Nanny Adventures

Today would have been Harriette Grants 66th birthday.  Unfortunately we were robbed of her six years ago on June 30, 2002 when she lost her brave battle with cancer.

She was a pioneer in the nanny world.  I was honored to call her a friend and mentor.  I was entrusted with several board positions in the first and longest running nanny support group she founded in 1986. She helped me through some tough times with ADCAN. She also stood behind me and supported me in my decisions with ADCAN.   Harriette proved guidance and support when needed.  She had a wonderful vision of advancing the nanny career as a legitimate choice.  Today I was reminded of her birthday, through her good friend and my friend, Glenda.  I met both of these ladies at the National Association of Nannies (NAN) conference in September 1996 in Alexandria VA.  Ever since that meeting I have grown as a professional nanny and  been touched by their friendships.  One thing that Harriette loved was having tea.  She also collected teapots.  The year of her death, NAN had a special tribute to honor Harriette.   We had been given several of Harriette’s teapots to give away to members.  They made beautiful centerpieces for our Tea and luncheon.  I was given a teapot a year later by someone who had been holding on to them.   I treasure that teapot.

Here is a little bit about Harriette from Glenda. 

Today would have been Harriette’s  66th Birthday.
Maybe you are thinking ” So…I didn’t know her but what she  did in her
life, impacted all of us.
I made a promise to her before she died  that I would never let her be
forgotten, so here’s to you Harriette….wherever  you are.

Harriette Grant passed away on June  30, 2002. She had been a nanny for 40
years. You can read her story in the book  _Like a Second Mother_
(http://careernanny.com/LSM.htm)  but here is my  tribute to her life and her enormous contribution to nannies  everywhere.

The following article  about Harriette Grant first appeared in the NAN
Newsletter in June of 2001. 
A nanny for the ages by  Glenda Willm Propst
These are some newspaper  headlines from 1961:
U.S. Breaks Off Diplomatic Relations With Cuba;
John F.  Kennedy Inaugurated as President of the U.S.
Peace Corps Established by  Kennedy;
UN General Assembly Condemns Apartheid;
‘Freedom Riders’Attacked  by White Citizens in Anniston and Birmingham;
Bay of Pigs  Invasion;
Kennedy and Khrushchev Meet in Vienna to Discuss  Disarmament;
Berlin Wall Constructed; Actor Gary Cooper Dies at  Age 60.
These are some popular  books from 1961:
Stranger In A Strange  Land, by Robert Heinlein;
Catch-22, by Joseph Heller;  and
Tropic of Cancer, by Henry Miller (the first legal  publication in the
U.S.).Some of the popular movies that year were:
“West Side Story,”
“The Hustler,” and  “Judgment at Nuremberg.”
And among the most popular songs  were:
“Love makes the World Go Round,”
“Moon River,”
“Where the  Boys Are,” and “Exodus.”

How many of you remember any of these  events and cultural markers? How many
of you were even born in 1961?

Well,  even if we are among those who were not yet born in1961, there was an
event that  in some way affected all our lives that year. This event did not
make the  headlines, but it changed our lives all the same. 
In July, 1961,Harriette Grant began  her career as a nanny. At that time
there were no newspaper articles about nanny  salaries or benefits there were no
formal nanny training programs in the United  States, there were no nanny
support groups, and there were no nanny  organizations.
Harriette was just 19 when she started taking care of Sylvia  Whitman. In the
book “_Like a  Second Mother,_ (http://careernanny.com/bookreview2.html) ”
Sylvia writes about a very different Harriette from the  person we know. Sylvia’
s “Rat,” as she affectionately called her, changed her  hair color every week,
and their house was the best patrolled in the  neighborhood because all the
policemen had a crush on Harriette.

Harriette  was with the Whitmans nine years, and she maintains a close
relationship with  Sylvia Whitman, who is now all grown up with a child of her own.
In 1970  Harriette moved to Washington, DC, to care for the Brown children,
with whom she  stayed for 20 years. Even after the children were teenagers,
Harriette remained  and helped the Browns part time (she took a second part time
job with another  family in the neighborhood).

Harriette was  there when one of the  Brown children graduated from Princeton
University, and when her other “child”  graduated from High School. While she
was in DC, Harriette began to get serious  about solving the problems
surrounding the lack of support nannies  had.

Harriette Grant was one of the founders of the very first nanny support 
group in the USA. It was called ADCAN - the Association of DC Area Nannies. The 
group still runs strong today, and prides itself on being the oldest nanny 
support group in the nation.

Harriette was also a founding member of  International Nanny Association,
served on its board of directors, and was the  INA’s first Nanny of the Year in
1990.
She was one of the three co-founders  of NAN in 1992.
When Harriette moved to New York City in 1999, she became one  of the
founders of the Professional Nannies of New York.

I first met  Harriette Grant at the INA conference in Vail, Colorado, in
1988. We were going  to be serving on the INA Board together. It did not take long
for us to realize  that we had the same concerns, the same vision, and the
same passion for the  nanny profession. After the conference, we burned up the
phone lines on a  regular basis.  We became very good friends, and in 1992, along with Eva  Harkness, we founded the National Association of Nannies. 

In 1997, when Harriette asked me to  run with her for Co-President of NAN,
one of my greatest concerns was that it  might hurt our friendship. We promised
each other not to let that happen. I  think we’d both admit that at times it
has been a struggle, but we  served  as Co-Presidents for the  last four years,
and we are still on speaking  terms. We did not always agree, but we  always
respected each other and we  have always tried to make what was best for NAN
our top priority.

NAN benefited from her vision, her  professionalism, her steadfastness, her
wisdom, and her commitment to the Nanny  profession.
It’s a little overwhelming to think of all the things that have  happened in
the last 40 years, and of how far the nanny profession has come. I  think of
all the changes Harriette saw and of all the nannies she encountered on  her
journey.
When I think of Harriette Grant, I think of the quote by Ralph  Waldo
Emerson:
“Do not go where the path  may lead, go instead where there is no path, and
leave a trail.”

Harriette  led the way where  there was no path. She  blazed a trail for 40
years, .As her  torch is  passed, we can all learn a valuable lesson from her
life, her example, and her  dedication to her career.
It is up to each of us to continue  the work that Harriette started. We are
pioneers of the nanny profession, and it  is our job to continue to blaze the
trail.

Harriette, you have been our friend, our leader, and our  inspiration. We
will never forget you and we will work hard to continue your  legacy.
You leave us with many wonderful memories but a hole in our heart  that only
you could fill.
Rest in peace dear  friend.