To read part II of this Feature, please click here.
1) I have bad jobs. And this was not that. It was just kind of sad. I had worked for a family for three years. We went on vacations together. I lived in an apartment over their garage. They treated me absolutely like a part of the family and they were really nice people raising great children. Just after I had been there three years, the wife started having an affair with “someone”. I knew about it because the wife who was my friend involved me in it. She made me part of it. She put me in a position where I lied to her husband who I considered a friend. I was closer to the mother because she was a stay at home mother but I felt sick all of the time. Sometimes the husband would be talking to me about a child’s baseball game and I would just feel that he could see it in my eyes. I didn’t want to be there when the husband found out and the children. I just feared they would all fall apart and be ruined by this. The stress was getting to me. I ended up making up a lie about a sick relative and needing to relocate and left. I kept in contact with them by sending emails for about 3 months, but it was too much to even wonder how the children were fairing (as the mother let some things through). She clearly had fallen for the guy she had an affair with. I had to cut ties with them so I could live without the guilt.
2) I worked for a family of 5 kids (twins and triplets). The job started out good, I was hired by an agency and there was suppose to be a contract with the family (never happened). I did normal nanny things like laundry, care of kids...but as time went on (I stayed with them for 4 years) they began to take advantage of the situation. I started taking care of their two dogs(1 being a new puppy), cooking, I did not have set hours-I pretty much worked 60+ hours a week, mopped and vacuumed. Sometimes I was so busy with the list of things she left me to do, that the kids would ask me to play and I couldn't because I had to get these things done. Not to mention that I got paid horribly (400/wk). In all fairness though I was a live-in and I do understand that live-ins sometimes has to go above and beyond what they should do. I did bring the fact that I was working very hard to my boss’s attention several times and her response was amongst other things "we don't think that we are asking too much from you". I have since moved on to another position (this was one of the hardest things I have ever had to do because I loved and still love the kids so much!!!) Parents please be aware that nannies are NOT housekeepers! Nannies are supposed to be taking care of the children and doing housekeeping that pertains to the children only! Also keep in mind that we are people too and sometimes need a break...just like you!
3) Worst job I ever had was taking a job for a recently widowed woman and her two children. If it sounds sad, you have no idea. The woman held it together okay as did the older boy but the youngest boy was not doing at all okay. He was acting out. Even violently. I had a lot of empathy for the whole situation and family. I left after the 7 year old child through a corning ware casserole dish (ceramic) at my head and knocked me out cold. I had to go to the hospital. The good news is they got him the help he needed after that. I always wonder how they are doing and I know I could find out if I tried, I would just be afraid to learn that they weren’t all okay.
i am kind of surprised that so many "worst nanny jobs" had to do with witnessing sadness in a family. I don't know what I thought it would be, but I am kind of surprised. I guess nannies aren't as awful as I thought!
ReplyDeleteeven tho you numb'd them.... i still just dont know where to start. to much dysfunction.
ReplyDeletethis belongs in a book!
ReplyDeleteWhat kind of favors were you doing for the husband???
ReplyDelete(this is for #9)
Happy Valentine's Day
ReplyDeleteThis is for all the people out there who judge us nannies. I have been a nanny for the past 18 years and have made and kept some extraordinary relationships with the families I worked for. Being a nanny is a job that I have and will always adore, because kids are such a joy to be around and they teach u so much.
ReplyDeleteI read post on this site about what the "outsider" sees and judges us nannies as being "bad" for it. My present job is a perfect example for this. Those of us living in U.S.A is aware of the weather that we've been having, (cold to extremely cold). Well it was during last week when I went to pick up the second child I take care of from school, and walk back to his parents home, with his 7 mth old sister in the stroller. And as I was walking both to and fro, 2 different people stopped me to ask me "are the parents of these kids are aware that I have them out in such cold weather?" and "what type of nanny are you for taking kids out in these freezing temperatures?" My response to them was "here is the parents number feel free to call them and ask!"
There is so much more to what things look like, so people stop judging until you have all the facts!!!!
And there should also be a site to show what type of parents there are out there, not every nanny job is an enjoyable experience, my present one is proof of this, and as I have said to the parents "this is the first time I have been in a home and experienced such lack of respect for the person who takes care of your children.
Parent say they love their kids, well here is an update for you parents.....LOVE DOES NOT END WITH YOUR KIDS!!!! IT INVOLVES THE PEOPLE WHO THEY ENGAGE WITH ON A DAILY ABASIS TOO!!! (and this is not to say we want you to love us, JUST RESPECT!!) and then we judge why some nannies retaliate.......DON'T JUDGE ANOTHER MAN UNTIL YOU'VE WALKED IN HIS MOCCASINS!!!!
