Are you the nanny?

Me at two weeks old! How can anyone doubt she is my mami?

It happened again.

It had been several months now, and it took me and mami by surprise.

Mami and I were in a store on the high street trying on summer shoes when the girl from the shop looked down at me, smiled and said “oh, he’s a cutie”.

“Thanks very much" I thought and I stopped chewing on the foam bar on the buggy and stared up at mami who was looking at me all gooey eyed like she often does. She was just on the cusp of thanking her, when the girl quickly cut her off and followed the statement with the forbidden question  “are you his nanny?”

“Nooooo!” I thought, "not again!"

“Of course she’s not my nanny, that’s my mami” I screamed out, but I don’t think she quite understood me.

I pointed up at mami who had already lost that twinkle in her eye and then, keeping very calm and collected mami looked  her square in the face, and in a very clear and authoritative voice (a voice I know very well) said:

“Nanny? Nooo. He’s all mine”

Clearly the answer did not suffice, because the girl looked from mami to me and back again as if doubting her.

She then did something that drives mami absolutely mad. In a high pitched faux baby voice (which I find ridiculous and very ineffective by the way) exclaimed at me  “Oh, no? She’s not your nanny then?...Noooo, she’s your mummy, right? Your mummy?!”

I just shook my head and kept pointing at mami who was holding a shoe in her hand. I’m pretty sure she was fighting the urge to throw the shoe at the girls face. Thankfully she didn’t and we were out of there!

See, the first time mami was asked that question we were both absolutely gob smacked. She flinched in disbelief when the older woman at the park asked, “Is he yours?” Mami was so caught off guard that she nervously smiled and said muttered “of course” and walked away.

“How could someone ask such a question? Of course he’s mine!” She would say later at home.

“Unbelievable!” I would hear her tell daddy. “I would never ask anyone that question!”

Being less mobile back then, I just lay on my back, threw my tiny fists in the air and flashed her a gummy smile to let her know that I knew she was my mami!

As the months rolled by we would occasionally come across another person who would ask if I "belonged to her".

“Of course I’m hers!” I’d squeal. I still did not understand why anyone would doubt that she was my mami.

We learned to deal with it and move on. But in all fairness, mami and I had no idea that half of London was full of kids and babies being looked after by nannies. After all, we were new at this!

Mami and I now realise that many of the mamis at the park are in fact nannies, and she too finds herself wondering “mami or nanny?” Although a seemingly innocent question by the person asking, it can hurt many mamis feelings, especially since they dedicate so much time to us! Mami would not want to hurt anyone’s feelings by asking that question, so we just keep it to ourselves.

Even so, when the girl in the store asked her the “forbidden question”, it stirred up old emotions for both of us.

I reminded mami that just as many people have very kindly come up to us to say just how alike we look. That quickly cheered her up and she soon forgot about the “incident”.

How about you mamis out there - have you been asked this question? How did you react? Is it more a city thing? (It has only ever happened to us in London) Tell me about it!