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Tuesday, July 7, 2008
NANNY SIGHTING NEEDED!
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150 comments:

  1. Jane,
    Did you erase all the posts that were here before? Where did they go?

    ReplyDelete
  2. http://isawyournanny.blogspot.com/2008/06/welcome-to-i-saw-your-nanny.html

    Instead of deleting the old "welcome posts", I will archive them in February 2006. I hope that helps.

    ReplyDelete
  3. Thanks. Because that thread actually had some pretty cool posts in it! Lots of references to books, too!

    ReplyDelete
  4. Hi Jane,

    I love the photo included in this post. Thanks for sharing it ;0

    ReplyDelete
  5. Well, to continue from yesterday's discussion..

    Calimom,
    Yes, we have read every possible thing we could find on Laura Ingalls Wilder. There is even a set of "historical fiction" books based on the lives of Caroline and Rose. We read all of those too. Even though they weren't as "accurate" as laura's books, they still gave a nice picture of what those times were like, and did include as much biographical information as possible for each.

    Also, when you visit the homesites there is always additional information to pick up and read.

    The best places to visit are DeSmet South Dakota and the home Laura and Almanzo shared in the Ozarks in Missouri. In DeSmet you can visit the homestead that Pa had. Somebody bought it and put an old school house on part of the property (not one Laura attended, but appropriate for the period) and you can take a covered wagon ride out and attend a bit of old fashioned school. There is a dugout home and a pony ride and some machinery and a couple of crafts appropriate to the time. (Sounds more commercial than it is. It's still pretty rustic and gives the "right" feel.) You can even make arrangements to sleep over in one of a couple of covered wagons that have set up for that. (I believe you have to bring sleeping bags. But my sister did it with her kids and said it was great.) In de Smet you can also see and tour the last home Ma and Pa and Mary lived in in town, the actual surveyors house that they lived in upon arriving to town, and and you can shop in Loftus' store, which is mentioned in the books. There are lots of other things to see too. So many things that were mentioned in the books. There is a little driving tour you can take past several sites of interest. Laura and Almanzos home in Missouri has a lot to see also, since they lived there up until their deaths. I believe Pa's fiddle is there in the little museum they have set up. The Minnesota sites are OK, but only worth seeing for the most rabid of fans. Kansas was worth seeing only if you happened to be driving by anyway.

    Soooo, if your little guy likes family car trips (mine did), it might be a great adventure for you all once you have read some of the books to him. I especially remember my boys loving Farmer Boy. One day in particular the story of the pig had us all laughing uncontrollably. That almost painful laugh that you can't get control over.

    When I had morning sickness with #4the kids used to gather in my bed and I would read to them endlessly. You know how they talk so much about the food they ate? Well, I felt really bad once because my son said to me, "Reading these makes me soooo hungry." I was so sick, and also confined to bedrest at times...so sometimes all I could make during the day was peanut butter sandwiches or soup for them.

    Yeah Laura Fans! Thak goodness she put her experiences on paper because that way of life is gone forever, but our kids have a chance to understand what it was like for the early settlers. How many times has somebody in my family said (about some modern invention), "What would Laura think if she saw this?!"

    ReplyDelete
  6. mom,
    Farmer Boy has got to be the best "food book" ever written: the mounds of mashed turnips, crackling pork ribs, pies and cakes of every kind, stacked pancakes, homemade ice-cream, watermelon...mmmmm! I'm getting hungry just thinking about it! :)
    I also love the part in it when they are at the fair and he asks his father for a nickle, not to be outdone by cousin Frank, and Father gives him fifty cents and he buys Lucy, the little pig, with it!
    Love that book soooo much!!! :)

    ReplyDelete
  7. Great Umass! Now I'm hungry all over again too! But you know what thought always crossed my mind as a tired mom reading about those fabulous breakfasts? "What the *%^& time did she have to get up in the morning to start cooking all of that!? Ugh!" I am NOT a morning person! (Although I am an EATING person! heheheeh)

    See the travel brochure I wrote above. Sounds like you might like to make a Laura Pilgrimage too! It really is a lot of fun. And between the Minnesota and South Dakota sites, you can visit the Black Hills and Mount Rushmore. Venture a little further west and there is Yellowstone, Grand Teton and Little Bighorn. (Little Bighorn is WAY COOL.)

    ReplyDelete
  8. 8:35 is a SCAM BEWARE of these

    ReplyDelete
  9. How do you know?
    Not that I'd reply, lol.
    Usually you can tell because they are asking for money up front.
    Thanks.

    ReplyDelete
  10. 8:35 is a scam that's been going around for a while, under different names and with a variety of (poorly spelled and badly written) scenarios.

    Once you respond to the "parent", they will hire you on the condition that they can send you a HUGE check, which you will then deposit in your bank.

    At that point, you are asked to send the money (minus a small commission called a salary advance) back to them, because for some bizzare reason they can't cash their own checks.

    Then, a while later, your bank will call you. Did you realize the HUGE check you just deposited was rubber? Well then, did you realize you are now over drawn by the same amount of money that you just sent to your new "employer"? No? Wow. You do have a problem, don't you.

    It's likely some sort of take off on money laundering schemes.

    ReplyDelete
  11. Thanks for the info.
    Learn something new everyday.

    ReplyDelete
  12. Today's picture is really sweet. They both look so happy.

    ReplyDelete
  13. I think I know the twosome in the background. I recognize the lithe body and egghead of a former employer of mine. I don't know who the women is next to him, maybe his mistress?

    ReplyDelete
  14. Oh yes, everyone is so easy to recognize in this photo.
    Not.

    ReplyDelete
  15. ISYN Job Board: Brilliant!
    What an excellent idea, Jane!

    ReplyDelete
  16. MPP,
    Thanks. You are always so supportive. What would I do without you??

    ReplyDelete
  17. that pic looks so much like me it's just scarey! I even wear a hat just like that! Weeeiiirrrdddd.....

    ReplyDelete
  18. Is that Deni? If so, it DOES look like you!

    ReplyDelete
  19. OK, why does clicking on the comment link for the dog in the pool thread lead to e blogger?

    ReplyDelete
  20. Mom,
    Comments had to be closed and hidden. Too many ridiculous and nonsensical comments...

    ReplyDelete
  21. That's a shame. I wonder if because school has let out we have children on the blog?

    I have seen this before where the comment link went directly to e blogger. At least I'll know why from now on.

    ReplyDelete
  22. mom,
    where are you seeing a comment link? i dont see any comment button there. it's gone. it's mayhem, madness, missing. gone.

