Received Thursday, April 26, 2007
I saw a little blonde girl with her Asian nanny at the fountain at Columbus Circle. The nanny seemed very involved and attentive taking photos of the little girl. Except for the fact that the little girl was walking all around the park area WITHOUT SHOES! The pavement was filthy and she was playing in the fountain, which was freezing. The Nanny did wash her feet at the end of this little escapade but then the little girl was seated on the pavement with her hands and over the dirty pavement. The little girl was wearing a tee shirt with writing on it and a pink hoodie over it with light blue capri pants. The stroller was a grey and pink Maclaran. Besides the unsanitary part of this sighting the Nanny did seem very loving and attentive.
37 comments:
Eh. Not doing it for me. Loving and attentive is good. Too cold? Nah. She wouldn't go in the fountain if the water is too cold. Barefoot walking? Not the best idea in NYC, but not the worst either.
not doing what for you?????
so sketchy.
yeah c'mon, can't you entertain us any better?!?! (sarcastic)
I'm guessing that the fountain was freezing and that's not such a good thing. Would the little girl have gone into the water if it was too cold? Why yes, just as children are occasionally caught outside barefoot in the snow. Germs aplenty here also. This is a good nanny but maybe not such a good way to entertain a child nor the best photo opportunity, for that matter.
Whether or not the water was too cold is just a matter of comfort. Apparently, the child was having fun and wasn't cold. Going bare foot is a judgment call. I don't allow it in the sandbox or sprinkler, for fear of sharp objects, but many moms and nannies do. This sounds like a good nanny.
I don't get it. Sounds like a great photo op.
Good photo ops don't put a child in icy cold water, barefoot, at this time of the year.
Great photo op, and contrary to what you all believe, it is actually better for a little kid/toddler to be barefoot at a young age. and um germs help build immunitys. some of you people shelter your kids too much.
Is there actually water in the fountain yet? I know it's emptied in the winter. Maybe she was walking around on the freezing cold concrete.
Could be a cultural thing, going barefoot is not that bad a thing while playing (for children) in Asia, just like leaving your baby alone for 5 minutes is not a case of abuse in The Netherlands...
barefoot is one thing, but barefoot in freezing water or on freezing concrete is another. Even in the sand on a sunny warm beach, going barefoot can result in injury. No, it isn't the end of the world, still it wasn't a very good idea.
It's interesting that so many of your kids would continue to happily play with freezing cold feet. If mine were uncomfortable in any way, you'd know about it alright! And I think that's the norm, personally.
Oh, no, a little girl was in the park with no shoes on! Heaven forbid! And the evil nanny was taking pictures of the child having fun, what a disgrace! Then the horrible Nanny washed the childs feet, oh the horror! THEN, omg, the child SAT on the ground in the park!! This is a travesty.
Ok, OP, I live in Jersey (ie, close to NYC) and it was not freezing cold yesterday. Get a grip .
Oh no! God forbid a child gets...(gasp!) dirty!
5:32: There is absolutely no connection between cold and catching any germs. Everytime this comes up I find it laughable that inevitably someone will write a comment involving this ridiculous old wives tale.
Now, I kind of recoiled from the idea of a kid running around barefoot in Columbus Circle, but seriously, she's not going to catch anything from just being cold.
If she stepped on a piece of glass, that's a totally different story.
seriously. this reads like a post from someone who has enjoyed reading this site and has been desperate for a chance to post her own sighting -- it's a real stretch.
the nanny is loving and attentive -- exactly what a mom hopes for when hiring a nanny. the child was happy. specific choices that you happen to not agree with (appropriate footwear/play areas based on the weather, or whether a child should sit on, or touch with her hands the pavement - the horror!) are none of your business.
find something else to complain about, busybody.
Oh wah.
So the child's feet get a little dirty.
Get over yourself.
and if the child's mother happened by, I suppose she'd be completely ok with the goings on? Well, not THIS mother.
Yes,letting your child walk in bare feet as much as possible is necessary for them to develop their sense of balance. So no chunky hard shoes for one year olds.
That goes for adults, too. Patients in physical therapy with balance issues are encouraged to work the balance boards, etc. barefoot. Much better feedback to the brain.
Just don't do it on the streets of NYC unless you want the kiddies to learn how to walk on a bed of glass. Fun at parties, but otherwise...
yes-that is the point-
would this bother the mother of this child. unfortunately, it could be a cultural thing. these nannies may come from countries where entire populations are barefoot all year long.
and ironically, nail fungus is not a problem.
I would be concerned about what could be on the ground that could become embedded in her feet. Cold feet warm up. Dirty feet wash up. But a trip to the Em. Room to have glass removed would result in someone loosing their job.
Get over it. I have three children, one who has sensory integration problems. She experiences the world in a different way. She often removes her shoes as a way of better interacting with her environment and feeling more comfortable. Am I happy about it? No, but I have learned not to fight with her every day about this issue. I have heard the rude comments from others and chose to focus on my child.
