Wednesday

Union Square Toddler Playground in NYC

Received Wednesday, March 27, 2008
If you read this post and know someone who will address this issue, please get them involved. I see this all of the time. Nannies who fall asleep while their children are playing in the park. In NYC. This latest incident happened yesterday (Tue), the nanny was literally sleeping on the job. Especially bad since this was in the middle of Union Square. It was about 12:- 12:30pm in the toddler playground yesterday. The nanny was 50ish, wearing a yellow polo shirt and denim capris. African-American, very short hair. Her charge was a boy just around 2 y/o, white, medium length brownish hair, wearing a striped blue shirt and jeans. Maclaren stroller. Where is the Dateline Special on THIS? If my husband fell asleep at his job, he would be fired on the spot and the only thing dependant on him are numbers and reports!

33 comments:

  1. How scary, I am a nanny and I can't imagine doing this ever. Someone should have woken her up and asked her if she was indeed watching the 2 year old and told her she should pay better attention to him. I know some people don't like to get involved but sometimes you have to do what's best for a child.

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  2. OMG! I feel bad if I take a nap while the baby takes a nap at the house (I was told by the parents to feel free to nap since I was so exhausted from caring for my husband who was very sick at the time).

    Sure, we all get tired, but in the middle of a playground full of running and screaming toddlers?!? That is beyond my understanding. Almost tempting to pull out a sharpie marker and write on the nanny's forehead "I FELL ASLEEP AT THE PLAYGROUND WHEN I WAS SUPPOSED TO BE WATCHING YOUR CHILD. PLEASE FIRE ME".

    Someone definitely should have woken this woman up - atleast through a ball at her if you can't bring yourself to shaking her awake

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  3. i love the throwing a ball at her idea!

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  4. This lady could not been feeling well and some one should have check to see if she is ok, if then the nanny said she was ok,the person should then tell her she needs to pay attention to the child and stop sleeping .
    This is crazy,these things makes us nannies look bad.

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  5. I live in Brooklyn and I see this too-nannies asleep in the playground. Call the cops on them next time!

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  6. After reading this site, I would NEVER hire a nanny in NYC. Never. I can't believe these are the nannies caring for some of the richest children in America - it boggles the mind!! I live in California. I'm a SAHM but I see and interact with nannies all the time. I have NEVER, repeate NEVER seen an incident of neglect, abuse, or sleeping on the job. I don't get what the deal is with NYC nannies. I guess if I lived there and felt I had to hire a nanny, I'd import one from California!!

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  7. What kind of nanny sleeps in the park? The kind that is overworked and underpaid, since we all are! These "concerned mothers" want us to work 10,11, and 12 hour days for crap pay! FYI Lincoln freed the slaves! For all you concerned Moms, if your so worried about your kids, why don't you stay home and take of them yourselves! What kind of a mother pays another woman to raise their children for them? And you all think you deserve mother of the year awards...gimme a break! The next time you see your nanny you should be licking her toes with gratitude, because without her you would all be stuck home with your own brats!

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  8. Crazy Nanny,
    what are you doing on this board?
    I have worked for some crappy employers before but the bulk have been super. And the children are always innocent- proudcts of their environment. I hope you get locked up real soon. It scares me to think you are roaming the street.
    These nannies accept a job at a certain amount of pay and are supposed to the job as directed. They get their pay, so why should they belittle or abuse their children? Or sleep in the park?

    You are definitely one scary chick. I hope your employers do seriously comprehensive background checks on you because I smell felonies.

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  9. 12:00pm-get real already! Now every mom should stay home and take care of her own kids? Why don't the nannies stay awake? give me a break! I know a lot of the nannies here in Brooklyn are NOT working 10, 11,12 hour days-I see them going home at normal times. The nannies who are sleeping are the same ones who never get off their behinds to do anything with their kids. The same ones I never see hug or even pick up their child. the kid is in the stroller all day or just running wild while nanny is sitting on her behind is yelling the child's name out. Get up and get the kid!

