Received Monday, February 12, 2007
I witnessed a very young au pair, attractive, possibly French yelling at a young girl {under 10} with a long blonde braid in her hair on the corner of 71st & Columbus in NYC. The girl was begging the sitter or au pair to let her call her mother. I don't know enough to know what was going on but the child was out of control. I don't think the situation was made any better by the au pair screaming at the child. The child begged for the sitter or au pair to let her use the phone to call her mother. The sitter/au pair said no. Not in a way that showed she had control over the situation at all. More like she enjoyed saying no. The girl then said, "I will find a phone then" and started running down columbus street, south and past 71st Street. This was the same direction I was walking in. The au pair/sitter did give chase to the child {very short distance-perhaps 40 yards} and grabbed the girl by the hood of her jacket {very vibrant pink color with pink fur looking trim}. The sitter/au pair started in yelling at the child again. I stopped and asked if everything was okay and I was assured that everything was fine. For all I know, the child was having a meltdown. I do think there is a better way to deal with this kind of behavior than to meltdown yourself. Especially running through NYC at 6PM in the evening. The girl was carrying a lavendar and black duffel that had white trim and a white silhouette of a gymnast. This doesn't make this sitter/au pair a bad person but she needs to keep her composure when dealing with a child. No name, please.
what can i say to this? it happens. if the au pair is a good one, she will go home and tell the parents about the problem she had with the child. sometimes au pairs are dumped on the job and just expected to know things. you don't know her situation. it was worth referencing.
ReplyDeleteI commend you for stopping and asking if there was anything you could do. I am shocked at how many times on here people post that they just stand by and watch things happen without saying a word.
ReplyDeleteNow if the family had hired an educated nanny instead of a too-young and inexperienced au pair, this situation would have been handled better or not have escalated to the screaming point at all. You get what you pay for. In this case you get your little girl screaming down Columbus Ave. followed by the screaming child care provider.
ReplyDeleteI'm so glad there's a ''i saw your nanny'' site rather than a ''i saw your mother''. Because you know, nanny's are the only ones who ever yell, or lose their temper. Please. I know mom's get more mad than that, and say no to their kids too.
ReplyDeleteI bet you anything this post was made from a woman who does not have children. Sometimes they take tantrums and it takes all your strength just to deal with them. would it be such a big deal if it was the parents who was with the child and not an aupair? you don't know the circumstances. There been times where I have been in a galleria or a crowed place and my child has decided to throw herself on the floor and scream, there have been times where I have had to throw her over my shoulder and haul ass out of where we were meanwhile while having a bunch of strangers stare at me. IT HAPPENS.
ReplyDeleteI would have no problem judging the parents inability just as I would judge the au pair. Inability to deal with ordinary circumstance is pathetic.
ReplyDeleteKids do throw tantrums...that is an unavoidable fact! I too have dragged my child out of a mall or store kicking and screaming because they didn't follow the rules. Honestly, I would expect my nanny to also carry them out if they were behaving that way.
ReplyDeleteIts so easy to judge inability when you are not the one dealing with the situation. People without kids love to criticize parenting techniques, but to be in someone's shoes when you are trying to reason with an unreasonable child, to be civil with an uncivilized individual. It's a very difficult situation. Children do no come into the world with a training manual, or a reference booklet. We as parents can read, ask, and seek information, but the fact of the Matter is... There is no one way. No perfect way to rear a child.
ReplyDeletetruth is perfect.
ReplyDeletemake a mistake and lose it, own up to it. explain why you lost it. be a role model. strive to do better. teach by example. (there really is no other way)
We are made kind by being kind.
Dear OP..This was her older sister !! Get your facts straight next time!! Stop picking on nannies and au pairs!!
ReplyDeleteDear 8.47,
ReplyDeleteMmm...really? You see it amazes me how fast some people are in acusing the OPs.
847
ReplyDeletehow do you know that?
She doesn't know it.
ReplyDelete847 doesn't know squat.
You get what you pay for!!!!!!
ReplyDelete