Tuesday

Pierrepont Playground in Brooklyn Heights, NY

Received Tuesday, September 18, 2007
Who's nanny is this? At first I thought she was spitting sunflower seeds. I later realized it was chewing tobacco. She was spitting it mostly off to the side, into the bushes or against the brush. She was full of pep and zinging around the playground with the little boy she watches. I can't complain about the way she watched him or played with him but her use of chewing tobacco was outright disgusting. If your nanny was wearing a denim chambray shirt over a black, tight shirt and white dungarees with white tennis shoes, if your nanny has blondish hair and wears it in a wild bun and has her ears pierced 3 or 4 times, then I hope you know that she is chewing tobacco. I don't think your little boy was wise to it yet but in time he will be. (Red hair, curly, brown eyes, khaki pants with matching khaki and cream shirt with old school alligator on chest).

30 comments:

Anonymous said...

Can you say ewwww.

Anonymous said...

I just threw up a little in my mouth, blah!

Anonymous said...

Who cares? She was taking good care of the kid, right? I'm all about being the moral-police when the kid's in danger, but chewing tobacco? Next we're going to report a nanny eating trans-fats! Come on.

Anonymous said...

1007.
if my nanny was chewing tobacco and spitting, i would be mortified. i would definitely want to know!

Anonymous said...

10:07.....Are you kidding? I would care if my Nanny was smoking.....do people actually hire Nannies that smoke? I doubt it....chewing is just as bad...no 2nd hand smoke.....but, it's disgusting! I'll bet her employers don't know......I sure hope they see this!

Anonymous said...

Who cares if she chews. At least she's not smoking and letting the kid inhale her second hand. Wow, some people are really paranoid. I'd rather a nanny chew than smoke. It's her face at least she's not hurting the kids health. Some people are so anal I can't stand it.

Anonymous said...

10:07 and 11:08, I agree completely. Tobacco is very unhealthy for the user, but with the chewing variety there is no secondhand smoke for others to be exposed to, so as long as she wasn't mixing it into the boy's food, so freakin' what??

This sounds like that mom awhile back on the thread about the fat nanny giving a bite of ho-ho to a baby who was yelling that this sort of thing would soon be criminalized because junk food is unhealthy.

Anonymous said...

cali mom.
were you on here back in the days of ho ho mom? I don't recall you.

Anonymous said...

that is gross but, unless the kid starts spitting - is it really that big of a deal?

Anonymous said...

What kind of woman chews,thats really f'in gross.

Anonymous said...

You need to get a life.
I am sure you do things that are disgusting to other people. Like pick your nose in public. Or chew with your mouth open, etc.

Okay spitting tobacco is gross. Its betten than her blowing smoke in the childs face.

I thought this site was for bad nanny sightings???

Anonymous said...

actually its called i saw your nanny. not i saw your nanny doing bad. and if you are a parent you should open your ears to what other people are saying about your nanny whether she is chewiing tobacco, gossipping about you or smacking your kid. or actually even if she is the best nanny they have ever seen. havent you read any of the good postings here?

Anonymous said...

nice post gemini. also, lets consider that we aren't the parents of this little boy. you may not think it was a big deal, but his parents may. i think it is disgusting and would not want someone doing this in front of my son. my brother won't even let my son see him smoke. you may care if he sees him smoke, but i am his mom and i care.

this little boy's parents have the right to know and decide on their own. so unless you are them....

Anonymous said...

Spitting in public places, on sidewalks, in the subway etc. is illegal, because it is unsanitary. Whether or not this nanny's employer cares, I do. Spitting in a playground is especially disgusting!

Anonymous said...

Meg, I visited here a few times and then wouldn't look at it agaiin for months but I remember that thread.

Anonymous said...

that is soo gross. i can't believe people still chew that stuff. YUCK.

Anonymous said...

The nanny has the right to chew tobacco. However if she is chewing while taking care of her charge, that will eventually influence the charge. I did some research a few years ago involving smokers many of whom said they started smoking because one or more adults they spent much time with smoked.

Anonymous said...