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  10. 12:00 is a scary deviant, a known felon and someone who should never be within 250 feet of children.

    Just my gut feeling.

    Best to ignore her/it.

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  11. Kiss Ass Nanny...
    If you would pull your face out of your employers ass long enough, you would then know that not all families are super! What am I doing on this board? Talking for all those nannies who are overworked underpaid and not appreciated, because the majority are just that! Wake up and smell the roses, sweetheart!

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  12. I don't think it is kiss ass for someone to make a real comment about having worked for both great and not so great employers.

    1232, I don't think you're doing any nanny any good here. You are crude, crass and ignorant. I don't know a nanny in NY that makes less than 12 an hour. Most don't even pay taxes. So if they want to work a shorter day, the am shift at Burger King is always looking for help. 5-1 and the rest of your day is free.

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  13. I doubt 12:00 was written by a real nanny, unless it's one of these bench-sitter morons being referred to in the post. @@

    Nope, just a troll.

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  14. A troll, a trouble maker, a rebel rouser... or maybe the stalker?

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  15. Get Real...Why can't moms stay home and take care of their kids? They had them so why can't they raise them? I am speaking specifically to those moms who have kids and then hire nannies to take care of them while they shop, take yoga and pilates and get their nails done! You know exactly what Im talking about...the women who can afford to hire nannies are the same women who can afford to stay home with their children...so why don't they? Because it is more important for them to have a social life then it is for them to be with their kids! Why doesn't someone start a blog about that? Here's the title "Rich Women Who Have Kids and Pay Other People to Raise Them!"

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  16. Idiot,
    If all the rich women sahms decided to fire their nannies and raise their own children, the country would be thrown in to a recession. Mutant nannies would roam the streets. Their would be chaos, bedlem and not just a little bit o anarchy.

    If these nannies didn't have jobs working for these rich women, where would they be? I'll tell you where. In a straw hut making chutney in a gourd or offering special favors to the night manager at taco bell for the privilege of getting FULL TIME hours.

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  17. Not every nannie is an undocumented person...not to mention that a lot of these women end up leaving to go back to their hut because their happier there, then they were here taking care of crazy rich white women and their children! 1250, they don't have to work at Taco Bell...didn't you hear the am shift at Burger King is hiring!

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  18. Not every nannie is an undocumented person...not to mention that a lot of these women end up leaving to go back to their hut because their happier there, then they were here taking care of crazy rich white women and their children! 1250, they don't have to work at Taco Bell...didn't you hear the am shift at Burger King is hiring!

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  19. Dear Heather...sounds to me like you are a nanny, by the way where are your charges while you are sitting on your ass blogging on the computer? Let me guess, napping? Likely story!

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  20. 104,
    in addition to everything. you are a duplicitous H A C K.

    Get help.
    Get help now.
    We want you to get help. (PSYCHO)

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  21. I love the idea of throwing a ball at the nanny sleeping...go one step further...throw a big rock at her face so she can explain the bruise to her employer

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  22. 11:32 In Calif. Not all nannies in NY work for wealthy families. Many of the bad nannies here work for middle class families who can't afford a real nanny, and so hire poorly qualified women, essentially cleaning women who babysit, They work long hours for a very low salary, and hate their jobs, but can't get anything better. Professional nannies choose to be nannies because they love working with children.
    You may get the impression that there are no bad nannies in Calif. because it is a car and private house culture, so you don't see them caring for the children in public places as much, but they are there.

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  23. Wow, to the hellcat posting here. Rude much? I am a SAHM with a part time nanny. I take a huge offense to your posts. You sound bitter. Maybe jealous. I don't know, but it would be our pleasure if you just go away.

    Your intelegence level doesn't seem that great, either, by the way. If you are a bitter nanny, and mommies out there took your advice and stayed home, you wouldn't have a job. You DO understand that, don't you honey?