    ReplyDelete
  23. hehehe...mine says "45 comments" under the post. I click on it and it goes directly to e blogger....which oddly, is written all in Norwegian.

    ReplyDelete
  24. Mom
    I think the new post sent our conversation to archives because the blog ran out of room. I responded to your last post in:

    "Great with children but lacks tact...."

    Didn't know if you got a chance to read it or not. ☺


    Jane
    You are the best! Thank you.

    ReplyDelete
  25. Oh, I wondered about the dog post. The comments link didn't take me anywhere but here, but no comments showed up, though it says 45 comments.

    ReplyDelete
  26. Can the comments to the dog post be disabled, but we be allowed to read the Dog post? What about OP?

    ReplyDelete
  27. Hey MPP,
    Thanks for the heads up.
    I looked up your post (while I am gleefully sitting here in the middle of the night cancelling credit cards and resisitng the urge to strangle my son for losing his wallet. Is that child abuse...if he is over 18? hehehe)

    Anyway..no I don't MIND hearing that your trip was fabulous and you had no lines at Disney World! I'm quite happy to hear that it was a wonderful experience for you in every way! It SHOULD be a wonderful memory for you...especially since I believe you had to travel a bit to get there.

    While I don't like lines myself, when I am at Disneyland on a crowded day I can't help wondering about the families who have made a special trip just to be there, maybe for the first or only time, and are stuck waiting in long lines.
    We've been there enough that we know before we go at certain times of the year what we will be facing in terms of crowds, and we go. And when we lived there we always went on days when I knew we would have short lines...so we've experienced our share of nice Disney days too.

    Glad to hear yours was magical in every way. Did your little boy like the characters? My middle was afraid of some of them...especially Beast!

    ReplyDelete
  28. PS Beautiful picture Jane.

    Little girls whose daddies love and protect them like that tend to grow up secure enough that they don't "need" to get "affection" from teenage boys. Best "insurance" in the world for your little girls!

    ReplyDelete
  29. I am guilty on the doggy thread! :) sorry Jane! I was commenting on Michael Pitt and stuff. hehe I will try to be good from now on! :)

    (sits in corner with Dunce Cap and T-shirt that says "How is my commenting?")

    :)

    ReplyDelete
  30. Hahaha UMass! Too funny.


    I love the picture of this daddy and his little girl. SO SO sweet.

    ReplyDelete
  31. Umass? Say it isn't so! (hehehe!)
    But I'll bet you're forgiven since you tend to be an active and thought provoking contributor to the blog! (Plus, we all have our days, don't we?)

    ReplyDelete
  32. PS Your t-shirt comment is hilarious!

    ReplyDelete
  33. I know, I can't help but be very fond of Umass, too .... Michael Pitt crush, Harry Potter obsession and all! lol

    Mom
    Would you believe my boy wasn't afraid of anything? Because I have a friend who's daughter is scared of Santa Claus (we found this out after waiting in line for over 2 hrs. last Christmas!) I really didn't know how he'd react to all the characters.
    But he was into the whole thing, and loved every ride he could get on. I think he may be an adrenaline junkie when he grows up so I better prepare my nerves!
    And wasn't that Hotel incredible? Uh, I can't stop thinking about that, either. It still feels like it was all a dream!
    I want to go back now!

    I'm so glad you were able to have such a good time on your Disney trip - I love hearing about all the different excursions your Family went on.
    Do you still travel?

    And that pic is just perfect, Jane. Especially with Father's Day around the corner ... Mom, I love your 6:19 comment! Very sweet.

    ReplyDelete
  34. RANT
    As a nanny who is very involved and active with her charges, I have a question for parents out there.

    WHY do you hire nannies that are so physically unfit they cannot possibly do their job???

    Examples:
    Last week and The Tenafly Swim Club there was a nanny who spoke zero English and was so obese, she had to sit on the ground because no chair could support her. We entered behind her and she waddled in while her charges ran far ahead of her. They were in the pool long before she arrived and when she finally made it she was so red and panting so hard several of us asked if she was OK. Her charges, a girl named Lindsay (Sp?) and a boy named Logan, about 9 years old and possibly twins were out of control and had no respect for her. When the lifeguard kept correcting them she had no idea what was going on as she didn't understand or speak English very well. Finally, someone who speaks Spanish translated that the kids were going to be kicked out for their misbehavior. I know she was the nanny because I had to stop Logan from bulling my charge and I asked where is your mother and he said at work my nanny is over there.

    Two weeks ago at Van Saun Park I saw a nanny who had to weigh 400 pounds trying and failing to keep up with a very active 3 year old boy. She kept begging him to sit and watch the monkey's or go into the discovery building. Every time I saw this woman, she was sweating buckets.

    These are just two examples, I have others. I just can't for the life of my figure out why people would hire someone like this.

    For the record, I have nothing against overweight people, I've got more than a few extra pounds myself. But I can chase after and catch my charges.

    ReplyDelete
  35. mpp and mom,
    Thank you for your kind words! I will try to be good from now on and be a grown-up! :)

    I cannot wait to take my daughter to Disney! I always loved it as a child, and Epcot too! I have family in Florida, so we will have to make a trip soon! She is still very small, so maybe we will wait a bit.

    Mom: I spoke to my husband about your suggestion of a "Half-pint" adventure, and he says he is game! :)

    ReplyDelete
  36. 10:16
    If you say you're carrying some extra weight, I believe you, but can't understand why you would make this derogatory statement:

    "We entered behind her and she waddled in while her charges ..."

    "Waddled"?
    That is a term used for two things, and two things only:
    Ducks, and fat people.

    Other than that, you ask the $10 million question.
    WHY? Because they don't want to pay for an athletic, professional nanny to run around with their kids all day.

    ReplyDelete
  37. Umass,
    You have a girl! That means you can get her the Laura dress, sunbonnet and Charlotte doll in a matching dress (providing they have all you need in the same pattern in the right sizes)! Some ladies sew prairie girl dresses in all sorts of different calicos and they sell them in the gift shop in DeSmet. (Not terribly expensive either.) We did that and my daughter loved having her photo taken in every possible "Laura" locale all dressed up as Laura.

