Wednesday

Playground on Main Street in Huntington Beach, CA

Received Wednesday, May 16, 2007
On May 15 at the park/play ground on Main St in Huntington Beach, CA, I saw your nanny, a portly, middle aged Hispanic woman wearing an Adidas hat named 'Carmen' according to the little girl she was watching. The little girl said her name was Jordan, she was about 4 or 5 yrs old, tall, with light brown hair, a light pink shirt and pink patterned pants, pink socks and sneakers on. The nanny was completely disengaged, was on her cell phone the whole time and most of the time wasn't even in sight. The child asked me to push her on the swing when my child was next to her. The rest of the time, I played with her and my little girl and the nanny did not even seem alerted or watch us together. I could have walked away with the child and the nanny never would have known. When my daughter wanted to leave the swings and go to the slide, so did Jordan. Then the nanny went over and would not let her go. I confronted her about it and she said that Jordan cried over everything and then let her go. About an hour later, Jordan asked me if I had any snacks in my bag because she was hungry and thirsty. I told the nanny that she was hungry and she said, 'no, shes not' and then told her that they should go get snacks in their stroller across the park and pulled her away while on the cell phone. I was appalled. This child was completely ignored and could be endangered. I am a working mom and this broke my heart. When we left, they were not eating, Jordan again was playing by herself on the swings and the nanny was talking to another nanny on a bench out of sight.

14 comments:

Anonymous said...

This is pathetic. I am a former nanny, and currently a SAHM. It breaks my heart to think that this kid's parents (while parting with a truckload of $$$) think that she is having a fun day when she is in fact being neglected.

I am not crazy about the constant cell phone yapping craze. I see too many moms and nannies yapping away on their cell phones while imaginary adults watch the kids at the playground.

It only takes a few seconds for a kid to disappear without a trace. I hate to meddle in the way other people take care of 'their' kids, but this is child endangerment.

Anonymous said...

I agree. There is way too much cell phone usage at inappropriate times.

Anonymous said...

Sadly, as a nanny I see this almost everyday...
Just yesterday at the mall- a little girl of 3 played with my charge 4 for about 20 minutes before I even had an idea of who was with her. I went over to say hello- and the nanny just complained to me how the little girl never listens. The nanny never got up and yelled commands over to the little girl- "don't touch that"- "stop that"- "come back".

Very sad- because the little girl was all dressed in designer clothes/shoes and had a top of the line stroller- but the bottom of the barrel nanny.

Anonymous said...

I don't agree with the yapping nanny but did it ever occur to you that maybe she was talking to the parent? If she has an employer like mine that likes to keep me on the phone she was probably talking to them. The lady calls like 12 times a day. Sometimes I have to turn my phone off. Who knows but honestly that nanny wrong.

Anonymous said...

Usually the calls from employers don't last indefinitely as this one seemed to do. And I doubt it was girl-gab bestfriend talk to her employer.

Anonymous said...

How did you know the hat's name was Carmen?

Anonymous said...

didn't she just say that the girl called her carmen???
What is with all this inspector gadgetry going on? Closseau, you aren't!

Anonymous said...

I think she was just making a joke about the poor grammar.

Anonymous said...

"she was wearing an adidas hat named Carmen" LOL, my hat is named Gertrude.

Anonymous said...

Some of the comments above are unacceptable! I am a nanny and would also be appalled if I was talking with this girl or happened to overhear what she said. Snooping in the families' stuff is just plain wrong; I would never go into the parents' room or things, etc., unless they told me to or gave me permission to! I wouldn't do these things because it's simply not RIGHT, not because I was afraid of being caught.

Anonymous said...

I am a nanny and I work in the HB area. I have seen and delt with MANY nannies that seem to 'hate' their job. It makes me soc sick to see children ignored. I mean come on, watch the child!

I'm sorry to say this, but HB(well, all of OC) moms prefer hispanics..why? I don't understand, they NEVER watch them. Every park I have been to with the children that I WATCH, all the hispanics are huddled in a corner, talking in spanish while their charges are climbing to the top of mokeybars when they are 1 or 2 years old! Some even let their charges play in the PARKING LOTS!

I'm not one to just sit back and watch, I wish these nannies had that nanny license thing on the strollers. I have confronted quit a few nannies, most just say something in spanish, probably bad.

I just don't get it.

Oh and to previouse posters..NO PARENT that I have delt with would keep me on the cell phone for more than 5 minutes, 10 minutes top, KNOWING I was WATCHING their CHILDREN. They call to see how the childs day is going and thats it! Some don't call at all..we are PROFESSIONALS, right, they TRUST us..GET OFF YOUR CELL PHONES AND WATCH THE CHILDREN...How will you explain to the parents adn to the POLICE that u were on the phone and LOST a child or your child got kidnapped or hit by a car, etc.

Anonymous said...

Uh racist...awesome. I hope you don't instill this is the kids you sit for.

Anonymous said...

They are probably not racist.

I have friends of all different skin colors and backgrounds and I agree with that persons post 100%!. My hispanic friends have even agreed! Mexicans don't watch their charges. End of story.

Anonymous said...

i think this nanny stuff has to stop period, freakin grow up people watch your kids!