8:14

That doesn't make any sense the last statement. Did you mean "spent time with someone who chewed"???

I chew alot of bubble gum I hope my kid doesn't follow my example.

Anonymous said...

I am actually not so anonymous.. I am a grandma who spends a lot of time with the grandkids. We do the rounds in the Slope. Sometimes I think I am the Nanny police because I spend so much time observing. Frankly.. I wouldnt care less if a Nanny was chewing tobacco unless she spit it directly on the kid!! I love reading this blog but sometimes people are just toooooo over the top!

Anonymous said...

The Grandma-Nanny Police with a high tolerance for tobacco spittin' nannies. Wish I knew you!

PS MOM #278

:)

Anonymous said...

Hi 9:16pm,

The research I did was on smoking, not chewing. I know that smoking is not the issue in question, but I mentioned my research to show that if an adult who spends a lot of time with child has an addiction that the adult is having trouble controlling, it is possible that the child will consider the addiction as normal behavior. So it should be no surprise if ten years from now, little Johnny starts chewing tobacco.

Anonymous said...

I understand now. Thats why I tell my husband not to pick his nose around our son. I am afraid by the time hes three he will be doing it too.

Anonymous said...

I have worked as a nanny for almost 5 years now, and in my PRIVATE time I occasionally smoke. I NEVER do it before work, and would never in a million years do it in front of one of my charges. Chewing tobacco is disgusting (I know, smoking is not much better) but the fact of the matter is even PARENTS do things in their private time that most would never do in front of their children. This nanny needs to save her habibt for when she is off the clock.

Anonymous said...

Oops, I meant "habit" :-)

Anonymous said...

Well said 3:43am.

Anonymous said...

Wow, here's a totally new concept....it's not the employers business whether or not the nanny chews tobacco. Yeah I know you knuckleheads disagree because ya'all consider yourselves the nanny police but guess what? Nannies are human beings with bad habits just like anyone else. It's none of her employes business nor is it any of YOUR business if she chews tobacco. Get a life.

Anonymous said...

I agree, can you imagine the lawsuit we'd have on our hands if we attempted to not hire someone for any other type of work based upon the fact that they used chewing tobacco? That is called discrimination people.

It's so absurd how the vast majority of people view nannies in Western Culture. On one end, we have this snobbish view which looks down upon them as sub-par, viewing them as domestic workers and glorified babysitters, on the other hand, we expect them to be super human, and God like, perfect at all times...yet, I've never found a perfect parent.

This is probably one of the most hypocritical contradictory views I've seen regarding current jobs today.

Anonymous said...

I agree, can you imagine the lawsuit we'd have on our hands if we attempted to not hire someone for any other type of work based upon the fact that they used chewing tobacco? That is called discrimination people.

It's so absurd how the vast majority of people view nannies in Western Culture. On one end, we have this snobbish view which looks down upon them as sub-par, viewing them as domestic workers and glorified babysitters, on the other hand, we expect them to be super human, and God like, perfect at all times...yet, I've never found a perfect parent.

This is probably one of the most hypocritical contradictory views I've seen regarding current jobs today.

Anonymous said...

Yes, you are right. It is contradictory. Howver, you CAN choose whether or not to hire a nanny based on whether she smokes or not. You can choose to hire a nanny based on whether she wears perfume or not. And let me clue you in on a dirty little secret in Westchester County, you can call up any agency you want and tell them you want "an Asian" or "No Jamaicans" or a "White girl who is not too attractive" or you can say, "I only want an Israeli nanny".

Anonymous said...

Thats why I don't understand why anyone would want to be a nanny. I mean it doesn't seem like most are appreciated. Most are not offered benefits. If this is a career for you, what will you do when your sixty years old. This is an honest question. I am not trying to be disrespectful. Most full-time jobs you are paid on the books and you may pay a little for your health insurance. Example: where I work I pay $20 a week towards my health coverage. I also have flex spending, and 401k.

I have talked to nannies at my kids school that work for doctors and lawyers, but when I asked them about coverage, they all say they don't have any. And they just pray they stay healthy. Can't employers and employees maybe split the cost of coverage

thanks