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Home › Articles › Child Care › A Real Life Mary Poppins

A Real Life Mary Poppins

Meet the Nanny of the Year

By Megan L. Fowler, MSJ

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So when Marni Kent, a Denver-area career nanny, won INA's prestigious Nanny of the Year award for 2002, she was thrilled. "Being a nanny has taught me to be a more positive, happier person, and I've learned so much from the kids," she said when she heard the news. "Being a nanny is the best job in the world!"

But what does being a nanny actually entail? "We are not glorified babysitters by any means," says Kent. "Most don't do the things that I do." In Kent's case, she is actually known as Colorado's "Mary Poppins." No, she doesn't prescribe sugar after foul-tasting cough syrup nor does she play in sidewalk chalk paintings with cartoon figures and racing carousel horses. But she does carry a "carpetbag of tricks."

Yes, an actual carpetbag complete with clay, brown paper bags (to prevent fights over the popcorn bowl), decorative projects, books and other "fun things that kids would want to do while I'm around," she says. "My carpetbag is my little bag of tricks that nobody gets to see in, and the children get excited to see what project we are going to do later. Then they don't miss Mom and Dad so much."

Kent even has befriended nearly every kid in town. "Sometimes other kids will call me during the day if they are sick, or they will come over after school if their parents aren't home," she says. "It's like a big family."

The difference between her and Poppins, however, is that Kent doesn't float in, do her job and disappear behind a cloud of chimney smoke. Instead, she stays with her families for years at a time. "I don't mind the Mary Poppins reference," she says. "But I am a multi-tasking person." Sundays are generally the only das Kent has to herself: "My husband is so into football that I get a chance to relax and make time for me."

She's been with her current family for four years and has spent time with several families throughout her 16-year tenure.

The relationship she has with her current family/employer maintains an open communication policy. "I never hesitate to come to one of my employers to deal with a situation, but also remember to bring up issues in private so that as a family they can address these things together," she says. "This helps to avoid the Mom vs. Marni scenarios. We don't always have perfect days, but then again, who does?"

A typical week for Kent begins with her heading over to her employer's home after their three kids – ages 9, 11 and 14 – have gone off to school. "I go through the house, gather laundry and put things back together," she says. "The state of a home can tell a lot about the last few days." Then she mentally prepares a to-do list for the week. As a nanny, Kent pretty much runs the household – she cleans, cooks the evening meal, drives the kids around, helps out with homework and even volunteers for school field trips. "It's nice to hear a group of kids singing in the back of the car," Kent says, laughing. "But there is only so much music [from female pop star], Pink, I can take."

By 6:15 everyone sits down to dinner, and Kent slips out the door for her personal evening routine. "I try to make sure things are in order when the kids get home from school," she says. "They have had a long day and don't need to hear about mine."

Becoming a Nanny

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