    MPP...and adrenaline junkie? Well, all I can say is...Watch Out! My adrenaline junkies still gives me heart attacks....and he's grown!
    Yes, we still travel...but a lot of it is visiting family. We are in So. California at least a couple-few times a year. Done a couple of European excursions, and hope to go again next year. I am currently in the process of taking my son to visit different colleges. That's fun. He and I travel so well together and its nice to have that special alone time before he's all growed up! On our last college visit, last month, (we share a hotel room), I looked over at him in his bed just before we went to sleep and I said, "I love being your mom. The only thing that makes me sad is that you grew up way too fast." He suddenly looked a little sad himself, and said, "Yeah, I know. I liked being a kid." It was so sweet..but it gave me tears.

    ReplyDelete
  38. Penguins waddle too...

    And hey...what about Anne of Green Gables? I have that whole collection, books AND DVDS and I still reread them to this day. I am dying to go up to Prince Edward Island to see what it's all about...believe it or not, my mom lived in Nova Scotia for about 2 years back in 2001...That would have been the perfect excuse to go.

    I can't wait to have daughters who love that series as much as I did and DO.

    ReplyDelete
  39. I love this daddy/daughter picture. I got my dad,who has pretty severe Alzheimer's Disease, the book "Why A Daughter Needs A Dad" He loves to have me read it with him! I love my daddy.

    ReplyDelete
  40. One of the father's day gifts my charge and I made involved a poem called "a little girl needs a daddy"

    It's really sweet.

    "A little girl needs Daddy
    For many, many things:
    Like holding her high off the ground
    Where the sunlight sings!
    Like being the deep music
    That tells her all is right
    When she awakens frantic with
    The terrors of the night.

    Like being the great mountain
    That rises in her heart
    And shows her how she might get home
    When all else falls apart.

    Like giving her the love
    That is her sea and air,
    So diving deep or soaring high
    She'll always find him there."
    Author Unknown

    ReplyDelete
  41. I was going to say maybe its a "manny" and not a dad but then i remembered it was father's day weekend.

    ReplyDelete
  42. 11:13, I used waddled because that's what she did.

    If she had a limp and I said she limped, would that be derogatory? I don't think so.

    I have gotten to know a mother at an art class I take my charge to. In the 7 months we have been attending, she has had 3 babysitters, one more horrid than the other. Yesterday, I found out why. She pays $300.00 per week for a 47 hour week. In addition to sitting, the woman is expected to clean the house. This mother had nerve to ask me how long I have been with my family and what's the trick to keeping a nanny. As we got to speaking, the subject of salary came up and that's when she revealed what she pays. I almost choked. Then, she almost choked when I told her what I earn. I guess she got her answer.

    ReplyDelete
  43. 12:48,
    I understand you were probably trying to open this mom's eyes as to what is a fair pay rate, but it is never ever ever a smart idea to disclose to anyone what your employer is paying you. As an employee I would never, and if I employed a nanny I would be very careful as to who I told what her pay rate was. The same thing went when I worked in a childcare center: it was understood that different people had different pay rates (according to education, employment duration, position etc.) and we never spoke out of school. Just some friendly advice for the future, it is one thing if it is a close friend, but I would be hesitant personally to share this information with the "mommy/nanny grapevine."
    Just my two cents. And for the record, 300.00 does seem rather low for that many hours and cleaning too! Gods!

    ReplyDelete
  44. This is sad on so many levels.
    ----------------------------

    north jersey craigslist > childcare
    please flag with care:


    miscategorized


    prohibited


    spam/overpost


    best of craigslist
    My ex family didn't give excellent references about myself (any)

    --------------------------------------------------------------------------------
    Reply to: comm-717440952@craigslist.org
    Date: 2008-06-12, 1:27PM EDT


    Helo dear friends.
    Well I was working as nanny with a family for 1 year taking care two girls(one deaf) , doing laundry, cooking for the girls and taking care the dog.
    When I started they told me the pay will be 450 weekly and just from 7:30 am until 6:30 pm and I just finished at 6:30 pm one month the others months I used to work 15-17 hours per day and One day after 9 month I asked about the pay of my extra hours and she told me that they din't pay extra hours to their others nannies and next day the husband called me to say that If I want I can find another family and he yeld yo me a ,ot and made me cry.


    I worked One year and ALL the time I was so unhappy.

    One day I explain them that I wanted come back to school and Live in was dificult to study and he said ok and I gave them two weeks 15 days like all people give in all jobs and the mother told me 2 weeks is not enought time give me 3.
    Ok next day I told her 3 weeks is ok I called already to schoola dn I can give you 3 weeks and she said: no, don't worry I already have an interview with another nanny and my housband too so What does means they don't need me 3 weeks just two so I started looking for a new job Because I want work in the morning and study at night.
    I left the house THEY DIDN'T PAY ME AND SHE TOLD ME PUT MY NUMBER IN YOUR REFERENCES AND I DID IT.

    I HAD AN INTERVIEW ON SATURDAY WITH A NEW FAMILY AND THE FAMILY WANTED ME AS THEIR NANY AND THEY CALLED TO MY EX FAMILY ASKING REFERENCES AND SHE SAID THAT I DIDIN'T GIVE THEM ENOUGHT TIME TO FIND A NANNY THAT I CAN DO THE SAME TO THAT FAMILY AND THE NEW FAMILY DIN'T HIRE ME BECUASE THEY THINK I'M LIAR.
    MY EX FAMILY JUST SAID BUT THING ABOUT ME , THEY DIN'T SAY ALL THE GOOD THING I DID IT JYUST SHE SAID SHE IS LIAR SHE TOLD US THAT SHE IS GOING TO STUDY ALL DAY AHS SHE IS NOT GOING TO WORK NO MORE AND IT WASN'T TRUE I EXPLAIN THEM ALL ABOUT MY FUTURE PLAND AND NOW I DONM'T HAVE ANY JOB.


    Thwy just said but things about me they din't said I worked 17 hours dayly and they din't pay me extra hours they din't said they never gave a complain about the girl nothing they din't said they was happy with me because i used to clean they used to see the house very neat and clean they don't said that just bad things :(:(

    PLEASE HEL PE SHOULD I PUT AGAIN MY EX FAMILY REFERENCES?
    WHAT I CAN DO FOR THEY CAN PAY ME?

    HEL ME AND HOW MUCH MUST BE MY SALARY FOR NEW FAMILY(LIVE OUT)??

    HELP ME PLEASEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE




    Location: any
    it's NOT ok to contact this poster with services or other commercial interests

    PostingID: 717440952

    ReplyDelete
  45. Thanks UMASS, that's some sound advice.

    I didn't reveal my actual salary, just my range (mid to upper 20's for a 20 hour a week position). That's the going rate here.

    For the record I think nanny salaries in the $30 dollar an hour and up range are few and far between. Most nannies I know earn about $15-$22 per hour.