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  24. I am a nanny and I agree someone should have checked on the woman to see if she was OK. If she were diabetic she could have gone into diabetic shock. (It happened to my charges last nanny, the insulin pump malfunctioned and she passed out on the couch. When the parents came home one of the children said the nanny was asleep for a long time! If the woman was fine at least she would have been woken up and now would be aware that people noticed she was sleeping on the job without being scolded outright.

    As far as NYers hiring illegal nannies it happens more often than it should. My generous employer was scoffed at for paying way to much for childcare when there are "plenty of wetbacks willing to sit for your kids for a daily meal and 200.00 per week" That is a direct quote from my employers co-worker. To anyone out there paying less than minimum wage for childcare....you get what you pay for!!!! Never look for bargains on brake work, parachutes, bypass surgery or childcare! :D

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  25. This is a scary situation! A two year old cannot possible keep themselves out of danger. I do agree that the OP should have made sure the nanny was ok, and made aware the toddler was wandering alone.

    Last summer, my two year old kept wandering off whenever I would talk to the other two moms we were there with. Every other minute I would have to start running after him if he wandered more than 10feet away from us. (and yes, we were playing, not sitting on the bench) ONCE, I became engrossed in a conversation for about 2 min. without looking up, and when I did, no child!! Normally, at this park, it would not have been an issue, but on this day, there was a group from a local daycare. OMG, did I freak. After looking for like 45 sec, I grabbed the other mom's and we all went around the playground in seperate directions. It only took another half a minute to locate him, but was it a lesson to me! The possibilities of what COULD have happened still haunt my dreams, and I still think about it when we are out. He could have been abducted, he could have wandered over to the stream, he could have wandered over to the parking lot!!

    I will never take my eyes off my son again. If we go to the park with others, he is my main concern, and I save the gossip for when I can lunch with the ladies.

    PLEASE, OP, if you go to this park again, and see the same nanny, talk to her. It only takes an instant for something bad to happen, and while some, like me, only have a close call, there are too many times the worst can, and will, happen.

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  26. Most nannies are in transition..for instance, I am in school to be an elementary school teacher. If moms did decide to stay home and raise their own children, no doubt I could find something better than a fast food joint! How offensive that you people think that most nannies are unqualified or illegal!

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  27. If they can fall asleep at the park in the fresh air and sunshine, can you imagine these Rip Van Winkles in the confines of a cozy home? This isn't good!

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  28. To the heartless morans who think it's okay to throw a ball at someone to wake them up: It's people like you who make this site look bad. How many times do I have to say it? If someone is asleep, kindly, wake them up! Or don't do anything at all. Be a better person. (Incidentally, I don't believe people who write advice like this are real parents. Who are they, anyway?)

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  29. look nanny girl, I don't know where you are. Maybe you live in Peacock Grove, Alabama. I don't know. I doubt anyone would really throw a ball at someone. But this is not a situation that you would treat with kid gloves. If you are the parent of the child, would you rather someone throw cold water on your nanny or someone steal your child? Those may be your only options. This is NYC, baby. And I guarantee you, once a nanny wakes up with a face full of ice cold slushee, she will never fall asleep again. Please don't come on here and defend nannies who are sleeping on the job, putting the innocent children they take care of in jeopardy. They are who make NANNIES look bad. Our outrage is more than justified!

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  30. should have asked her if she was okay instead of jumping to a random conclusion. And if she was then you can choose to say something or not. That would be civilized in any situation. Also the fact that nannies are overworked and underpaid...true, but i think that is for another board. PS as a nanny...i would call in sick (which is unheard of. o god forbid) if i was that tired or sick. mommygirl, don't be so dramatic.

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  31. whoa i think that the nannies on here are on the angry side. i'm a nanny, and i see things happen sometimes. But i can say we are not all unhappy. Of course there are a few things i would like to change.
    I would say you are in the wrong job if you are that unhappy. QUIT! or communicate.
    Thank god for amazing uws moms. I love my job and i love my kids and they have a blast, so do i!!!!!

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  32. whoa, nyc nanny here. I could have a 6 figure job with ease! chose not to...don't put us in a box.

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