Friday

Tyson's Corner Center 3rd Level Play Area in McLean, VA.

Received Friday, August 24, 2007
These two nanny sightings began around 10:15- 10:30 before the regular Friday Mr. Knick-Knack concert.

#1) I was with my children, helping one remove his shoes to enter the play area when a blond Down's Syndrome child, about two or so, pink shirt w/white shorts, comes running out of the play area, heading towards the food court. She stopped to smile at a couple of women with children(who looked over at me and asked if she was mine) and was well on her way to the bathrooms when a middle-aged Asian woman runs out saying "Oh,Oh" and corrals her. I saw that the nanny had a little Down's syndrome boy with her as well (I assume they are twins.)

#2) The second, much more serious event occurred approximately fifteen minutes later while I was getting my children ready to leave and get on the elevator. For some reason (thanks to God) we decided to do a circle around by the movie theater and then get on the elevator. This is when we saw a little sandy-haired blond boy, around 15-18 months, orange plaid shirt w/ light tan shorts, crawling around on the floor near TGI Fridays heading towards the escalators. I called out to him, "who are you with? Where's your mommy?" and he didn't reply and just kept going! I yelled at the top of my lungs over to the people in the play area, "Anyone lose a little boy? Anyone? ANYONE???!!" (He was out of the play area for at least seven minutes in which he would have been killed or hurt on those escalators if I hadn't called out!) Of course, this being the Washington, D.C. area, people ignored me and then a heavyset Hispanic woman, long ponytail, tan t-shirt, comes rushing out AFTER another woman pointed me out to her. I had seen this woman earlier camped out in the far corner of the play area (which is probably the worst vantage point for watching the three little boys she had with her!) with three boys, all sandy blond hair. I hope that the parents of these children have an opportunity to read this post. This woman did not even look at me, much less thank me, BTW.

21 comments:

Anonymous said...

okay..what was the point of the first scenario??? One child ran ahead of the other, my son does that to me too. The nanny had one child with her and was chasing the other, you know kids run fast right??

Anonymous said...

OP,
Your #1 post was pointless.
Your #2 post was frustrating: why did you not go after the child yourself?
You sound like an idiot.
No offense.

Anonymous said...

As a nanny, if I see a child in danger without a parent in sight, I step in. I would have gotten the child and then looked for the caregiver/parent. What if something would have happened to him and you were just standing there yelling?

Anonymous said...

Just as an aside, the trend among the educated these days is to use "people-first" language such as "boy with Down's Syndrome" instead of "Down's Syndrome boy".

Anonymous said...

5:22 -- i was just going to post that. OP, try not to be so offensive in the future.

Anonymous said...

Oh brother...so much bullsh*t, so little time. The first "sighting" was nothing to even think twice about. The second, very serious but it does seem like OP could have stepped in to physically make sure the child wasn't in imminent danger.

And 6:22, labeling someone "offensive" for saying a Down's Syndrome child instead of a child with Down's Syndrome? Get over yourself and find a real problem to bitch about.

Anonymous said...

Yeah the first thing was NOT even remotey a bad nanny sighting.Whose kid has not taken off and had to be chased.

The second was a very bad nanny sighting but it sure sounds like the OP was looking for a big fat thank you!

Anonymous said...

I agree, the first sighting is SO pointless it's absurd. Toddlers often run a head it'd be a hell of a lot more freakish if he/she walked slowly by the nannies side! LOL

The 2nd sighting, is a dangerous situation and definitely worth reporting, but if the baby was in that great of danger why didn't you pick him up and ask with him safely in your arms? I realize it's not the best idea to handle other peoples children, however at times, it's the only option and if you are calling out while you do so and saving them from falling down a flight of stairs I think the vast majority of people will make an exception.

BTW, it sounds like your biggest motivation for helping is to receive praise and "recognition", rather than saving a small child,...I'm surprised you even expected a thank you from a nanny so brain dead that she didn't notice her 15 month old charge attempting to hurl himself down an escalator of stairs.

Anonymous said...

The first sighting was absolutely ridiculous. The second sighting makes the OP sound like just as big of an idiot as the nanny. Why didn't you move your butt and grab the child instead of standing there yelling?

Anonymous said...

It's one thing if a child is just behaving badly, or doing something questionable (for example, knocking things off shelves in store?) but if a child is in danger you must step in. OP should have known that. Why did she not do anything?

Anonymous said...

Actually, for those of us who know someone with a disability, or who are in the field of education, it is quite offensive to not use the person-first language.6:53, I perceive you to be an idiot that is stupid.