    ReplyDelete
  46. About a year ago I found a wonderful woman to act as an on call sitter for my shy toddler. He took to her immediately. She came as needed several times a week so I could do shopping, get my hair done, whatever.

    Recently, I became pregnant and am suffering from morning sickness so I let her off for a few weeks. My son cried for her daily and so I e-mailed her to let her know she was missed. She said she missed Cody too and offered to come by and take him to the park for an hour so I could rest, no charge. I thought this to be an incredibly sweet gesture and at the end of her visit, when I tried to insist she take something for her time she refused. She's done this for me several times now and although I had to threaten not to allow it any more unless she took money she usually refuses, saying she has time to do it and she enjoys it. I suspect she misses having children of her own.

    All was going well until my friend started saying the whole idea that someone would want to come for free creeps her out. At first I laughed her off but now she put this notion in my head and I can't shake it. Do any of the moms here think it's creepy that my former sitter is offering to take him to the park for an hour or so once or twice a week at no charge because she enjoys it? Am I just oversensitive these days?

    ReplyDelete
  47. Perhaps the woman considers you a friend and is just trying to be nice.
    I don't think it's ever silly to be careful with who you let your children go with, and you're right in saying that you are most likely over-sensitive these days with hormones and whatnot. But I don't know this woman so I can't really say. Have you done the proper background checks on her? It is really a judgement call. If you feel uncomfortable, and since she is not family, (and it sounds as if even though she may consider you a close friend, you don't feel the same way) it is fine for you to say no next time. It is your child, after all.

    ReplyDelete
  48. 1:39

    You've known this Nanny for a year. I will assume you did all the proper checks, and that she did a good job taking care of your son.
    Now she's coming to see your son basically because your son missed her. I see nothing wrong or creepy about it. She was good enough for you when you were paying her, so why question it now that she's doing it for free?
    If you're finding it weird that she doesn't want to be paid, please don't. This is more like "visiting", than it is "work". I would feel awkward too if I was called back because my previous charge missed me ... and I got paid for it.

    Take it for what it is. There are still some nice people left in this World, and your Nanny sounds like one of them. Don't hurt your son by blocking her from seeing him just because your friend has you questioning your kind Nannies motives!

    ReplyDelete
  49. Your being paranoid. She enjoys spending time with your kid just like some people enjoy walking dogs for free because they wish they could have a job. Enjoy it. You are sick and need a break anyway.

    ReplyDelete
  50. The nanny sounds like a very nice person. Your friend, not so much.

    ReplyDelete
  51. Be careful..maybe shes after your baby. Have you heard the stories of women killing pregnant women and cutting their child out of them??? Its so scary. And it sounds like she doesn't have kids of her own. Maybe, she can't have any. You never know.

    ReplyDelete
  52. 11:31

    *OMG* You have to be kidding me right? Please say you are..

    I don't see anything strange about wanting to spend time with a child who is an important part of your life. Can't you see how lucky you are to have this loving and generous person in your life? I spend 9+ hours a day with my kiddos (I hate the word "charges.". Sounds so impersonal.) Not only do I care deeply about the kids but I care for their parents as well. I don't have children of my own so it would be really very simple to give an hour or two of my time a week to help out someone I care about who is ill. I think you should write her a nice card and give her a gift card to her favorite store. Stop writing about her on ISYN and start appreciating this amazing women.

    ReplyDelete
  53. 11:31

    *OMG* You have to be kidding me right? Please say you are..

    I don't see anything strange about wanting to spend time with a child who is an important part of your life. Can't you see how lucky you are to have this loving and generous person in your life? I spend 9+ hours a day with my kiddos (I hate the word "charges.". Sounds so impersonal.) Not only do I care deeply about the kids but I care for their parents as well. I don't have children of my own so it would be really very simple to give an hour or two of my time a week to help out someone I care about who is ill. I think you should write her a nice card and give her a gift card to her favorite store. Stop writing about her on ISYN and start appreciating this amazing women.

    ReplyDelete
  54. When carrying a new life inside your belly, it is best not to think ugly thoughts about people. Some people are so good that they 'blow us away'. Be gracious.
    Karma.

    ReplyDelete
  55. 11:31 needs a good psychiatrist. You shouldn't leave messages like that to this lady.

    Wrong. 10 different kinds of wrong.

    ReplyDelete
  56. Why is it wrong? You never know what someones true intentions are. Thats all I am saying. A woman in our church (pregnant), was selling a car. She met a woman that said she was interested. And the woman just wanted her baby. She was killed, and now the husband is raising this child alone. So no I don't think I am being extreme. When it happens to someone you know its not extreme, its close to home.

    ReplyDelete
  57. Wasn't this a Lifetime movie, or something?

    ReplyDelete
  58. theres actually alot of cases like this...not just one in particular

    ReplyDelete
  59. How cheap I found this on Craigslist NJ.

    A daycare won't even watch twins for this amount. If someone is really struggling the government would help with the childcare expenses.

    Read below:


    BABYSITTER NEEDED FOR 5 MONTH OLD TWINS ASASP (BAYONNE)

    --------------------------------------------------------------------------------
    Reply to: comm-720909818@craigslist.org
    Date: 2008-06-15, 6:47PM EDT


    HI, I AM POSTING A REQUEST FOR CHEAP CHILDCARE IN BAYONNE NEW JERSEY..I NEED A RELIABLE HONEST WOMEN TO BABYSIT 5 MONTH OLD 2 TWINS GIRLS..FOR 4 DAYS A WEEK 1PM-10:30PM FOR $150 A WEEK....MUST HAVE GOOD REFERENCES AND BE RELIABLE AND EXPERIENCE IS A MUST.....PLEASE CALL (718)924-7462 WE CAN ALSO DICUSS OTHER HOURS AND FEES

    ReplyDelete
  60. I saw a caucasian boy with dark brown hair about the age of 2 yo outside of the playground at 76th and Fifth Avenue this past Tuesday. He was crying and trying to get inside the playground. I asked him where his mom or nanny was, and he pointed North to the path outside of the playground in Central Park. I asked him if he wanted me to take him to her, and he said no, that he was with "those guys", which were three 4-5 yos running around outside the playground unattended. He was following the older boys around, but they weren't paying attention to him. He said his caregiver's name was Keisha. I was at the playground for another 20 minutes and never saw her. Just this poor 2yo boy toddling after a crew of slightly older boys in Central Park. He could have been kidnapped! If you know anyone who fits the description with a caregiver named Keisha, please tell the mom!

