The Traveling Nanny
By Karen Le Blanc
Assistant Editor
“You are in Dubai. Your 9-month-old has finally hit the jet lag mark. She is up from 11 p.m. till 5 a.m. and wants to play! So you do. You text mom that you both will sleep in late.”
Considered by most in the nanny industry to be the original traveling nanny, Donna Robinson spends a lot of time out of town. “When I first started the traveling nanny business I just had one goal—to offer parents a partner in their quest for childcare,” Robinson said, “and the main ingredient for success is compatibility.” Robinson shares her philosophy with parents up front. “‘It’s your vacation, not mine. I’m here to help you make the best memories possible.’ It’s work. It’s a job. If I get to see something too, that’s wonderful.”
In the late 1990s Robinson came up with idea of being a temporary nanny after monitoring message boards and contacting parents who needed a nanny right away but were still looking for the right fit. She would fill in for the parents until they found a permanent hire that suited their family.
But then one day a family from Connecticut wasn’t ready to let Robinson go. “It was a lovely family. We became extremely close,” Robinson said. “They said, ‘Don’t leave yet. We’re not ready to hire someone yet and are going to go to France in January. We don’t want to get someone we don’t know. Would you go to St. Croix with us?’ I said, ‘Sure!’ That was my first travel.”
Since then Robinson has been to more than 50 different locations worldwide and has traveled to every continent except Antarctica, caring for up to six children at a time.
Robinson, who works primarily by referral, returned to travel with that first family a couple of times a year for the next five years. “The little carrot that she [the mother] would dangle would be France. Would be Italy. Would be Spain. French Polynesian Islands. She would dangle that carrot and I would come back,” Robinson said.
Robinson never set out to be a nanny. She spent eight years in the business world, then took time off to raise her own children. Sh
e stumbled into professional childcare while working at her church. A family from the church where she worked managing the nursery staff asked her to be their nanny. She said yes. Robinson cared full-time for that couple’s four children for a while, and then took another full-time position with a family with twin three-year-olds before transitioning to the temporary nanny speciality six years later.
“What amazed me was that every skill I had acquired in my years of working—from office management to teaching assistant to motherhood—had prepared me for this one fantastic career,” Robinson said. “Sometimes I wish I had been a nanny earlier in my career but upon reflection, I wouldn’t change a thing. I always tell my teens who feel like they master nothing that everything you learn prepares you for another step in your life. Nothing is wasted if you use it.”
Getting to see the world is a huge plus, but this is not an easy job. Robinson recalls traveling with a family who rented a small European car and being crammed in the back between two child seats. “You’ve just got to be able to do it,” she said. The hardest part is going to a new country and helping the children handle cultural differences. “New foods are the primary cause of travel problems,” Robinson said “Kids who will eat a wide variety of food at home are usually open to foods in other countries. The rule is: Three big bites of each new food. I find if you can make a game of it trying something new can be fun.”
But this rule does not apply to every child. “There are the picky eaters who hate everything but three foods—a trip is not a time to try and change them,” Robinson said. “Just pack the cereal they like in Ziploc bags, peanut butter in plastic jars or lots of the snacks they will eat.”
Because the children share play space with other children, the trip becomes a fun multicultural experience. “The wonderful thing about children is they see all kids as possible friends. My travel kids go to local parks and despite language differences will play with any kid who smiles at them.”
What’s her favorite spot? “Everyone asks that, and I always say, ‘Wherever I’m at!'” But Robinson’s absolute favorite is Australia. “I love exploring countries where I can go off the tourist grid. Australia is a favorite of my husband and I because there is so much of it.” A close second is the French Polynesian Islands for their pure beauty. “The image was so strong I can still almost feel the breeze. My favorite is a little tiny island called Le Taha’a—one hotel there… [you] have to come in by boat or helicopter; coral beach you can walk up and around. It’s just beautiful. There’s no wireless, no nothing. You just feel like this was what paradise looked like in the beginning before man got a hold of everything. It forces you to disconnect and relax, take care of your emotional stability. It’s the most beautiful place I’ve ever been.”
So what exactly does it take to be a travel nanny? Most important is an ability to develop a supportive relationship with the parents. Big egos should definitely be checked with the baggage. “You can’t go in with the mindset of ‘This is how I do things,'” Robinson said.
Of course, there are many other qualities that are needed, including organizational skills, flexibility, and the ability to react to the unexpected. But above all, that relationship is key. “There’s a unique skill set that’s helpful to have for sure, but ultimately it’s a condition of the heart,” Robinson said. “I have a heart for parents because I am a parent and have gone through hard times with children myself. I’m 
always going to be non-judgmental and meet them where they’re at. My heart goes out to them and we just bond extremely quickly, which is a great quality to have when you’re a travel nanny… probably the most important since 98 percent of your success will be how quickly you bond with parents.”
Correction May 16, 2016: An earlier version of this story stated incorrectly that Robinson’s church work was volunteer rather than paid.