Anonymous said...

strange that you are attacking OP. I take care of DS syndrome child. We take them on outings to indoor play parks, two of which are located at a large mall in our area. When I first began my job, I heard the cautionary tale of one of the children who ran out- excited ahead of the others towards the play area and excitedly and in one second climbed on the railing and fell three floors to his near death. It didn't end well for him. Or the family. or the caregiver who let him get out ahead of her.
All children deserve to be well watched, but special needs children need more thorough supervision and I would guess that the parents of the children involved are under the impression that the caregiver runs a tight ship. Sorry but you have too when you have SN kids or take any group of small children on an outing.

Anonymous said...

11:57 In regards to what you wrote " We take them on outings to indoor play". So it wasn't just you with two or three kids, you had HELP. This nanny was by herself. Not to make light of the poor child that died, but thats so rare, I mean how many kids do you see at a mall that run ahead their parents, end up dying? Just something really really freaky. The mall I go to puts up high rails and a plastic guard besides, for extra protection

Anonymous said...

Better Safe than sorry.
And any good nanny will tell you that she is more careful with her charge than she would ever be with her own child. sorry, but it's like driving someone else's car.

Anonymous said...

Hi, Nanny of 17 years here, been frequenting this play area for about six weeks. I'd just like to say to parents that this play area is a tough one to keep kids in your site at all times. It's crowded, it's busy, there's alot going on. Thankfully there is only one way out for the children short of climbing over a wall but still it is HARD to keep visual contact at all times. (which is something I am very anal about. I want to see them. Every single second.) I would caution parents that unless they are POSITIVE that their nanny is 100% vigilant in watching their child this is NOT the place for her to be.

The second incident, yup, serious. A baby of 15-18 months that nanny should have been at his side the entire time. As in no more than arms reach away from him. Now I don't know if she had other children there that she was in charge of but a child that young in a place so busy can't be expected to take care of himself.

How I would have handled it if I'd seen him outside the play area unattended (and ironically I WAS there shortly after this incident). I would have stayed with the child. Tysons Corner is crawling with security gaurds, I would have flagged one down and made it known to him that this child was "lost" and then let HIM go to the play area and yell for his caregiver. But I personally would not have left that child's side until I saw him reunited with his rightful owner. (lol don't blast me for putting it that way!)

My advice to other nannies bringing thier charges to this play area...this is not the place for you to socialize. Your #1 priority is the safety of the children in your care and you can't be certain of their safety while chatting with three other people. This is why you will always see me sitting alone watching every move my charge makes. Nope, not the most fun for me but then again it's not about me.

Anonymous said...

word!

Anonymous said...

So all you did was stand there and scream? You didn't go to the child and help him?

...genius really...never would have thought of that myself. -_-

Anonymous said...

I know a lot of people don't think it's a big deal, but people in the special needs and education community can be sensitive to people first terminology. I think it's mostly because for so long, people with special needs were looked down upon and basically worthless in society. She's a child who has Down Syndrome, it's just a more appropriate way of saying it. And people do get sensitive about it. About the actual post itself, it is true that children with special needs need more supervision, but it sounds like she was taking the two children to the bathroom and one ran ahead, which is normal. I'm not an expert but I've worked with children with special needs, Down Syndrome can vary from severe to very mild, and it sounds like the girl was a less severe case.

And about the second post, why would you think a one year old would answer you? I'd do a lot more than just call out.

I don't mean to attack anyone or whatever, I'm just saying.

Anonymous said...

Who the hell is Mr. Knick-Knack???

Anonymous said...

Read more closely next time, people. The girl in the first described incident was certainly not being led by the nanny to the bathroom, she ran out of the play area on her own. And all those blasting OP for not using "person-first" language, is it possible in for expediency's sake (she was probably writing quickly) that she did not use the appropriate sentence structure?

Secondly, I don't think OP would abandon her own children to rescue a child who was not being properly supervised like in the second case. The experienced anny's comment was excellent regardig security guards, but what if one was not available? Perhaps a 911 call would have been the answer?

Anonymous said...

I agree that with the first scenario that the child obviously left the play area unattended, I thought that was made clear. For the second scenario, I have three children myself, I have to disagree that she should not have left her own children to help this child, first she didnt seem like she would have went to far out of her own kids site, and her children were not in immediate danger, this child was...and same thought as someone else earlier, was she to be dialing 911 as the child was being engulfed by the escalator....I do find it to be very rude that the caregiver did not give her a very heartfelt thank you, as she saved the child and her backside.....