A note from the editor:
Tori Blanchard works rotation: two weeks with a family in Southern California, two weeks home in Oklahoma City. People usually ask them about the schedule, the travel, and the pay. They'd rather talk about what the off weeks make room for: car seat checks, NICU cuddles, and, starting this election, a shift at their local polling place.
Below, Tori writes about a service habit that started at a school diaper drive, the two years they waited to be old enough for it, and why the people at the bottom of the ballot get most of their attention. We are so grateful for Tori’s contribution to this blog and the nanny community at large.
The People at the Bottom of the Ballot
Service is the pillar of the nanny industry. It’s the core of our work: sharing our expertise, guidance, and care. Service and giving are also core traits we, as nannies and caregivers, often try to instill in the children we are working with. For me, that looks like volunteering with my nanny kid at the local bunny shelter, teaching turns and kindness on the playground, and encouraging my nanny kids to share their snack with a friend that may not have one. At the very core of it though, I just want to teach the up-and-coming generation to try and leave this world just a little better than they found it for the children that follow. For us adults, I think one of the most important areas of service we look up to and depend on is our government officials. Not the president, the vice president, and the people in higher offices. They don’t serve us directly in any meaningful capacity. It’s our local school board officials, county commissioners, mayors, county assessors, governors, representatives and senators. These are the people who directly serve us and our communities, and who WE get to elect and choose as role models for our community members, families, friends, and nanny children. This year, I wanted to vote in every election that I could and am proud to say I was able to do that, but I knew there was even more I could do.
How a School Diaper Drive Started a Lifetime of Volunteering
Volunteerism and giving back to my community has been a huge part of my life for as long as I can remember, whether I was delivering meals on wheels with my grandmother, taking goods to the local animal shelter, attending one of my dad’s non-profit fundraisers, or feeding community members at the local soup kitchen. I was in 4th or 5th grade when a local non-profit came to my school to do a diaper drive and to share more about the incredible work they do, who they serve, and ways we could get involved. I learned about how they serve children and babies in our community 4 years old and under with immediate food, formula, diapers, and other essentials in times of need. They discussed their summer teen program and how the teens would hold the babies and interact with the children while the parents and/or guardians were being served.
Does this not sound like a future nanny’s dream?
The only downfall?
You had to be 13 years old to be a part of the wonderful teen program, and this devastated 11-year-old me at the time. I not-so-patiently waited two years and actually got to start a few weeks shy of my 13th birthday since my birthday falls in the summer.
The rest is history.
I spent the next 7 summers volunteering there, and later in high school I also volunteered at the local hospital through their summer teen program. That non-profit changed my life, and the family I built there will always hold a very special place in my heart. After college, I took on one of the largest and longest volunteering stints of my life and became a Peace Corps Volunteer Teacher/Teacher Trainer in Indonesia. A whole other beautiful and challenging story for another day!
Why I Volunteer (It's Not Just Kindness)
People always say how kind it is of me to spend my free time volunteering and giving back to my community, and I never quite know how to respond to this. Yes, I volunteer to serve those around me and help my community, but I do it for so much more than that.
I do it because I can, because I won the lottery of life by being born in a safe and stable country with two parents who were able to financially and physically support me.
I do it because I have a hard time sitting still with nothing to do.
I do it because it often comes with working with children in some capacity, and there is nothing that brings me greater joy or happiness.
I do it for the connection to people around me and learning how people of different races, ethnicities, genders, sexual orientations, religions, and beliefs live their beautiful lives. I do it because becoming a two-week on/off ROTA nanny has allotted me the time to do so, and I am forever grateful.
I am a current FIFO (Fly in/Fly Out) ROTA nanny to 3 amazing school-aged kids in Southern California, based in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, in my off time. We hear mixed reviews and thoughts on ROTA work all the time, both from inside and outside the industry. As a ROTA nanny for the past 3 years, I have been asked question after question regarding the schedule, the clients, the travel, the compensation, and the general life of a rotational nanny. These questions are exciting but can be complicated when you want to share the details and positives of ROTA work while still maintaining utmost privacy and secrecy for your employers. It’s a hard line to walk, but one that I have had to grow increasingly comfortable with as a professional ROTA nanny. As questions arise, though, I always try to steer the conversation back to the schedule.
What the ROTA Schedule Makes Room For
At the end of the day, the schedule is not only the biggest distinguishing factor between ROTA positions and traditional full-time nanny work, but it is also my favorite aspect of my job. I get to pour into my nanny family and let it be all-consuming for two weeks, and then get to come home and enjoy two weeks to pour back into myself, my partner, my family, and my community. Before ROTA work, I tried to do both aspects at the same time, and well, for those that are just as passionate about their nanny kids and the nanny work we get to do, you can guess what ended up consuming more of my time, thoughts, and energy. That wasn’t fair to my home base and the people on the ground supporting me in my career. ROTA work has changed my life and allowed me to equally balance being present in so many areas at different times of the month, and I am eternally grateful.
From Car Seat Checks to the Polling Place
In my two weeks off, I spend much of my time with my loved ones, but I also spend it in my community. I get to be a CPST (Child Passenger Safety Technician), helping families check and install their car seats to keep their precious kids safe. I get to cuddle the cutest NICU babies at my local hospital. However, my most recent endeavor just might be my favorite!! This past month I finished training to be a precinct polling volunteer in my local county. Voting has always been incredibly important to me. Who I vote for shapes my life and my community directly, and I have never taken that right and duty more seriously than I do now.
Starting with the upcoming election, you will be able to find me helping with early voting by being the legs for some of our most senior voters. In my county, a lot of early voters are those with medical issues, physical handicaps, and people who just need a little more time and assistance. Through my training, I am also able to assist on election day by being a judge or clerk, checking names, signatures, and IDs, and helping distribute ballots. I am also one training away from helping with our county's E-scan devices that record votes. I am so excited for this upcoming election and the new role I get to serve in.
Find Your Way to Give Back This Election Season
Service looks different for everyone, and that's how it should be. I'm lucky that my schedule gives me two full weeks at a time to give back, and I know that isn't true for most people. So start wherever your life has room.
Head to the polls, send in that absentee ballot, know your rights as a voter in your county and state, but don’t stop there. If you have a little more time, see if your county needs polling precinct officials, see if there is a way to help with early voting, or advocate in your community for people to sign up and vote.. Not sure where to start? The U.S. Election Assistance Commission lists poll worker signups for every state and voting information by state, plus a plain-language guide to your rights as a voter. And if that doesn’t seem like an interest? Find your passion and niche and give even a couple of hours of service to your community each month. I promise it will change your life.
“We make a living by what we get. We make a life by what we give.” - Winston Churchill