I am wondering what the favors were as well. I mean, I have an idea of course. I would like to help #9 deal with the feelings by having her confront it, and just say what it was. You'll feel a lot better. Was it an occasional hummer? Pics or videos? Something bigger than that?
ReplyDeleteI don't think you should print just the top 10. I would like to read them all. TIA
ReplyDeleteCGD, who said "I guess nannies aren't as awful as I thought."
ReplyDeleteAs a dedicated nanny who loves her job, I find this type of snide comment about nannies as a group very hurtful. How would you like to be judged as a parent and employer based on the stories about the employers in these posts? There are wonderful nannies, and parents, and there are bad nannies and horrible parents.
Anyone who thinks nannies are awful most definitely does not know how to hire a nanny. Or perhaps it's just envy. I'd rather leave my children with an average nanny than an average daycare anyday of the week!
ReplyDeleteAnna Nicole's battle to share in her late husband's estate may be the litigation that most defines her legacy, but it's far from her only foray into the judicial system. She was once sued, for example, by a nanny who claimed that Anna Nicole sexually harassed her. The nanny won an $850,000 default judgment based on Anna Nicole's failure to comply with applicable rules of evidence.
ReplyDeleteI must say that i am shocked by what i have just read.I,myself,have been an Au Pair for 6 months,and it took me 3 months to forget all the unpleasant things that have happened to me during this period.I also loved the kids so much(and I still do),which was the reason I didn`t want to work for another family.The mother was a control freak,and I think she had some other mental issues as well.She used to yell at me for no reason(I think she just enjoys it,since she yells all day at her husband and her poor kids).Eventually,I got tired of all the yelling,since i was a live-in,so I decided to go back home.Apart from this,she made me do so much housework(cleaning the kids` bathroom,cleaning their two rooms,vacuuming the whole house,doing the dishes and vaccuming the kitchen on a daily babis,walking and feeding the dog,going grocery-shopping,various errands,folding kids` clothes...).Firthermore,they often left me without the car during the weekends,so I was stuck in the house all day long,unless some of my friends came to pick me up.She complained about my drinking too much juice!!!I have to mention that for all this work(they had 3 kids,hyperactive and disobedient)I was paid 140$ a week(that`s how much all the Au Pairs are paid for working 45 hours a week).I realized that one out of ten host families are normal and good people.Others were worse cases than my own host family...
ReplyDeleteWell Au pair stories don't really count. I mean you gals sign up to work for a family and travel 5000 miles away to live with a family you have never met before. They agree in advance to pay you crap but you are supposed to be treated like a member of the family. A long time ago, when we had nannnies, one of the nannies friends was an au pair in Bedford Hills. Part of her job was to clean out the horse stalls. I kid you not. They treated her so bad because she didn't have any recourse. She left the program illegally and worked for a friend of a friends for six months before going home.
ReplyDeleteI am guessing most of the submissions you received had to do with "I have so much housework to do". Thank you for not printing those! No self respecting nanny takes a job that includes housework!
ReplyDeleter-what do you mean no self respecting nanny takes a job that includes housework!. wtfreak. I have been a professional nanny for 5 years, have taught in preschools, am working toward my bachelors in elementary ed with my masters in Special ed. And yet, for some darn reason I am not a self respecting nanny because I happen to do some minor housework. I quess the pay I receive, the admiration from my bosses, the respect I have gained in a neighborhood of sahm, doesn't count for anything. shrug, oh well, I quess I'll continue to be an average nanny while working fulltime+, going to school full time, and run 2 nanny groups. Don't presume to say that nannies do not do housework, while some don't, others do and dont care about doing it. I quess thats like saying, no self respecting mother would hire a housekeeper to clean her house and should do it herself.
ReplyDeleteYeeooooooooooow
ReplyDeletefor the nanny who got cold-cocked by the corningware. Nannies seem to go through a lot in some positions. I guess it takes a physically and mentally tough person to survive!
I hope you are doing ok.
I work in finance in Boston. I don't have a nanny. I don't even have children. I'm not even sure I've ever known a nanny but I am looking forward to part 2
ReplyDeleteyes, this is very intriguing, isn't it? Also, very telling.
ReplyDeleteI think there should be a part three and four. PARENTS horror stories about their NANNIES! Now that could be intersting!!
ReplyDelete530,
ReplyDeleteyes it could be interesting and in fact is. the only thing is this blog posts bad nanny stories and bad nanny sightings everyday. as soon as they receive them. so why are you getting bent out of shape that the nanny's were allowed to share some of their stories?
