I was little my father didn't believe in TV and video games.  He believed that spending money on fancy toys for your child wasn't necessary but whats most important is the time you spend with them and truly knowing them. Often we would go to Canada on canoe trips where my father would pretend to be Captain Courageous and rescue my sister and I from the dreadful pirate (a family friend in another boat).  From an early age imagination was highly encouraged by the captain himself.  As we got older birthday presents were found by taking part in a scavenger hunt all over town where you'd find clues that would eventually lead you to your beloved treasure.  Sundays became our game day where my father would make obstacle courses in our backyards for us to run through.  From tree houses to Igloos in the snow, my father did it all.  



At around 10 years of age I started taking care of two little boys while their mother gave piano lessons.  We would create forts with the pillows or I'd put them in the "buggy" (a cart that attaches to the back of a bike) and we'd go off on a bicycle adventure.  A year later Kassidy, my younger sister, was adopted into our family.  Upon adopting Kassidy my parents sat both my older sister and I down and made sure that we knew if we adopted Kassidy it would be a family decision and she'd be the entire families responsibility.  So at age eleven I became the permanent family babysitter, no application required.  You learn a lot when you grow up with a baby and Kassidy soon became my training course for what would further down the road lead to childcare.



After schooling I found myself in NYC working front of house for Broadway shows, temping for different corporate jobs and feeling incredibly unfulfilled.  At that time a family member was having a child and I watched the process very closely.  Something sparked inside of me when I thought of children.  Perhaps I could find a family that could use a male nanny.  By means of my friend Craig and his list I found myself taking care of a little fourteen month boy named Aram.  Aram and I bonded right away.  I'm not keen on talking to babies in "baby talk" but rather talk to them quite normally.  This helps develop their communication skills.  Aram and I would sit and talk and play all day.  From singing songs, to books, to adventures in the park Aram and I quickly became pals.  Aram was temporary though for his mom only needed help for a certain period of time.  After some time I had to say goodbye to my new found friend but little did I know there was a world of children awaiting.  



The next three years I found myself fully immersed in children.  I was taking care of a four year old and his 17 month brother after Aram.  Everyday I'd pick them up from school and go to the park where we were greeted by the other neighborhood children.  We were explorers in a jungle, sharks and often superheros.  Before I knew it I had a small entourage of eight children everyday and everyday we'd have some new adventure in the park.  Soon I started hearing the children on the playground arguing, "No, he's MY babysitter!".  This of course sparked the interest of mothers at the playground and soon was receiving calls from all over Williamsburg Brooklyn checking on my availability.  One day while in the park with the kids a reporter came and asked if she could do a story.  I thought, why not?  I found it funny that what was so ingrained in me and natural brought such attention.  The article titled me "Hippest nanny in America" which led to radio talk shows and other write ups.  Although it was fun I found it all quite silly.



After Aram came Daniel, Mattan, Dino and Mori.  A sequence of children that led me to the families I would work for for the next three years.  Julie had heard and seen me around the neighborhood and was an expecting mother.  I had met Julie at the playground one day when she brought her son Julian up to me to say goodbye.  I hadn't had any interactions with Julian previously but I took it as a huge compliment, knelt down to his level,  smiled at him and said goodbye.  He seemed happy and they left.  Julie explained to me this day in the restaurant about that goodbye.  Apparently little two year old Julian had seen me playing with the other children at the playground.  It was time for him to leave that day and so his mother and him set off when Julian started bawling.  Julie found out when she finally calmed him down that the reason he was so upset was because he didn't get to say goodbye to Ryan.  This surprised Julie because, as far as she knew, he had never really met me.  None the less she brought him back to the park and up to me to say goodbye and after he did, was happy.  After telling me this story she explained that she was going to be having another child but needed help with Julian.  This worked out brilliantly for I was with their family for the next three years, taking care of both boys later on.  Julie called me the pied piper of children.



Somewhere in between I met another woman named Heidi who had heard of me through a friend.  She was needing help with her four year old son Nesta.  I met both of them in the park and shortly after meeting started to work with Nesta.  Nesta and I clicked right away.  Children are like any other person, some you click with more than others but with children, whether you click with them a little or a lot, they still need your love.  Nesta and I were together what seemed like years but in time only over a year.  Nesta and his family packed up their bags and moved to Berlin (which is a huge reason why I'm here).  One day while walking with his mom in the park, she started naming off some of his school friends and whether or not he'd miss them.  "Nah" he'd reply.  "Is there anyone you're going to miss?" she asked.  "Ryan" he replied..."mom, my heart is broken".



There isn't nearly enough time or paper to write about the things I've learned over the last several years with these children.  I've had children with single mothers, two mothers, divorces, wealthy families, poor families, etc.  One thing that remains the same is that children are children and just want to have fun, be loved and grow in an environment they feel safe in.  As care givers we need to allow children space to be whoever they are and guide them gently.  One of the most beautiful things about taking care of children is that not only do you get to help shape their lives but they shape yours as well.  Thanks to the captain, imagination and playfulness are a big part of who I am.  Thanks to these children, I have a good understanding of the workings of a child's mind and together it's enabled me to give these children a safe environment to be just who they are.  I'm really proud of my small sized friends.  As we get older we do tend to forget what it's like to see things from a child's eye but I believe a huge part of being a good caregiver is the ability to see things the way they do.  Indeed, there is a difference between a hat and a snake that's eaten an elephant.

From wikipedia
On Saint John and Paul's day while the inhabitants were in church, he played his pipe yet again, this time attracting the children of Hamelin. One hundred and thirty boys and girls followed him out of the town, where they were lured into a cave and never seen again. Depending on the version, at most three children remained behind (one of whom was lame and could not follow quickly enough, the other one was deaf and followed the other children out of curiosity and the last was blind and unable to see where they were going) who informed the villagers of what had happened when they came out of the church.

Other versions (but not the traditional ones) claim that the Piper lured the children into the river and let them drown like the rats or led the children to a cave on Köppen Hill or Koppelberg Hill (outside of Hamelin). Another version is that the Pied Piper hypnotized the children into following him to the top of Koppelberg Hill where he took them to a mystery land and had his wicked way, [1] or a place called Koppenberg Mountain[2] and returned them after payment or that he returned the children after the villagers paid several times the original amount of gold.[/quote]
Good luck. You sound like a nice guy and good with kids.

Dude, how could you not have linked to this review of what you do as "manny"? Your post left a lot of internet breadcrumbs.

You appear to be very good at what you do with a lot of positive testimonials, and I genuinely wish you the best of luck.

My goodness Expaticus, you are a clever lad.

PES: lol, thanks for the story. She meant more in the good sense of Pied Piper.

Expaticus: Thanks for the nice words, really. It's nice to know people are wishing the best for you. Thanks again!

Anyone that needs references please ask. One of the families I worked for moved to Berlin. So if you should need a Berlin reference I've got it covered!

Thanks!
Ry

This is a poster of two of the kids I took care of in NYC. I'm using this poster for Berlin....
Poster

Nice poster. Good luck.

Thanks Orla!