It was 1977 when I decided to pursue a nanny career. I found this experience to be a great adventure, and I knew quickly that I had found my true calling. But, there had always been another 
powerful force in my life, which pulled me in another direction. It is that of the artist, with a need to create things and foster creativity in those around me.
So only a year into my first experience as a nanny, I was already beginning to blend together my greatest loves, nanny, musician, and educator. While my charges attended preschool each morning, I divided my time between volunteering in the classroom and teaching music at another school.
Even in those early days of my nanny career, I began to weaving together these different passions. Over the years, I have combined them in many different ways. Sometimes I worked more heavily on the nanny side, sometimes more heavily with my teaching or music career but always some work as nanny, musician and educator.
My current job of, two years, will soon be changing to part-time, as my youngest charge begins school 5 days a week. So I am now in the process of moving back into a heavier music teaching schedule. Blending these different elements into my career has provided me with a greater flexibility, which I believe has contributed to my longevity as a nanny.
During times when I was more challenged in finding a competitive paying full-time job, I was able to combine the perfect part-time job with other work as a teacher or musician. As is the case with my current job, it has also provided me the ability to stay longer with a family as their needs change from full-time to fewer hours.
My charges have all been influenced greatly by my work in the arts. Some have gone on to work on stage and film. One of my former charges even created the cover art on one of my children’s CDs.
These children have been empowered to create ideas and works of their own, never feeling that they are limited in any way just because they are children. I know that this influence is one of the greatest gifts I can give these children.
Years ago, I cared for two little girls who had been adopted from China. During this time I was inspired to create an original musical theater project called Mei Li. As research, I worked with Chinese Children Adoption International Adoption Agency. Fast-forward to 2004, when I began working with a family who had recently adopted a child from China and used the same adoption agency. Adoption agencies play a monumental part in the transition the family and child go through. The connection I had with the agency helped the child’s transition to his new life.
After nearly 40 years as a nanny, life continues to excite me with its wonderful opportunities and experiences. I can’t wait to see what is still ahead for me in my amazing, blended career!
Cindy Wilkinson is a career nanny, musician, and arts educator. She has nannied for families in CA, CO, and CT as a live-in, live-out, and shared nanny. In 1998, Ms. Wilkinson was named the INA Nanny of the Year and received her 35-year anniversary pin in 2015. Currently, she is a nanny for 5 children in the Denver area, while also caring for another charge as his weekend nanny. Always busy in the music world, she has recently launched her Jumpin’ to the Beat music program for children.