I am not a "babysitter"

Last Sunday I met our neighbors to the left. I was going out to set up the GPS to get myself to church and saw my BYU-flag waving neighbors heading out. I asked them if they were on their way (which of course they were) and if I could follow them. They did me one better (in awesome mormon-neighborly fashion) and offered to send the mom with me to show me the way (also so they didn't have to wait for me to figure out which car I was driving).

The mom was really great. She was nice and funny and had been to Fort Bragg, had kids at BYU. She gave me a run down of the ward and then asked about me. What I was doing there, what my story was, etc. I told her I was a nanny and she said "Oh, that's nice. My daughter babysits too."

Seriously?

I've talked with a few of my good friends about this comment. Because it's not been the only time someone has said this to me. It seems, that people don't understand the difference between a nanny and a babysitter. So I asked dictionary.com;

ba-by--sit: to take charge of a child while the parents are temporarily away. 

A babysitter is a 12 year old girl on a Friday night who makes mac and cheese and watches a movie with the kids then puts them to bed and surfs the channels till the parents get home. Their primary objective is to keep the kid happy for short periods of time. Usually the parents allow special privileges to keep the kids happy when the sitter is there.

Nan-ny: a person, usually with special training, employed to care for children in a household. 

This definition implies that a nanny is a regular part of the household. Technically, to be called a nanny, I think you have to have a college degree. A nanny is basically a 3rd parent. It's the nanny who takes care of the kids immediate needs, yes, but she also thinks about their future. She explains to them that walking on their broken leg could cause some serious side effects, she rubs their back when they get sick. The nanny makes sure they eat their fruits and veggies, that they don't go out without sunscreen/bugspray on. The nanny makes sure that the kids homework is done, that they have a costume for their upcoming school dress up day. That they wear spirit colors. She makes sure that they have clean underwear (to avoid sobbing-- true story). She picks up snacks for soccer games. She does prep work, then slides into the background when around other parents. She makes sure the kids check in and are checked for ticks when they come in from playing (B told me this week to be sure and check all my "warm places" for ticks because that's where they like to hide-- true story). She doesn't just show up, entertain the kids for a few hours then leave. She thinks about them and how to help them. She talks about them, referring to them as "her kids" because that's the easiest way to say it. She praises them and tells them they can be anything they want to be (even a running back for the Atlanta Falcons or a professional WNBA player-- also true stories).

I'm not complaining about what I do. I really, really love my job and am well compensated for it. I just wish people would understand. Would I want to do it for the rest of my life? No. I have goals and aspirations beyond this. But for the time being, this is what I choose to do! This is what I enjoy.

And calling me a babysitter just really ticks me off.