Thursday

Robert Bendheim Playground in NYC

Received Thursday, August 16, 2007
Description of Nanny: Tall, solidly built, fair skin, wearing a bun, about 50-60 years of age.
Description of Child: Boy, dark brown, curly hair, dark eyes, about 2-3 years of age, wearing a t-shirt with a cartoon sandwich on it and the name of a sandwich shop.
Description of What Occurred: I saw nanny twice pick the child up with one of his arms. This was not to discipline him. Just in line of supervising him. When nanny was next to someone else's strollers, the child moved the empty stroller and ran over his foot. The nanny picked him up now to discipline him and just pointed her finger in his face - 2 inches from. I don't know what she said, I was not within earshot. She was obviously irritated. The stroller was one of those very lightweight strollers that cost $40 or so. No way it caused any injury to this woman. I don't know much else about her, but I did not like the way she was picking up your child. Also she seemed a bit short tempered, I don't know just how because I could not hear her but her face was bloody angry over the stroller incident. This nanny helicoptered him the whole time.

16 comments:

Anonymous said...

Picking up a child under three by one arm is dangerous. It can easily dislocate the elbow. This sounds like an awful grouch of a nanny, although I don't understand the helicopter part. Most posts on here criticize nannies for NOT helicoptering.

Anonymous said...

The resentful helicopter. Forced to helicopter by parental demand? But certain to make the child pay?

Anonymous said...

What is helicoptering??

Anonymous said...

helicoptering can either be shadowing a child and not giving him his own space or making all of his decisions for him.

Anonymous said...

I'm glad someone else asked about helicoptering. I have never heard this term either. I pictured her running behind spinning around and around with her arms out...LOL.

And before I get jumped on and called stupid, I did not really think that's what it meant. I was KIDDING!

Anyway, this nanny does not sound like she should be or even wants to work with kids. Definitely not quality child care.

Anonymous said...

Helicoptering means picking up by 1 arm & spinning the child by that 1 arm

Anonymous said...

No....10:11, that is not what helicoptering means.....it means hovering around a child in an unhealthy manner...( OP stated that "this Nanny helicoptered him the whole time")...in such a way as to protect...or as in this sighting to get on his case for making any wrong move! It is a term for either extreme.

A child's elbow can dislodge easily as 7:13 stated.......boy, I hope the parents see this!!!!!!!! Grrrrrrr!

Anonymous said...

4:52 is correct. Helicopters hover, see the correlation?

True, picking up a child by their arm is VERY dangerous! Dislocations are extremely painful, poor little guy! I hope his parents see this before he does get injured! Where do all these grouchy bears posing as nannies come from?

Anonymous said...

if that's what helicoptering means what's wrong with that, at least she was hovering instead of sitting on her butt

Anonymous said...

There is a such thing as too much supervision as well.

Anonymous said...

no there isn't

Anonymous said...

Children need to have some freedom and learn from mistakes...if even minor ones. This helicoptering is repressive and not healthy.

Anonymous said...

first mistake that nanny makes will be her last

Anonymous said...

so it's not okay for a nanny to hover over a young child mmmm.....WOW all this time I was wrong in thinking I was protecting the kids from injury, instead it was doing more harm. Thankfully we have you really smart parents here to show us the way.

I agree pulling a child up by one arm is dangerous and disrespectfull to the little one.I hate to see this happening and I see it all to often in the playground.

Anonymous said...

Parents who helicopter have control issues. They don't allow the child any freedom. A nanny on a power trip might adapt this same in close monitoring if she- as this nanny seems to- seeks to catch every misdeed and punish for it.

A playground is a time to be free!

Anonymous said...

you are guessing the nanny is on a power trip or all nannies are on a power trip? maybe as a parent you don't trust youself to helicopter because it involves redirecting the child in a playfull and kind manner .That fact that you even think of punishment is scary , we (most nannies) don't even think that way.