    ReplyDelete
  61. Please tell us you hung out with him until she showed up, because you don't say!
    What happened to the little boy?

    ReplyDelete
  62. Need Childcare starting July 7th in my home Mon-Thurs night (Nutley)

    --------------------------------------------------------------------------------
    Reply to: comm-722351910@craigslist.org
    Date: 2008-06-16, 9:44PM EDT


    Hello, I am in need of childcare for my 3 year old daughter and my 11 month old son starting on July 7th Monday through Thursday night. The times would be between 5-11pm. The times will vary on each day but in those time frames. I am a single mom and dont have a lot to pay because I am going back to school for night classes, but looking for a responsible teenager or maybe another mom, and we can trade childcare responsibilities. The position will be in my Nutley apartment and my son goes to bed pretty early and my daughter is good at entertaining herself. I can afford $50 a week, which I know is not a lot but it is not a lot of hours and you are free to eat whatever you want in the fridge and make yourself at home. Please Email me if interested, price is non-negotiable, that is all I can afford.




    Location: Nutley
    it's NOT ok to contact this poster with services or other commercial interests

    PostingID: 722351910

    --------------------------------------------------------------------------------
    *********************************

    The THREE year old is good at entertaining HERSELF????

    ReplyDelete
  63. I respect people's rights to have children but having more than one when you can't afford to provide properly for them is unfair to both you and your children.

    Also it's sad when someone uses the fact that a 3 year old can entertain herself as a selling point to attract a sitter for well below the going rate.

    ReplyDelete
  64. Excellent post, MM. I thought the same thing.
    Basically just come and hang out like your at home, veg on the couch, pig out and watch t.v.

    The little one sleeps a lot so he's no bother, and the 3 y.o. isn't any trouble because she can entertain herself. You probably won't even notice they're there.

    Give me a break! I don't care how this Mom is trying to get ahead, she's obviously a terrible Parent because she's looking to hire someone to care for her kids the same exact way she does. The cheap ass way she's trying to get someone to watch her kids is evidence of that.
    She probably won't even do a background, much less check the references.

    Isn't there anything else a Parent (with good intentions) can do to find childcare? State subsidiaries or something?

    ReplyDelete
  65. Manhattan,
    maybe this womans husband left her and she already had these 2 little kids and she didn't have much choice on keeping them? Sounds like a young Mother in need of some help and is trying to find someone in the same situation as she is.
    SHe may be looking for another student therefore letting them know her child behaves is not a handful and that this sitter would be able to study while they were there.
    Just because you cannot afford another child and you get pregnant does not mean you need to run and get an abortion. We do not know what this womans situation is.
    Looks like a young mother trying to better herself by getting an education.

    ReplyDelete
  66. Sometimes there is help available to young, single mothers who need babysitting while they attend school or even in other situations. Hopefully, she won't end up with a lazy, incompetent slug or even worse.

    ReplyDelete
  67. Anon 12:54 PM let's be realistic.
    I highly doubt this woman is a poor widow or victim of spousal abandonment. Like Jack Sparrow said improbable not impossible. However I would bet money she is one of many young women today who have babies without regard for the cost involved.

    And who's talking abortion? There are a host of services out there for young women who truly want to better themselves and keep their babies. These services include but are not limited to education grants, help obtaining proper business attire and childcare assistance just to name a few. In NJ, there are many such services. Since most of the schools can get government money for participating in these programs and guiding people to them, I am certain her guidance councilor would have addressed them with her.

    ReplyDelete
  68. States will help if she doesn't make too much money and that varries from state to state.
    Her "cheap ass ways" of finding a babysitter is what she has to do in order to survive. I cannot see how Jack or anyone else in here can say she probably is not a woman who has been divorced with the divorce rate at over 50 percent. As to why people have kids when they cannot afford it? That is pretty easy the birth control didn't work. It sounds to me like this is a woman who works doesn't get welfare and is trying to finish her education. I have no why idea why you people are trying to trash her. I guess because she cannot afford a nanny?
    As far as the abortion goes , well it was said someone "didn't know why people have kids when they cannot afford them." What are her choices? You find out you are pregnant and you cannot afford it, what do you do?
    No one her knows anything about her circumstances.

    ReplyDelete
  69. 2:23
    I have nothing against a young Mother trying to make it on her own. More power to her.
    But, as MM said: "when someone uses the fact that a 3 year old can entertain herself as a selling point to attract a sitter for well below the going rate" ....
    that is very sad!
    Why put yourself out there like that, and take a chance at bringing some unsavory person in to watch your kids?

    And please .... it has nothing to do with not being able to afford a Nanny. As we all know, there are some decent Nannies out there that won't charge as much. The only argument there is some people will say they aren't "professional" because they don't charge the going rate.
    But that doesn't always mean you'll get a bad one.

    ReplyDelete
  70. I doubt this woman's situation changed drastically in the 2 years between her first and second child.
    And MM is right there are plenty of programs out there. I hear Nutley, single mother of two kids and I'm thinking those kids probably each have different fathers and she's probably looking for the next baby daddy candidate for her third.

    ReplyDelete
  71. The family I babysit for gave me a very sweet present for my 21st birthday last week. I've known them for about 3 years, so I wasn't surprised, but it was still very touching. My question is, I want to write a thank you note but feel awkward since I see them every day.

    When the mom gave me the box, I gave her a big hug and a thank you. Last year, I was able to write the card because I only saw them 3x a week.

    So, should I write the card and mail it, write one and bring it, or just leave it at the warm thank-you I gave her?

    Thanks for any advice!

    ReplyDelete
  72. Etiquette never goes out of style.
    Please hand write a nice Thank you note/card.
    Leave it on a sideboard or table for them to pick up when you leave.
    (Mailing it seems impersonal.)

    You're really gracious!

    ReplyDelete
  73. anon @4:17 wrote, "So, should I write the card and mail it, write one and bring it, or just leave it at the warm thank-you I gave her?"

    Yes, you should write the card and mail it. To leave the Thank you card would be an etiquette faux pas. Proper etiquette dictates that thank you cards must always be mailed. And to the poster above, it doesn't suggest impersonalness, but demonstrates the associated effort and thought involved.

    ReplyDelete
  74. Actually, if you are rather close, hand delivery leaves a nice impression on the Employer.

    I looked it up. You can do it either way, OP.

    ReplyDelete
  75. OP
    It is perfectly acceptable to hand deliver a Thank you card.
    If you weren't there every day, as before, mailing it would be more appropriate.

