Who is Nannypalooza?
Hi there! My name is Sue Downey and I am a nanny. It seems as though I have been taking care of children since I was a child myself! I started babysitting when I was in 5th grade. I have been a professional nanny for more than 20 years now with a wide variety of families. I started as a live out nanny in Cincinnati, Ohio and later moved to the Philadelphia area to be a live in nanny.
I went to college, thinking I wanted to be a teacher. I bounced around many different areas of study including special education, elementary education and secondary education. None felt exactly right to me. Through a serious of happy accidents I became a nanny. This was a great fit for me.
In 2005, I co-founded Nannypalooza, a 2 day conference for nannies and nanny related businesses. Nannypalooza was founded on the principle that high quality training can be offered in a fun and affordable setting. We held the conference in October for 4 years and then in 2010, sponsored Nannies Across America, a one day NATIONAL training event. More than 500 nannies participated in local events held in more than 15 cities across the US. We continue to offer a national event each year in the Fall as well as being the organizer for National Nanny Training Day- a grassroots event in the Spring.
My passion really is helping nannies to continue their own path through our profession. I strongly believe that caring for children is a job for which we must constantly study. There is always more to learn, discover and share. I believe we, as an industry, must hold ourselves to a higher standard and that the way to do this is to invest in each other.
I believe that we must be inclusive, generous and enthusiastic within the nanny community. By reaching out to other nannies, we raise the bar on nanny care.
I created nannypalooza.com to help to unite nannies and empower them, no matter if they are a nanny for a year or for a lifetime, to never stop learning. My dream is that we will lift each other up, strive for excellence and create a profession that is so strong that ALL children with nanny care get the best.
The next chapter of Nannypalooza is the Australian conference. In 2012, at an International Nanny Association Conference I met the lovely and wonderful Louise Dunham of Placement Solutions, Inc. We shared a wonderful meal and I instantly knew that we would be friends. She had the same kind of belief as I did in nannies and in training. She approached me a few years later with a crazy idea- could we do Nannypalooza half a world away? YES we can! And we are!! It is no small feat to plan something when it is not only across an ocean, but with the time difference, it is another day away! But the great team at Placement Solutions has been great and I am so excited to share the spirit of Nannypalooza with all the nannies down under. July 2016 can not come soon enough!! And I can't wait to meet all of you!
Sue
Hi there! My name is Sue Downey and I am a nanny. It seems as though I have been taking care of children since I was a child myself! I started babysitting when I was in 5th grade. I have been a professional nanny for more than 20 years now with a wide variety of families. I started as a live out nanny in Cincinnati, Ohio and later moved to the Philadelphia area to be a live in nanny.
I went to college, thinking I wanted to be a teacher. I bounced around many different areas of study including special education, elementary education and secondary education. None felt exactly right to me. Through a serious of happy accidents I became a nanny. This was a great fit for me.
In 2005, I co-founded Nannypalooza, a 2 day conference for nannies and nanny related businesses. Nannypalooza was founded on the principle that high quality training can be offered in a fun and affordable setting. We held the conference in October for 4 years and then in 2010, sponsored Nannies Across America, a one day NATIONAL training event. More than 500 nannies participated in local events held in more than 15 cities across the US. We continue to offer a national event each year in the Fall as well as being the organizer for National Nanny Training Day- a grassroots event in the Spring.
My passion really is helping nannies to continue their own path through our profession. I strongly believe that caring for children is a job for which we must constantly study. There is always more to learn, discover and share. I believe we, as an industry, must hold ourselves to a higher standard and that the way to do this is to invest in each other.
I believe that we must be inclusive, generous and enthusiastic within the nanny community. By reaching out to other nannies, we raise the bar on nanny care.
I created nannypalooza.com to help to unite nannies and empower them, no matter if they are a nanny for a year or for a lifetime, to never stop learning. My dream is that we will lift each other up, strive for excellence and create a profession that is so strong that ALL children with nanny care get the best.
The next chapter of Nannypalooza is the Australian conference. In 2012, at an International Nanny Association Conference I met the lovely and wonderful Louise Dunham of Placement Solutions, Inc. We shared a wonderful meal and I instantly knew that we would be friends. She had the same kind of belief as I did in nannies and in training. She approached me a few years later with a crazy idea- could we do Nannypalooza half a world away? YES we can! And we are!! It is no small feat to plan something when it is not only across an ocean, but with the time difference, it is another day away! But the great team at Placement Solutions has been great and I am so excited to share the spirit of Nannypalooza with all the nannies down under. July 2016 can not come soon enough!! And I can't wait to meet all of you!
Sue