Nearly every job in the District has been upended by the coronavirus pandemic. Some people are working from their homes instead of going into an office; others have taken pay cuts or lost their jobs entirely. But there are plenty of people who are still doing their work in person, even as the world has changed dramatically. This series features the voices of the “still at workers,” telling us what their lives are like right now and what they wish other people knew about being an essential worker during a pandemic

A former preschool teacher, 38-year-old Tamara Barnes is a nanny on Capitol Hill. But everyone just calls her Teatea. “It’s easier that way when the kids are learning your name,” she says with a chuckle.

Barnes lives in Prince George’s County, where she grew up, with her boyfriend and her 13-year-old son. She started nannying about six years ago, when she realized the job would pay more than being a public school teacher.

These days, Barnes works for two families as part of a nanny share: Both children stay in one house during the day, where she cares for them. The two children are just over a year old, and she’s been with them since “they were literally out of the womb.”

This interview has been edited for length and clarity.

What is your typical day like? 

A typical day for me is pretty much the same as before. I still get up at 5 a.m and walk to the bus stop. It arrives at 6:34 a.m. exactly. That takes me to Capital Heights Station. I then have a 35-minute train ride and another 20-minute walk from the station. The trains are fine, but the buses are overpacked and social distancing is not really happening. It’s super scary. My son is always asking if I have my mask.

I’m normally walking into the family’s house right at 7:30 a.m. We start with breakfast. Then, diapering at 9:30. We go outside at 10:30. We do snacks at 11, which is normally crackers and juice. We go straight into lunch at about 12:30. More diapering and, by 1:30, they are going down for a nap. I let them sleep for no more than two and a half hours. That gets us to 3:30, 4 and we are doing more diapering. We’ll have a snack and possibly go outside again.

Now, though, I do have to call home to check on my 13-year-old son to make sure he’s gotten up, doing his distance learning, and isn’t eating just Cheetos and Mountain Dew.

What kind of safety measures or PPE are you using to do your job? How are you staying safe?

I have my own face mask and gloves for taking public transportation. Once I get to their house, there’s a lot of hand washing and sanitizing going on. Before going to the kids, I go to the bathroom to take off my jacket, mask, and gloves, and wash off.

I’m not required to wear a face mask inside their home. We don’t go out anywhere besides the backyard. While both parents are working from home, no one is coming over beside the other family who’s dropping off their child.

What are your interactions like with the parents? 

The family whose house I’m in work from home, but they stay out of the way completely. The family that brings their kid in, they are actually both first responders. We’ve chatted about it, but it’s a worry. They are very cautious, of course.

My son was scared initially about me being exposed, he was really worried. But now he’s gotten used to it.

How has your family been affected by your work?

They depend on me completely and for everything. My boyfriend also lives with us. I’m trying to be supportive of him and his emotions. He’s a barber and his shop is closed. I know both him and my son want to go out and do things. But I’m the only one who is.

I have a grandmother who is almost 85 and I haven’t seen her in person since February, even though she literally lives five minutes down the road. She’s worried about me and misses us. She’s really sad.

Are there ways that people can make your life/job easier? 

When we are able to get out more, one way people can make my job easier is to not get upset with me when I get on the train with a stroller. You would be so surprised how many people on public transportation are so shocked to see you get on the train with a stroller. It’s a city. That’s how we get to everything! So please be nice.

When things start to have some normalcy again, what is the one thing about the job now you hope will change?

I hope I can take the kids out again. That’s my jam. I love D.C. as a playground for nannying and daycare. There are so many hidden gems in the city. I take full advantage of Washington D.C. and all it has to offer.

The first place I’ll take them is the American Indian Museum. They have an awesome children’s wing. Interactive everything. Everything they can touch. It’s fully immersive.

What do you want people to know about your job?

That nannying is more than a career. It’s a lifestyle. You completely have to tailor your own life around the families that you work for. It’s a very intimate environment and you learn their ins and outs. Not just the children, but the parents as well.

You are an unwritten relative to them. You’re like the glue that can help hold things together and almost like a third parent.

Previous Still at Workers:

A Sanitation Worker Says She Will Be There ‘Rain, Sleet, Or Snow’
A Janitor Hopes People Will ‘See The Sacrifice That We Custodians Are Making’
A Security Guard At D.C. Police Headquarters Says ‘We’re Like Human Body Shields’