Received Friday, September 14, 2007
I wanted to inform your audience about a recent disturbing nanny sighting. I was in Chicago on the north side of the city today, (9/12) walking my daughter and her friend. We sat at the Starbucks on Armitage and Sheffield to get a drink and I met a nanny named Cheryl. She had a little boy with her named Chucky. The boy cried a lot but the nanny didn't seem to care. What was worrisome was the fact that the nanny gave the child of about 2 yrs a chocolate scone and a little cup of her iced coffee. Cheryl said the boys mom didn't mind but I doubt that. If you have a nanny in Lincoln Park named Cheryl, I would ask her why she is giving a child iced coffee with sugar in it. I just wanted to tell someone. it made me sick!
33 comments:
It's not that disturbing. Maybe the boy uses crying to get something and she is ignoring it to help him learn how not to cry to get his way. And a little chocolate and coffee will not hurt him, maybe it wasn't even coffee, did you taste it?
Just another LP snob on board.
It isn't that disturbing to me either. But I am not this child's mother. I have a friend who fired a nanny for taking the child to Carvel. "Encouraging food addiction" she said.
As a parent, I would be concerned about someone giving my child iced coffee. (I'm assuming the OP knew it was coffee, since she talked to the nanny.) 2 yr olds should not be drinking coffee (with or without sugar). Some nannies just have no common sense.
I don't think the chocolate is bad, but I don't understand why you would give a child coffee. She could have ordered a different drink for him like one of the fruitie smoothies or something like that. I think if the boy was crying a lot that it was probably making other customers annoyed, that she should have done something.
I don't think this is a bad nanny. I sometimes go to Starbucks, and my son always wants my drink. But I don't order coffee, I get the Green Tea Frap. So good. You should all try it.
I believe everything in balance. Even the OP stated that it was a tiny cup of the ice coffee. I am sure the mom doesn't mind, she probably does it herself.
The OP needs to get off her high horse.
I'm a nanny. I don't give my charge any iced coffee. I normally order him his own little drink. One time he asked me to taste mine, which I let him...and I said "Okay but you won't like it, because its iced coffee and coffee is yucky to little boys and girls" and he took the tinest sip and said ..your right.. yucky.
Those iced coffees though..they aren't too bad. I don't consider this a bad nanny sighting.
The child I take care of cries and I am trying to teach him that he can't have everything he wants or cry to get what he wants and when he does it...I will tell him once to stop and count to three..if he still does it. I will tell him that I am not speaking to him until he stops crying..and usually after a minute or 2 he is fine.
Maybe the nanny was using that method.
I dont think this sounds like a bad nanny sighting. My nanny enjoys to have a break for herself at Starbucks and she isn't always equipped with carrots and juice. Sometimes she and dd will share a starbucks giant cookie or something. It's a very rare and occasional thing. As for the iced coffee, maybe the nanny was letting the child think she was having coffee, but it was mostly ice? I much prefer sightings of generous nannies than those who dont share or interact with their children! In NYC in incliment weather, a trip to starbucks becomes something to do. So what?
OH GOOD GOD GIVE ME A BREAK!!! So what. Did you read the post above about the nanny hitting the 3 year old boy,Now that is someting to post about.
I disagree. I think all the postings have merit. We dont know what the parents of this child would think. Maybe she wasnt even supposed to be at Starbucks! Maybe like my nanny she was ditching gym class!
6:02? Your nanny was ditching your childs gym class?
Did you fire her?
Thats nuts.
Well it's not the healthiest thing but if it was decaf and she only drank a small amount it's not a big deal at all. I was a waitress at a family restaurant when I was younger and a mother would always come in with her three small children (small enough to sit in highchairs) and she would order them diet pepsi! Caffeine and artificial sugar for babies! Now that made me feel upset and guilty for serving it. People are very uninformed about nutrition sometimes.
I don't think it's a nanny's job to make a determination that "a little x won't kill him," unless the parent gives the nanny that authority. My children are too young for solid foods, but when they're older, our nanny will know how highly I value proper nutrition. If I heard that, in spite of that, she was giving them chocolate scones and iced coffee-- no matter how little she gave to them-- I would be very upset. As their mother, it's my job to set the guidelines for their eating habits. It's not for anyone else to judge or bend them... only to abide by them.
This may not be abuse, but it also may be a nanny that isn't doing her job.
The momboss I work for routinly gives her daughter coffee. We were in St. Barbara a couple of weeks ago on State St. and her daughter was sipping her latte. I actually made a comment that everyone was staring and judging me pushing a stroller with a child drinking a latte.