    Nowadays, it is more important just sending one, then how it gets to the recipient.


    E-mail it, fax it, hand deliver it, messenger it, use overnight mail .... just send it.
    :)

    ReplyDelete
  76. I do some casual sitting on call for toddler twins. I've been asked to sit for a weekend round the clock with them. I have no idea how to charge. I usually get 12.00 per hour cash but I don't think I can charge that for 72 hours! Does anyone else sit overnight? Pay an overnight sitter? If so is it by the hour or a flat fee? Thanks!

    ReplyDelete
  77. Oh. My. God.

    http://atlanta.craigslist.org/kid/722008547.html

    Looking For Nanny For Our Four Girls
    Reply to: comm-722008547@craigslist.org
    Date: 2008-06-16, 5:01PM

    Hi, my wife and I are looking for a Nanny for our four girls. During school, only two and next year, only one. Three out of four will be in school. Their ages are 2, 4, 7 and 10. We are constantly complimented on how well behaved they are. We are looking for someone from 6:30 A.M. - (approximately) 4:00P.M. Six days a week. Our work rotation is kinda weird but we are NOT a Monday thru Friday couple. We also offer a live in position if interested. We can pay $800/month and prefer someone who does NOT smoke and that has a vehicle. If you have any questions, please contact us. Thanks. P.S. - Feel free to check us out on or myspace page. www.myspace.com/dxxxxxXXX My wife's name is Mxxxxx and she is listed as my first "friend" on my friend's list. Thanks.

    So, 60 or so hours a week x 4.3 weeks per month = 258 hours per month or more. So, $3.10 per hour, MAX.

    Nice.

    ReplyDelete
  78. anon/8:49,

    I generally charge my usual hourly rate for daytime hours, and then either 1/2 that rate for nighttime hours or a set amount of $75 or so.

    Of course, if the kids are still waking at night, I charge more.

    ReplyDelete
  79. I thought it cost MORE for night time childcare?

    ReplyDelete
  80. According to this guys MYSPACE page he makes $75,000-$100,000 a year AND his wife works too. KInd of weird that they don't feel it's necessary to pay someone who is taking care of their 4 children a decent wage. Sad... Childcare alone for one of their children would run about $800.00 a month (in my area anyway).

    ReplyDelete
  81. I must be a complete idiot. I went to myspace and put in his url. I can't find his page.

    ReplyDelete
  82. Just copy his Myspace URL and post it into your browser bar then hit enter.

    ReplyDelete
  83. I would tsk tsk to anyone who 'left' a thank you card. I'm old school that way.

    ReplyDelete
  84. Re: the atlanta nanny position

    I'm guessing the income listed is their combined income. I seriously doubt they make that much individually as lower-level management at Waffle House. Also, notice that the mom is only 27 and they have a ten year old daughter. That means she got pregnant when she was 16 and he was 25. Nice...

    ReplyDelete
  85. To the young, college age (18-21 yr old) babysitter/older sister Chelsea, with the little boy and girl at Barnes And Noble yesterday, Riverside Square Mall and Hackensack, NJ.

    You were great with the kids and I understand at your age you are quite the fashionista, but when you weigh over 200 lbs you might want to rethink the micro-mini skirt. No one wanted to see your flowered cotton underwear or your cottage cheese thighs as you strolled around the store. People were laughing at you dear.

    ReplyDelete
  86. 11:19,
    this is not isawyourbadfashion.

    get a life.

    ReplyDelete
  87. I know, right?
    What is wrong with people these days, they have to pick apart everybody until they get down to their bare soul.

    ReplyDelete
  88. I would not want someone without the good sense to cover her behind caring for my kids, my daughter in particular, as little girls tend to want to imitate older ones. I see young girls walking around like this all the time and I wonder if they realize their ass is showing when they walk. It's one thing with shorts or leggings, quite another when they are clearly wearing undies they can't possibly want to be seen. I often wonder, have they no mother or friends with guts enough to break it to them gently?

    ReplyDelete
  89. Well, maybe they don't want to hurt their feelings, but personally ... if I had on something that looked atrocious, I would hope somebody would tell me.
    We all have our "off" days .... lol.
    See .... I'm that cool person that will tell you, hey you got something stuck in your teeth, or you're dragging toilet paper on your shoe, or your zipper is undone. Because I wouldn't want to be embarrassed like that.

    But yes, a Nanny running around with her bum or boobies hanging out - not good.

    ReplyDelete
  90. Oh yeah, case in point .... remember the pants I told everyone here about that had a rip in the bum, while I walked around for 2 hours, and the people I was with said NOTHING!
    That was tragic ..... lol.

    ReplyDelete
  91. tragic, MPP? Only for you, I'd guess! Others may have had different views (excuse the pun)! :-)

    ReplyDelete
  92. Re: The Atlanta Position

    I wrote:
    Be careful! What kind of person is going to work for $800 per month?
    http://childcaregonewrong.blogspot.com

    he responded:
    a live-in nanny. mind your business.

    I responded:
    A live-in nanny with no discernable skills or other options.
    Perhaps daycare is a better option?
    I speak with concern for your children.

    He responded:
    Get a hobby lady. You don't even believe in your cause enough to leave your real name. "Jane Doe"? Please stop wasting my time. We have received many responses with very good resumes. My company also does background checks. Please move on to bothering someone else.

    I say:
    Employer's ads on public bulletin boards offering incomprehensibly low compensation to just about anyone who will show up. A recipe for disaster or a new feature on ISYN?
    What shall we call it?

    ReplyDelete
  93. I love the idea of employers ads asking for trouble. Here's another fantastic example from the Atlanta craigslist:

    Child care/live-in (perfect for student) (East Cobb)
    Reply to: comm-725397938@craigslist.org
    Date: 2008-06-19, 1:23PM EDT


    I am looking to rent a room in my home for decreased rent (400.00) in exchange for part-time assistance with my three children. I have a nice home in East Cobb/non-smoking, with pets. This would be a great opportunity for a student at GSU or KSU. You must be willing to make a commitment for the school year at least. If this sounds like a possibility, let's talk further.
    Email me with initial questions and then we can look to meet and see if we "CLICK"
    Allison

    -- Excuse me? You expect your live-in nanny to pay you $400 a month in rent for the privilege of living in your house and taking care of your children? If this is "perfect for a student" and you don't plan to pay her anything for the (estimated) 15-20 hours a week you plan to work her, when is she going to have time for a SECOND job to pay rent and bills between working for you and going to school? And I like how $400 a month is reduced rent. It's just a room in a house, not a whole apartment or guest house. Who would pay more than $400 to share a house with a single mom, three kids and pets even if they could live there without working?

