I meant to keep writing about expected value and how it applies in the workplace. I am just a few days away from going back to the states to pick up Julie and the kids. I can’t wait to have my family with me, but there is one family member who will not be coming with us... She is one of the most +EV people I know and I will miss her. Instead of expected value in the workplace, I’d rather spend some time thanking Jenny Brown for the impact she has made on me and my family.
Four years ago, we made the decision to pull Carson out of daycare. He was always sick and never seemed to be getting better. An ear infection would turn into a sinus infection and it would go on for months. Julie was pregnant with Zoe when we decided to hire a nanny. I wanted Carson used to having a nanny before his sister arrived so his entire world didn’t change at once. Julie contacted an agency and did some of the pre-screening.
Jenny didn’t know it, but I decided she was perfect for us in the first five minutes of interviewing her. What can I say? I have a good poker face. Her dedication to children, warmth, and positive attitude won me over quickly. Carson loved her too and within a week she had him learning new signs daily which he showed us with great pride.
Before Jenny, I used to struggle on a daily basis to take care of Carson and keep our house livable. I was stumped at how Jenny managed to watch Carson and keep the house spotless. I literally sat and watched her to learn her time management skills. It worked - somewhat, as I’ll never be as clean as Jenny.
Jenny quickly moved from being a nanny to a trusted advisor, psychologist, and mentor. She has more experience with raising infants to five year olds than just about anyone on the planet. Jenny has always respected my rights as a parent, but has offered up great advice on how to handle the kids when asked. Her patience and compassion for my kids will always be cherished by me along with her warmth and kindness and fantastic sense of humor.
Over the years, I have looked forward to weekday mornings when Jenny would come in and the house would be quiet. We would drink our morning coffees together. Her with her grande latte from Starbucks which she would drink slowly over the course of three to four hours. Me with my iced latte made in my kitchen which I would drink over the course of three to four minutes. We would talk about all kinds of things from the kids to life in general. She was there for so many ups and downs in my personal life, but I don’t think I’ve ever seen her have a bad day. No matter what was going on in her life, she always stayed positive.
Jenny’s console was sought for more than childcare advice. I will treasure the memory when Julie and I got in a dispute and decided to let Jenny be the arbitrator... It was a Saturday and Julie and I were going to a friend’s daughter’s birthday party in the evening. I took Carson to soccer and had a bunch of errands to run with him. Julie and I agreed to meet at home and go to the party together.
Carson enjoyed soccer and we afterwards, we went to McDonald’s. I grabbed a pair of jeans and a t-shirt and asked him to take his soccer uniform off after lunch. He insisted he wanted to keep his uniform on. Being the parent, I believe it is my role to set the rules and establish boundaries. However, I thought about it as Carson protested. If he took pride in playing soccer and liked wearing his soccer uniform, what was the harm? So we went and got our hair cut together and did the rest of our errands with Carson in his soccer uniform.
When we got home, Julie was a blur of motion. Zoe was almost ready to go and we were running a little bit late. Julie asked me to change Carson out of his soccer uniform. I said no.
“What do you mean, no?”
“I mean I asked him to change earlier and he didn’t want to. I thought about it and decided that he rarely asks to wear anything and that if he likes wearing his soccer uniform, then he should wear his soccer uniform. He really likes soccer and I think that’s cool.”
“We’re not going to this birthday party with him wearing a soccer uniform.”
“Why not?”
“Because... we’re not. It’s not appropriate attire.”
“May I remind you that this is a birthday party for three year olds?”
“Evan, he’s not going in his soccer uniform.”
“I wish I could take you to ‘Marriage Court’.”
Marriage Court was Jerry Seinfeld’s short-lived series about couples who had a dispute and could have it arbitrated in front of an audience. The show sucked, but the premise was great.
Julie paused. “Call Jenny. She is fair and impartial.”
I called Jenny and Jenny sided with me. Julie was flummoxed as she was sure that she was going to win the argument. Although she abided by Jenny’s decision, it led me to the conclusion that to Julie, the definition of fair and impartial means the person agrees with her.
Jenny has been there as Carson learned how to walk, talk, and started going to school. She was there minutes after Zoe was born. To this day, Zoe refers to Jenny as “My Jenny” as in “My Jenny and I went to the aquarium today.”