Although this is not necessarily a bad nanny sighting, I think OP did the right thing to post it. I think most of the posters on this site know a thing or ten about children's dietary needs, but there are people out there who are just plain nuts. I know a three year old little girl whose SAHM routinely gives her chocolate for lunch. The poor child is always lethargic probably from poor nutrition. The nanny really hates this diet and does everything in her power to make sure that the little girl has something appropriate, like a yogurt.
It is possible that the nanny in this post has actually been told by her boss that it is okay to give a two year old a chocolate scone and coffee, even though this combination of foods is overkill to many parents and caregivers.
Its not like the nanny gave this child a gallon of ice coffee to drink...
Thanks for that vivid account of your iced coffee experience 10:42.
1042 is an asshat. No doubt an enraged nanny who signs on to every post to make some nonsensical comment having to do with bowel movements. Not humerous. In fact, I must wonder how dull and empty your sad and troubled life is? Perhaps you are a nanny who got fired from a posting on ISYN.
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Hey Meghan and Cheesepower, do you mean 10:41pm. I can't seem to find 10:42pm :)
I think that the only disturbing part is giving the child coffee....there are plenty of other things at starbucks that he/she could drink (milk boxes, apple juice, odwalla juice drinks, vanilla creme) the chocolate scone part isn't terrible, especially if it was a small amount. Perhaps it was a treat. I know for one that my nanny goes to starbucks with my girls and she will either make sure that they have a snack with them and ask for a glass of ice water or once in a while she treats them to a horizon milk. nothing wrong with treats once in a while.
No, the ice coffee was a venti size and the child didn't just have a sip. It went on for the duration of out conversation and I don't think it was appropriate. I thought the purpose of this site was to inform parents about the possibility of nannies who aren't living up to the expectations. The reponses to my post are seemingly going after me, not the nanny in question. Sorry to have agitated all of you.And to whoever sent that first comment about me being a Lincoln Park snob - maybe you shouldn't generalize and trying moving out of the west side ghettos. Sheesh!
The thing that maes this most disturbing, OP, is that you engaged her enough to know their names and to question the snack, but never mentioned to her the crying child?
A choclate scone??? BIG DEAL! Iced coffee may not tbe the best choice, granted, but I am so sick of the food police on here. Especially ones who sit back do nothig about the real issues.
Oh lord, somebody call the police! The nanny gave the kid a sip of coffee! Truly a life threatening offense. And sugar too? Oh my goodness. She needs to be fired immediately.
Ok, whoever posted this needs to get the stick out of her ass and get a life.
A venti sized iced coffee probably has no more sugar or caffiene than a cup of hot cocoa, but then again, the OP is probably the type that never lets her kids have hot cocoa either.
People, give OP a break! So her standards are not yours. She is not offensive at all. If you are looking for a truly stupid OP to gang up on, just give yourselves a bit of time, and one will show up. Remember the 'Immigration Officer' OP who took it upon herself to profile Jewish people. Remember the OP who described an innocent child in a very unflattering manner, and also claimed that the bad nanny looked 'Puerto Rican'? Remember the OP who saw a nanny walking along an UES street with a dangerous man, but failed to describe the man? Sit back and relax, and in no time, some OP will show up with a case of Foot-In-Mouth disease. Love y'all.
we don't love you
Hey, I love Kelly! Speak for yourself. She is one of the most level headed people around here. She loves me and I totally love her back.
are you gay??
You seem familiar, are you the really young blogger who keeps showing up and posting short insults aimed at any previous entry? Just curious. If you are, please make sure your parents know that you are online blogging with adults
10:38...I am sure that 10:30 is the one who once told me he/she was 14.
Isn't it past your bedtime, Honey? You clearly need to get up for school. Your spelling, puncuation and grammar are sadly lacking.
I am with you 11:56pm. The young lad/lady needs to go to bed on time and be nice and fresh for school.
Get over it! You're making a mountain out of a mole hill. My first born loves the taste of coffee... She's now 15 and she's fine. Never got super hyper, no health problems and certainly not addicted to coffee or anything. What's the big deal. Children, just like adults, like certain things for their palates.
why did I spell gay wrong??
Funny that you areso worriedabout a child having a little coffe and sugar. Guess my GrandMother would be concidered criminal lol. I have a cousin when she was a little girl she was so hyper, at age 5 up to 10 would never go to sleep till midnight and on. My GrandMother had custody of her,but lets cut to the end. GrnadMother started giving her a little coffee in the morning and my cousin would be more hyper during the day, but come 8:00 pm she was burnt out and ready for bed.
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