Killer Nanny Reinvents Self as Dance Teacher in England
Far away from the media packs that hounded the Massachusetts courtroom where she was convicted of killing 8-month-old Matthew Eappen in 1997, a now 30-year-old Louise Woodward blends anonymously into the Shropshire town where she teaches salsa dancing in a parish hall.
Has anyone tried..
Speed Dating For Sitters?
Launched in 2003 by entrepreneur (and mom) Mary Sullivan Cooper, MommyMixer connects families with local college students by hosting monthly parties at trendy boutiques. Using a concept similar to speed dating, moms and baby sitters are invited to an evening of shopping, mingling and networking. At a typical event, as many as 20 moms, paying $100 each, meet and mingle with 25 prospective sitters. Eventually they go home with a book filled with names, faces and résumés, while students leave with serious prospects for future paychecks.
Is this supposed to be a good thing?
US Childcare Franchise Set for National Expansion
Nanny Poppinz, a US childcare company, is set to open 70 new franchises in the US by the end of 2008.
Your thoughts?
Since when was Louise Woodward a Nanny? She was an immature young au pair fleeced by a company in the UK into believing she would have a great "American Experience" and not be working all hours of the week. I know, because I looked into it before coming here and have seen many cases of burnout since. I consider being a nanny to be someone with experience and education in the field of child care. Once again, she is called a nanny and it drives me nuts, as it does, I'm sure, all you other nannies out there!
ReplyDeleteThat "speed-dating" thing for nannies and moms sounds pretty cool to me. I'd do it. From my perspective as a nanny, it's a great way to let employers know that nannies have other options and won't necessarily stay with you through hell and high water.
ReplyDeleteOoh, Mary Poppinz sounds just delightful.
ReplyDeleteMaybe there will be a drive through and you can take the first nanny with a pulse who will fit through your sunroof and pop them in the back of your car with your newborn and...
Oh, sorry just daydreaming there a little bit.
I went to a Mommy Mixer in Orange County last month and found lot's of great babysitting clients. However, most moms were only looking for Friday and Saturday night babysitting, which makes it hard to work for multiple families, unless you want to be working every weekend, which I don't. The article makes it seem as though there are plenty of moms who work part-time and are looking for part-time help, however in my experience, there weren't. But, maybe that's just OC for you!
ReplyDeleteNo, a franchise is not a good thing. You know they won't specialize in professional nannies. They will specify in legal Americans who they can mold and stuff into a range of nanny/housekeeping positions. Pathetic.
ReplyDeleteTo the nanny who responded above about her experience with Speed Dating, thank you for sharing. I cannot imagine how such a thing would go. Did you feel that mothers were judging nannies by appearance? What kind of nannies showed up? What kind of employers? Career Women? SAHMs who need a night out? Were these women middle class? I imagine it being impossibly middle class.
Well, since it is Orange County, you can't afford to live here if your middle class. Upper middle class is a better description. It did feel a little judged and kind of like I was being inspected, but since I am a good looking, young, educated, upper middle class, active girl I still got lot's of positive responces.
ReplyDeleteThe only mom's I encountered were stay at home's just looking for a date night with the hubby or some time to run errands, or get their nails done without the children. And a few were fake wannabe's of The Real Housewives of Orange County variety!
The whole nanny placement agency scene seems like such a scam to me. I have not found one yet that really looks out for the interests of the nanny. If anyone knows of one, please inform me. The two I have dealt with seem like "slave traders".
ReplyDeleteThe only thing worse than being trapped in a room with the Housewives of OC would be to be trapped with a bunch of wanna be Housewives of OC. No thanks.
ReplyDeleteAgencies are scandalous, I don't know anyone who has a positive opinion of a nanny agency (especially in Rye) and I don't think that franchising something as garish as Nanny Poppinz is going to do anything to help that image.
i went to see sex and the city this weekend with my gay buddy and loved it. i don't like those housewives of the OC. i do like carrie and the gang. it was great fun to catch up on their lives!
ReplyDeleteOMG, except they were naked and having graphic sex. That was icky. Really icky! I like the series on tv, but had never seen it on HBO. Did they do the full nudity thing on HBO? It was not pretty in the movie.
ReplyDeletei didn't ever see it on HBO- -
ReplyDeletethere were a few shockers true enough especially Meranda when she reconciled with her hubby!
No spoilers, please! Do you know what it took to get dh to agree to take me to see it tomorrow night?
ReplyDeleteAh, date night.
All I can say is he's going to be really grossed out. Be sure to look away when (since you already know)Miranda and Steve "get back together." Ewwwwww!
ReplyDeletesorry jen - - not another word- - my lips are sealed
ReplyDeleteI would be happy to talk with anyone interested in or having concerns about MommyMixer (the "speed dating" referred to) Likewise, I would hope that if anyone who had previously attended a mixer had a bad experience or needs additional help, they would contact me directly as the city organizer, rather than bashing a great company annonymously online. We really are here to help you, give us the chance to do so!
ReplyDeleteOrange County MommyMixer orangecounty@mommymixer.com
Um, no one was bashing the sitter mixer. Where do you see someone bashing anything? I think you just got free advertising! If it were me and I got my product featured on this blog, I'd be saying thank you!
ReplyDeleteYeah, for real!
ReplyDeleteMaybe he's just trying to eke out another 15 minutes?
Oh gosh, sorry, I was not trying to get free advertising. I thought the original poster sounded unhappy with her experience, like the moms were not friendly in the way they were judging her. Just did not want anyone to have a bad taste left in their mouth after attending. We try to take good care of out sitters and we want to help them find great jobs in a safe environment, not be treated poorly by the moms! We are always open to suggestions, too, if you have attended one and see room for improvement, you know how to find me!
ReplyDeleteand still no thank you.
ReplyDeleteI sell high end boy's sweaters. Feature me and I'll send you FREE sweaters!