I'm a nanny for families vacationing in Turks and Caicos. Being at a luxury resort is beautiful, but working with kids can be tricky.

• Maxine Salmon, 51, is a nanny at the Beaches Turks and Caicos resort, a luxury hotel for families.
• Salmon works with the kids of hotel guests like professional athletes, actors, and wealthy business owners.

This as-told-to essay is based on a conversation with Maxine Salmon, a nanny at the Beaches Resort in Turks and Caicos. It has been edited for length and clarity.

Working with kids can be rewarding, but it's also challenging at times. Luckily, I get to work on the gorgeous island of Turks and Caicos.

I began working in the hospitality industry unexpectedly in 2005 at age 35. After a friend invited me to visit Turks and Caicos, I fell in love with the island and the Beaches Turks & Caicos resort. My friend knew a young lady that worked at Beaches who spoke with her superior to get me an interview for the nanny position.

Before working in the hospitality industry, I worked as a security officer in Montego Bay, Jamaica. I used to volunteer my time at an orphanage nearby on my days off, so I had plenty of experience working with children. Also, being adopted and not knowing my birth mother when I was growing up was tough. My childhood is difficult to talk about; I was placed up for adoption when I was just two months old, started working when I was 15, had my first child at 17 and my second at 19 - so I was excited about the opportunity to nurture children as a nanny.

After Beaches hired me, I moved to Turks and Caicos in 2005.

I was 35 with three children and my fourth on the way. It wasn't an easy decision because I'd never lived anywhere but Jamaica. Ultimately I decided to take advantage of the fantastic opportunity and have no regrets. I'm still here and loving it almost 17 years later.

I'm proud to be an employee at one of the best all-inclusive family resorts in the world. Parents with picky eaters don't have to worry because we have over 21 restaurants and dining options. Also, the kids love our on-site 45,000-square-foot water-park, with a 650-foot lazy river, surfing simulator, kids-only swim-up bar, waterfall pool, water cannons, mac and cheese food truck, and nine water-slides.

Most importantly, parents trust us because we're the only resort on the islands with certified nannies from the International Nanny Association (INA). The kids are excited about our exclusive partnership with Sesame Street - we offer daily experiences like baking or puppet-making with Sesame Street characters like Cookie Monster and Oscar the Grouch. For an additional fee, the characters can also host breakfast gatherings, photo shoots, and nighttime tuck-ins.

Many wealthy families come to Beaches to stay at our beachside butler villas because of our exceptional amenities and nanny services.

These villas come with a personal butler for the extent of the family's stay to help with anything from unpacking and ironing your clothing, reserving you the best tables at the restaurants, to processing all your paperwork, including COVID tests. Our butlers are in partnership with the Guild of Professional English Butlers, which provides butlers trained and fit for royalty, celebrities, and heads of state. Private nannies are available for an additional fee. Also, a treat with these villas is that the fridge is packed with drinks, top-shelf liquors, and wines, room service is only available to the butler villas, and plates of surprise treats are delivered every day. Many of the guests here are professional athletes, actors, and wealthy business owners.

A typical day with the kids includes pool time, storytime with Elmo, and learning a letter of the day in the morning. In the afternoon, Cookie Monster comes to play with the children.

Meals are a big part of the day, and wrangling all the kids together can be like herding cats. Many parents are fearful of leaving children with allergies, but we are meticulous about preparing meals. Their nanny monitors these kids closely to make sure they only eat the food on their plates. Fun activities with the entire family include our all-inclusive unlimited water sports - daily certified scuba dives, snorkeling, Paddleboards, hydro-bikes - and nightly entertainment like Sesame Street stage shows, beach party bonfires, and live bands.

One of the unique parts of my job is working with families that have children on the spectrum because separation from their parents can be terrifying. Beaches Turks & Caicos is recognized by IBCCES - the International Board of Credentialing and Continuing Education Standards - as an Advanced Certified Autism Center. We even introduced a Sesame Street character with autism in 2017. Her name is Julia, and she hosts "Amazing Art with Julia," an art activity that celebrates what makes autistic children unique.

Working as a nanny isn't always a smooth ride, though.

Once, we had a boy that was celebrating his fifth birthday with us. He was a huge fan of Elmo and was excited to see him. At Beaches, we have the Caribbean Adventure with Sesame Street, which includes character parades, stage performances, and activities. But when Elmo walked up to say a special hello during the parade, our birthday boy threw a fit. "No, I want the little Elmo, the one on TV," he screamed, furious at the full-sized Elmo in front of him.

His mother had a meltdown and was unable to calm him down. Luckily, the family was staying in one of our butler suites, and their Beaches butler sprung into action. He sprinted through all of the resort gift shops on our 95+-acre property in search of a mini Elmo toy, which is often sold out. Luckily, he found one, and the birthday boy was ecstatic when big Elmo surprised him with mini Elmo later that day.

Another time, a child refused to leave his mother. The mother was about to tear her hair out; she was dying to get some quiet time to herself. I calmed her down and told her to take a short walk. When his mom walked away, he was agitated and screamed so loud, my eardrums practically burst. I finally distracted him with a hunt for seashells on the beach and calmed him down before his mother returned.

She told me that she suspected that he was exhibiting behaviors of being on the spectrum, and was so thankful for a break that she burst into tears right there. Many of the parents who visit our property desperately need some time to themselves, and I'm glad to help with that.

Being a nanny can be tricky sometimes, but it's also one of the most rewarding jobs in the world.