    ReplyDelete
  94. Ridiculous.
    Thank you for that winning post, Annie. If I hadn't seen it with my own eyes, I wouldn't have believed it.

    ReplyDelete
  95. And $800/mo is STILL more than that nanny who had the car taken away and pay reduction. Jane, I love that idea! And it would also satisfy the desire for a "parents gone bad" blog.

    ReplyDelete
  96. So...does the pale fella sitting by the pool like to swim?

    ReplyDelete
  97. So cute! Doggie likes to swim, huh?

    ReplyDelete
  98. When we were newly married, my husband and i spotted a housesitting job in Pasadena that we thought woul dhelp us make ends meet.
    It was the opportunity to stay in a house free for a year and all we had to do was feed their animals, tend to the pool and look after the house. There was no pay, but we figured the several hundred dollars a month we would save in rent, not to mention the opportunity to live in an actual house as opposed to a cracker box apartment would be nice.

    So, we made an appointment and went to meet the people. As soon as we were let into the parlor (and I say parlor rather than "entry" because it was more like the Adams family mansion than a house) we knew we had made a huge mistake.

    The huse was, huge, unkempt (being extremely generous with that term), and filled with animals, including some sort of huge, evil looking bird (a raven? or do scars on my memory make the whole scene even more horrific than it was?). There were multiple animal cages, and large dogs roaming. I don't know if this is an actual memory, or whether my mind has placed it there because it soooo belonged, but I recall one of those scary fortune telling carnival machines, where a gypsy woman's veiled head sits inside a glass box and, for the price of a quarter placed in a slot, dispenses ominous predictions about the future in a ghostly voice. The homeowner left us standing alone in the parlor (yes we observed all of this in just the first room)for several minutes, during which we were afraid to speak out loud in case he was lurking in a cobweb filled corner just out of sight, but exchanged several horrified looks.

    He finally came back and showed us the rest of the house and finished up by showing us the swimming pool he expected us to tend. I couldn't help wondering WHY he wanted the pool tended, since it was obviously not something that was done while they were in residence.

    We realized that taking care of that house was more than a full time job, worth NO amount of free rent or pay, and skeedaddled post haste.

    ReplyDelete
  99. Heres another winner for you:

    Looking for a full time/part time babysitter (Lyndhurst )

    --------------------------------------------------------------------------------
    Reply to: comm-726718161@craigslist.org
    Date: 2008-06-20, 3:12PM EDT


    Looking for a babysitter to watch my child during the summer and school year
    Hours are as follows: 8am to 6pm at times and 3pm to 6pm depends on my work week. May also need some weekend days.

    This position would work well with a responsible teenager who has a car thats a plus.

    The salary is 110 a week

    PLEASE EMAIL ME WITH QUESTIONS






    Regarding the above post. So wait some weeks the person will work fifty hours and get $110.00 other weeks from 3-6 same price??

    99% this person would be working the fifty hours a week

    ReplyDelete
  100. yes, that post sounds sketchy. If I were interviewing for that position I would make sure that I knew exactly how many hours I would be working if it was for salary as opposed to hourly. And furthermore, it sounds as if the person's hours would be switching and different from week to week. There should be a little extra compensation for such flexibility, I think.

    ReplyDelete
  101. GO TURKEY GO!!!!!

    ReplyDelete
  102. You are supporting Turkey's soccer team?

    ReplyDelete
  103. Mom
    That house sounds frightful.
    So glad you got out safely! lol

    See what I mean? Only YOU have stories like THAT!

    Very cool.

    ReplyDelete
  104. Awww...I'll bet there are a lot of Californians with stories as nutty as mine! It's a wild, wild, wacky world all its own out there! Haven't you heard? EVERYTHING is OK in California! Free to be you and me, after all!!!! (Even though I still love it there!)

    Besides, my husband and I are blessed, on both sides, with big, wild, nutty families!

    ReplyDelete
  105. Yeah why can't I support Turkey's soccer team?

    ReplyDelete
  106. Jane, you rock! I think I have gotten almost identical responses from "disaster-in-waiting" parents when I have emailed them in the past - maybe there's a genetic link to cheap pay and lame responses when called on said cheapness?

    BTW, a "Delayed Disaster Alert"/ "Recipie for Disater" feature would be fabulous!

    And Annie, I posted the following to the woman looking to be paid by her own live-in sitter - I can't wait to see if I get a response.

    http://atlanta.craigslist.org/kid/727172719.html

    I think the issue here is that you expect someone to pay YOU in exchange for having a room and providing childcare services. Generally, the employER pays the employEE, not vice versa.

    Maybe you'd be better off offering FREE rent, and specifying the number of hours you'd need the sitter to work. That would probably help show people they'd be getting a good deal.

    For example, if you consider the room worth $400 per month, ask them to promise 40 hours childcare per month. That's a fair exchange, don't you think? And if you truly only need 2 evenings of care per week, that should be a good number of hours!

    Now, I couldn't actually figure out your ad (below), so if you are actually paying the person $12 per hour and then expecting them to pay YOU rent, all the points I made are moot. But you would have been well served to put that in your initial ad, don't you think? Then no one would be assuming you are a tightwad who wants money for nothing.

    Cheers!

    ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

    RENT for a one bedroom is anywhere from 600-900- and I only need help two evenings a week while I am at school!!!!My kids DO NOT have homework, they do not have to cook for them or anything! I pay 12 per hour so they would be living in a beautiful house in a safe area close to everything for ONLY 400.00 per month! I would have loved a deal like this, no bills, cable, internet, phone at my finger tips,
    So, for you grown ups out there please email me directly if you are interested!

    ReplyDelete
  107. Gee Jane, I hope I didn't hurt your dog's feelings by callling him pale. I see he is working on his tan today!

    ReplyDelete
  108. Bwahhhh! Stop it, Mom. lol
    Too funny.
    Really cute pic, Jane.

    ReplyDelete
  109. thanks Mom & MPP,
    He loves to swim but has to be closely supervised. It's pretty hysterical.

    ReplyDelete
  110. Jane,
    Love,love,love the new pic of Lefty doing "doggie-yoga" (still smiling!). Thanks!

    ReplyDelete
  111. This comment has been removed by the author.

    ReplyDelete
  112. MPP
    Is that your little boy? 'Cause that angellic little guy in the pic is how I picture your son.