As far as the nanny not seeming loving, how can you make that determination after a short time of watching her in the park?
Get a life!
Well, as a child I cut my little toe very badly while going barefoot. To this day, I've never had a toenail on that toe.
How do you handle the ascent of flip flop & sandal season?
Well, bad as that may be, it's the pedicures that are even more troubling. I never truly get full value for my money, for one thing. Heh! Oh, well, the point is that going barefoot CAN be dangerous.
You should TOTALLY get a 10% discount.
jmt- :-)
I just have to weigh in here because I'm a little amazed at how negative and un-supportive everyone here is. I was with this poster when we saw the nanny and little girl at the columbus circle park and fountain. We are not shocked often but this incident did cause us to raise our eyebrows. First of all, the fountain is running and has been for over a week. For those who said its not running might need to take a stroll over and check it out. You obviously live in a different part of the city but anyone who lives in the columbus circle area knows that the water starts as soon the weather warms up. Now, as far as the weather was concerned that day...it was rather chilly and we were sitting out on the benches with our jackets on. It definitely wasn't "toddler wading in water" weather. That was the least of our concerns because we were mostly concerned about the germs and filth on the paved surface. The toddler happened to be in the exact area where we had once witnessed a homeless man who was passed out and half naked who than proceeded to roll over and whip out his penis and yes, peed. Can't forget an image like that and than to see this little girl sitting in that spot was appalling. Perhaps we are overreacting and I'm sure those of you who are so negative just wouldn't mind your child crawling around in that filth but I have a feeling the mother of that child might feel differently. That is for her to decide. We didn't really think this area to post was ultimately for everyone to come and bash us for showing some concern but we'll keep that in mind for the future and hopefully we never witness your child in a unfortunate situation.
All that matters is what the child's parent thinks of what is happening! That is all! Not what a bunch of naysayers say. Sure it is entertaining for them to opine, but what matters is what Mom and Dad think. And guess what, some parents would be pissed off to think their nanny was refilling their child's sippy cup with Dr. Pepper. That is the parent's perogative.
An to OP-
Do be warned that sometimes I think certain people swarm and attack any post in an attempt to disuade people from posting in the future. Why? So they can go on lazing on the job, berating the children they care for and lying to the parents about what they are actually doing. Do not be disuaded.
11:08:
Again, why would the child be wading in the water if it was uncomfortable for her to do so?
Yup. That's right. She wouldn't wade if she was too cold.
Ya'll get back to us with a real sighting, ya here?
1:03 PM
Actually all the responses that disagreed with the post appear to be from parents.
Why is being barefoot considered a "cultural" thing? You know ...they don't just do that in foreign countries. And to those who say going barefoot is dangerous? Like you might get some glass in your foot? Well ...dear me, better not cross the street, because some car might plow you down. I'm sure that if there had been glass all about the ground, the nanny wouldn't have let the child play barefoot, just as I'm sure that she had no idea that there had been a homeless man flashing somebody. I do, however, understand that the OP wasn't trying to be malicious or anything, and applaud her concern for a child; however, my guess is that she has had a pretty sheltered life herself and is only speaking from her experience.
I'm a mother of two.
Dirty kids are happy kids. Spic and Span can mean allergies and neurosis.
Fortunately I don't need a nanny but if I did one that *gasp* let my precious child's feet hit the ground would be A-Okay with me.
This sounds like a pretty darned good nanny moment to me.
"loving and attentive"
It's all good.
"we were mostly concerned about the germs and filth on the paved surface."
Um if you play in glass there's dog pee there too.
Urine is sterile, Ghandi drank it...
Just because urine is sterile (an absence of bacteria) in a healthy person doesn't mean it isn't full of the products of excretion. Also, who's to say the people peeing in the middle of Columbus Circle aren't sick?
I was at a zoo in NJ last week where some moms were walking around barefoot in the sandy soil (where lots of fowl were walking and pooping). It must have felt great, I just hope they washed their feet.
AND I was in a playground yesterday where I saw four boys all go pee in the bushes next to parked cars. It sounded like a regular occurrence with the moms not wanting to rush inside to let them pee. And these were moms, by the way.
JMT:
Urine is everywhere: door knobs, bowls of peanuts -- you name it. You don't have to have bare feet to be exposed to it. My advice is to keep your child locked in a closet 24 / 7 if you don't want him or her exposed to other people's urine.
Yeah, why don't we just all dump our kids at Fresh Kills for a play date so they'll be completely immunized?
Yeah, a little bit of germs here and there are good for building immunity, but you have to draw the line somewhere. As a lifelong NYC resident, I'm not going out of my way to expose my kids in the name of immunity. There are more than enough germs in the city as it is... Germs you encounter in routine activities. Those will suffice.
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