By the way, you know what else might be interesting? A phonics class. For you. Idiot.
Yes, I would love to read those stories from employers. My nanny told me one of her friends was fired for, and I kid you not- consuming too much food. The girl was all of 5'1 and 100 lbs but apparently, they were really put out by the fact that their live in nanny whose job included room and board-actually ate three meals a day. The horror.
ReplyDeleteI think this is the first time 5:30 has been here.
ReplyDeleteOh I think 5:30 is here all the time. She is the one who is always making nasty generalizations about nannies.
ReplyDeleteYou're so right about 5:30. Someone is very, very defensive.
ReplyDeleteTo the nanny who got hit with the corningware, I would totally take them to court.
ReplyDeleteYou could make out really good.
to the anonymous pimp at 939,
ReplyDeletethis nanny doesnt sound like some scuzz bucket looking to make a dime. she sounded like she actually cared about the child and appreciated his tremendous grief.
530-
ReplyDeleteAss of the Day
#9 made me physically ill. Particularly because I know she's not the only nanny out there who has been put in that position.
ReplyDeleteto the nanny who had to deal with the newly formed family where the father ignored the mother's natural born children, this reminds me of real housewives of orange county. her troubled boy went out to lunch with her and was practically begging to be allowed to live with them and be a part of their family.
ReplyDelete945, WTF are you talking about?
ReplyDeleteI think that Orange County Wives is a TV show, a reality type
ReplyDeleteWow, WTF!! I am talking about personal stories that a family experiences with THEIR bad nannies!! Stuff that they would not need to post HERE, because obviously, this is a place to post OTHER people's nannies!! CHILL! You had your chance to vent some steam, give the mom's a chance!! How many moms that post here have caught their nanny stealing, but didn't post about it? Oh had a nanny HIT ON THEIR HUSBAND? Or anything else that would make other mom's think, "Thank goodness that wasn't me!!" I would personally find it as interesting as the post left by the nannies on bad employer behavior! Sheesh!
ReplyDeleteAnd NO, I do not come on this site and bash nannies! The nanny I employ is exceptional. I think you have me confused with the "I am holier than thou because I stay home and raise my babies and hand knit their clothes!!" So no, not me.
RSS, girl, you need to chill. It's not nice to call someone an idiot. So I type fast and don't spell check, oh well!!! You tell me to take a phonics class? How about you go take a class on manners, honey.
People who say "honey" are not the class or caliber of people that hire and maintain nannies.
ReplyDelete"Honey" is meant to be an insult, in case you missed my point.
ReplyDeleteI guess that one slipped under my foot (as opposed to over my head).
ReplyDeleteCiao.
Oh great, here comes the class detective! Watch out what you say or type, your class will show thru! And there is no way you can afford a nanny if you don't speak the right way! Bull. Why do you always have to bring up class? Personally, I believe the ones who shout out about it the most have the least. A person with class would never look down their nose at another person, but be gratful for their advantages.
ReplyDeleteI somewhat agree with you but Sugar or Honey should not be in your vernacular. Not even facetiously. It's just gauche.
ReplyDeleteYawn..g'nite. Y'all go let your hair down, or sumpin, 'k?
ReplyDeleteI took care of a 4yr old that punched me in my face while sitting on his time out chair that mom puy him on. I went in to calm him down and the next thing i got hit. I was speechless, left the room and got an ice pack for my face. I was shocked that a kid his age could hit so hard.
ReplyDeleteAll he was told was to say his sorry..... no speech from the useless "parents". Thats how they solve everything. So my responce was thank you but im not ready to forgive you. I wanted him to learn and understand forgiveness, sincerely. And then talk to him the next morning about the feelings that come from acting out your anger(fear, guilt etc) instead of verbalising it. The undevoted father was furious at me. So was the wife. My point was do you want to teach him how things really work or do you want to have him kicked out of school too next year just like he was almost kicked out of gym class for continous bullying and hitting? Because saying sorry doesnt cut it when its said 10 times a day and your just doing it again. God they were such pathetic snoots. Your children are screwed for life having them as parents. Oh and can you even call them parents when mom is a stay at home wife though never at home. Might i add, your kids call out for me at night maybe coz i get them an d put them to bed 6 days a week (80h). Oh and thanks for giving me crap about taking dec holiday(10 days) as we discussed prior to me taking the position. And for beign nasty to me for giving you 6 weeks dated end of year notice even when i only agreed per contract to commit one year(due to my husbands definiate job move). Maybe thats why you've had 7 nannies since june.....
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