I will miss you Jenny. You have been far more than a nanny. You are my role model in calmness and patience. My hero when it comes to staying positive. You have been a great friend and member of the family. Please don’t hesitate to Skype us as I am sure the kids will miss you as much as we do. Thank you. Thank you for everything.
Four years ago, we made the decision to pull Carson out of daycare. He was always sick and never seemed to be getting better. An ear infection would turn into a sinus infection and it would go on for months. Julie was pregnant with Zoe when we decided to hire a nanny. I wanted Carson used to having a nanny before his sister arrived so his entire world didn’t change at once. Julie contacted an agency and did some of the pre-screening.
Jenny didn’t know it, but I decided she was perfect for us in the first five minutes of interviewing her. What can I say? I have a good poker face. Her dedication to children, warmth, and positive attitude won me over quickly. Carson loved her too and within a week she had him learning new signs daily which he showed us with great pride.
Before Jenny, I used to struggle on a daily basis to take care of Carson and keep our house livable. I was stumped at how Jenny managed to watch Carson and keep the house spotless. I literally sat and watched her to learn her time management skills. It worked - somewhat, as I’ll never be as clean as Jenny.
Jenny quickly moved from being a nanny to a trusted advisor, psychologist, and mentor. She has more experience with raising infants to five year olds than just about anyone on the planet. Jenny has always respected my rights as a parent, but has offered up great advice on how to handle the kids when asked. Her patience and compassion for my kids will always be cherished by me along with her warmth and kindness and fantastic sense of humor.
Over the years, I have looked forward to weekday mornings when Jenny would come in and the house would be quiet. We would drink our morning coffees together. Her with her grande latte from Starbucks which she would drink slowly over the course of three to four hours. Me with my iced latte made in my kitchen which I would drink over the course of three to four minutes. We would talk about all kinds of things from the kids to life in general. She was there for so many ups and downs in my personal life, but I don’t think I’ve ever seen her have a bad day. No matter what was going on in her life, she always stayed positive.
Jenny’s console was sought for more than childcare advice. I will treasure the memory when Julie and I got in a dispute and decided to let Jenny be the arbitrator... It was a Saturday and Julie and I were going to a friend’s daughter’s birthday party in the evening. I took Carson to soccer and had a bunch of errands to run with him. Julie and I agreed to meet at home and go to the party together.
Carson enjoyed soccer and we afterwards, we went to McDonald’s. I grabbed a pair of jeans and a t-shirt and asked him to take his soccer uniform off after lunch. He insisted he wanted to keep his uniform on. Being the parent, I believe it is my role to set the rules and establish boundaries. However, I thought about it as Carson protested. If he took pride in playing soccer and liked wearing his soccer uniform, what was the harm? So we went and got our hair cut together and did the rest of our errands with Carson in his soccer uniform.
When we got home, Julie was a blur of motion. Zoe was almost ready to go and we were running a little bit late. Julie asked me to change Carson out of his soccer uniform. I said no.
“What do you mean, no?”
“I mean I asked him to change earlier and he didn’t want to. I thought about it and decided that he rarely asks to wear anything and that if he likes wearing his soccer uniform, then he should wear his soccer uniform. He really likes soccer and I think that’s cool.”
“We’re not going to this birthday party with him wearing a soccer uniform.”
“Why not?”
“Because... we’re not. It’s not appropriate attire.”
“May I remind you that this is a birthday party for three year olds?”
“Evan, he’s not going in his soccer uniform.”
“I wish I could take you to ‘Marriage Court’.”
Marriage Court was Jerry Seinfeld’s short-lived series about couples who had a dispute and could have it arbitrated in front of an audience. The show sucked, but the premise was great.
Julie paused. “Call Jenny. She is fair and impartial.”
I called Jenny and Jenny sided with me. Julie was flummoxed as she was sure that she was going to win the argument. Although she abided by Jenny’s decision, it led me to the conclusion that to Julie, the definition of fair and impartial means the person agrees with her.
Jenny has been there as Carson learned how to walk, talk, and started going to school. She was there minutes after Zoe was born. To this day, Zoe refers to Jenny as “My Jenny” as in “My Jenny and I went to the aquarium today.”
I will miss you Jenny. You have been far more than a nanny. You are my role model in calmness and patience. My hero when it comes to staying positive. You have been a great friend and member of the family. Please don’t hesitate to Skype us as I am sure the kids will miss you as much as we do. Thank you. Thank you for everything.
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