sTEvE gRiffiTh (conT.) Lifeguard, 51
in oThER ciTy jobs, you have to pass a phys-
ical test when you get hired, but then you don’t have to take that same physical test [again]. We have to take the same tests as a brand-new lifeguard; you have to be able to react as you did when you were 18.
WE’RE in pRETTy decent shape, especially
the older guys.
onE of My fiRsT REscuEs, when I was
17 or 18, was this older gentleman. A wave picked him up, he hit the sandbar and broke his neck. I went out there and fished him out. Thank god the guy
made it. It scared the bejeezus out of me. But it’s all part of it. lifEguaRds pRETTy Much always know
what’s going on around them, wherever they go. You have to understand, we’re supposed to look back and forth every 30 seconds; it becomes so habit forming that it carries over into your daily life.
you TRy To do ThE bEsT you can, do what
you were trained to do and hope for the big guy upstairs to push this one through.
you havE To REspEcT the ocean.
Every family needs to ask: Who’s running the household? The parents or the child?
MElaniE Rand WEinbauM
Nanny, 54 Weinbaum was so good at raising her two kids and keeping them on regular schedules that she decided to try her hand caring for other children. That was 20 years ago. The Boca resident, who is part of local nanny agency Heidi’s Helpers (heidishelpers. net), has since cared for children in more than 100 homes. She also has seven years of experience working with special-needs children in the Palm Beach County school system, which enables her to provide specialized at-home care for autistic and disabled kids. a loT of paREnTs don’t know [much about
raising a child] besides reading What to Expect when You’re Expecting. Things in the book are black and white, but there’s always a gray area in real life. I use my knowledge to help parents transition. It’s definitely a team effort.
This is My MaRk in life. ThE fiRsT Thing I look for in a house is
that the outlets are plugged, there are no sharp edges, [and the] cabinets are locked. I’m very aware of safety matters.
i givE ThE childREn TLC, and it makes my
heart so full. I treat them as if they were my own.
iT’s Tough bEing a kid, with all the bullying
and peer pressure and drugs. It’s definitely a lot more challenging raising kids now than when my kids were growing up.
paREnTs havE childREn do activities every
day on top of schoolwork: violin lessons and tennis lessons and Hebrew school and soccer practice. ... I think a lot of these kids are overwhelmed and exhausted. Everything’s a balance.
iT’s sad WhEn I have to leave a family. I re-
ally become attached to every child. It’s not just a 9-to-5 job where you go home and forget about work. It’s constant. I give so much of myself.
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may/june