Monday, September 18, 2006 10:00 AM
Angry nanny with two/three year old walking through entrance by the computer store just after 10:00 a.m. BITCHING to the child along the lines of "This is not what I planned to do today. I "aint" no errand runner. What you think she is doing anyway?" The two/three year old very fair boy with a blue collared shirt on grey corduroys on just looked at her. The nanny (or housekeeper?) said nothing. He actually look like he felt bad. Then the nanny continued on with "How the hell am I supposed to know where to park. I'm not no personal shopper". At this point, she realized I was looking at her. (My look was "WTF is wrong with you?". She asked "Where Kids Footlocker at?". Normally I would have ignored someone so rude, but I figured if I didn't assist her, I would only be subjecting this wide eyed child to more of her anti mall tirade. So I walked with her to the directory and pointed out Footlocker on the map. She thanked me with a "yeah, all right" and headed off to buy your son shoes. So here is where I could send in my bad nanny sighting, right? Because the nanny was impatient and rude. When she grabbed the kid's hand, she snatched it up and seemed to drag him more than walk him. I didn't say anything to her. I did smile and say hello to the child in her care who I felt so bad for. Is this a bad nanny problem? Because i find it hard to believe that the parent of this child is not aware of how rude and obnoxious and lazy the nanny is. It seems VERY apparent. My heart breaks for that child. The nanny was wearing a 3/4 sleeve length teal colored top/sweatshirt that had a pocket across the bottom and what I would call green "utility pants". She was a large black woman with a Caribbean Island. She was not fat, per say, just tall with a large build. If you need more information, I will respond back to any comments you post. (If applicable). SD, NJ
this makes me sad.
ReplyDeletemeany meanerson
ReplyDeleteThis post scares me the most. This is what we all fear, isn't it? Emotional abuse is so damaging to children and so prevalent. And nothing is being done! Nothing.
ReplyDeleteWow, I think the commenters are over-reacting. It sounds to me like the nanny had an issue with the parents, and should have dealt with the parents rather than dragging the kid around like that.
ReplyDeleteBut I also think, based on the writing of the author of the piece, that there isn't a little cultural misunderstanding going on, but a lot.
The author emphasized the uneducated speech and thereby bids us to equate the African-American language usage with bad social education as well as bad linguistic education.
That isn't necessarily the case. Put yourself in the shoes of the nanny, who is told to look after the kids. I've been put into situations by former employers that really made me mad in much the same way. Where the parents changed a situation on me without giving me proper instruction as to how they'd like me to deal with it.
As a nanny/babysitter, my job is to watch the kid, not to run around and do errands with him or her, UNLESS previously negotiated. Sounds like this nanny didn't negotiate that into her agreement, and was upset.
It wasn't appropriate of her to be grumpy with the kid, but it doesn't sound like she is directing abuse at the kid, or even like she was being grumpy with him.
I'm sorry but I wouldn't want a nanny with whom I leave my impressionable kids with to speak like that. I don't care how you cut it - it's not proper English and it does show a lack of education, regardless of the race of the speaker. I know equal numbers of white and black people who use words like "Ain't" and ask where things are "at". Don't try to make this into a race issue when the true point here is that this nanny was angry she had to do her job and was taking it out on a child - whom she was clearly dragging around and causing him to feel completely bewildered. Children of a young age often don't have the ability to discern if the person yelling is yelling AT them or not. How do you think he felt when the person holding his hand was screaming and looking at him, even if it wasn't "at" him. How can he know?
ReplyDeleteTake care of your own kids. Dont bitch and spy on the help, they make way less than you. If your so concerned about the welfare of your little tykes make sure the daddy or the mommy is there. If you can't don't have a kid!! It really is that easy, it's called birth control.
ReplyDeleteIf you can afford a nanny then your not that desparate and I really think that you need a reality check
Regarding the above comment:
ReplyDelete"Take care of your own kids" is an ignorant comment. Who is this post directed to? Are you suggesting the person who submitted the story should make certain that the "daddy or mommy is there"? Who should not have a kid? Birth control prevents nannies? Anyone not desperate needs a reality check? Were you smoking crack when you wrote this? Because none of it makes sense? Who are you, strange person?
This is for the person who said that the commenters were overreacting. I think that this person sounds rude. She sounds gruff and she sounds like she was punishing the child because she didn't run an errand. I don't care if she was rude to the person she asked for directions to the Foot Locker and I don't care if she goes home and steals silverware from her employer's china cabinet, leave the helpless child out of it!
ReplyDeleteWhat kind of person bitches to a three year old? About the child's mother? And I don't care how big a b%tch she is, you just don't do that!
To anonymous at 12:03.
ReplyDeleteThis story is all too commonplace. The wife and husband work so they can have a 6000 sq ft home with a BMW and a Lexus. They have children but don't parent. Children don't need nannies, X Box, or whatwvwe is the rage today. What they need is quality time in quantity! When my son (Ben) was ten years old a friend of mine was going to have his first child. He looked at Ben and asked him "what does it take to be a good parent?" Ben thought for a minute and siad "Show up."