    Jane,
    I actually gave my pups (forcible) swim lessons after I found my new pup clinging for life on the top stair of the pool one day when I let her out for 5 mins to potty right after I got her. I felt bad doing it, but I took them (my son got a pup around the same time) to every area of the pool, let them go, and made them find the stairs on their own. I was in the pool with them. Nobody liked it, but at least i feel confident that nobody is going to drown. On a pitiful note, none of them like to get near the pool when I am in it now. Waaaa!

    ReplyDelete
  113. Mom
    I was a little nervous about putting him up ... but yes, it is! ♥

    ReplyDelete
  114. Well, he is absolutely precious!

    You know what, it somehow makes me a little nervous to see him up there too. I am the very protective type. I have thought of putting a picture up of mine as "little tykes," but even that scares me somehow.

    ReplyDelete
  115. I probably won't leave him up for long. I just just wanted to share his photo with some of you because he's so special to me. :)

    ReplyDelete
  116. mpp,
    He is too precious. I am so glad to decided to share the picture. Even if it's a temporary glimpse, I was ever so curious!

    ReplyDelete
  117. Jane,
    I kind of thought some would be, but I hadn't figured on the photo getting over 50 hits in one hour.
    I am so glad you and Mom got to see my little guy but I will be taking him down soon, I've got knots in my stomach because of it! lol

    Thanks so much for the kind words. ☺

    ReplyDelete
  118. Jane,
    What date did you start this blog?

    ReplyDelete
  119. This is the first post:
    http://isawyournanny.blogspot.com/2006/08/broomfield-paul-derda-rec-center.html

    It was August 06.
    Anything you see dated prior to that is only archived there for organizational purposes. (For example, from now on, OLD welcome posts will be archived there as people had complained about the comments being "suddenly gone".

    ReplyDelete
  120. I was confused by the way the posts were archived in Jan. 2006, and the whole Justin thing.

    ReplyDelete
  121. It says "Justin cont'd", but I don't know where the 1st part is? No big deal.

    ReplyDelete
  122. nevermind. I think I found it, sorry.

    ReplyDelete
  123. If I had an actual website, instead of a blog, I would be able to archive it much better. I am working within the limitations of blogger. Sorry for the confusion!

    ReplyDelete
  124. I don't know what the video is? I can't get it to play.

    ReplyDelete
  125. Heres another winner on Craigslist:


    read below


    Single Mom Needs Babysitter Overnight Fri & Sat (Englewood)

    --------------------------------------------------------------------------------
    Reply to: jadelashea@aol.com
    Date: 2008-06-24, 3:37PM EDT


    Hello

    I am a single mom of an adorable, well mannered 3 year old girl. If you know anything about being a single mom, You understand that its very hard work. I have sacraficed and put my personal life on hold for the past 3 years and Im ready to get back out there and enjoy life again.

    I am seeking someone who will be available on Friday & Saturaday nights from about 8PM to 4AM or later depending on my plans.



    You must work well and have experience with children. Be kind and caring.
    Also I would prefer that you be from the bergen Co area, If not be willing to travel. Your house (if child proofed)or mine is fine.


    I am willing to pay $25-$35 a night. I would love to pay more but unfortunately, Im on a tight budget. If you charge by the hour, Need not
    apply!!

    If Interested call or e mail
    201-956-5712.
    Miss Stubbs

    ReplyDelete
  126. Back when I babysat on the side, I got $25 PER HOUR on Friday and Saturday nights (ie babysitting prime time). So the concept of $25 for 8 hours of childcare on a Friday/Saturday night is so ludicrous it's laughable. What's not laughable is the type of person who's so desperate for cash that they are willing to accept this position. That's just scary.

    ReplyDelete
  127. Duke: with every pic, I love ya more and more. (Lefty, you too!!!)

    ReplyDelete
  128. The adds on craigslist NEVER fail to shock the hell out of me. Is this lady serious? Her poor child! Why does she need to go out twice each weekend and till 4am?

    ReplyDelete
  129. This comment has been removed by a blog administrator.

    ReplyDelete
  130. This comment has been removed by a blog administrator.

    ReplyDelete
  131. Are you going to put up a pic of both your babies while you're gone?

    ReplyDelete
  132. Eric's Mom, that ad is certainly a winner.

    Being a single mom is hard work? Who woulda thunk being completely responsible for the well being of another person would be rough going!!!! Now she's ready to to get out and enjoy life but she can't afford to pay a real wage for childcare? Give me a break!!

    ReplyDelete
  133. Ok guys I know this isn't quite where it's supposed to be but I need some advice now and I believe I read that jane is out of town so then she wouldn't be able to post my delimia in time.

    The family I nanny for had 3 year old Labrador so I'm guessing he's full grown. Yesterday while I was playing outside with the kids the dog went ape over the water hose and landed on my bare foot. All of his weight went right over the spot where I have a pin in my foot due to surgery last year. It swelled up immediately and it's bruised pretty bad.

    It doesn't hurt to walk as long as I wear flip flops and not shoes but my doctor of course wants me to come in so he can look at it and take x-rays.

    This happened yesterday and I haven't told the parents yet what happened because I don't know how and I'm going to want them to pay the bills.
    I have health insurance but I still have deductibles and co-pays and I'm looking at a few hundred bucks in medical bills because of this.

    Any ideas on how I can bring it up?

    ReplyDelete
  134. I wish my husband and I could go out once inawhile on the weekends. But we are so tight on money. I would be embarrased to offer someone cheap pay like that.

    ReplyDelete
  135. 3:30
    I am pretty sure your post will be up by early tomorrow morning, ok?

    Sorry to hear about your foot, I hope you'll be o.k.

    ReplyDelete
  136. This comment has been removed by a blog administrator.

    ReplyDelete
  137. *** Nanny needed - $300 per week *** (Aliso Viejo)

    --------------------------------------------------------------------------------
    Reply to: comm-732695537@craigslist.org
    Date: 2008-06-25, 4:34PM PDT


    Need an experienced nanny with references to look after 2 toddlers and perform light house keeping. Live out or live-in. Hours are from 7:30am to 7pm Monday through Friday. Saturday and Sunday mostly off, but sometimes will be substituted with week days off. Pay is $300 per week. Please reply by e-mail.




    Location: Aliso Viejo
    it's NOT ok to contact this poster with services or other commercial interests

    ReplyDelete
  138. I used to live right by Aliso Viejo and it's a nice area and expensive. Wonder why these people are being so cheap when it comes to their children. You can't even get daycare for 2 children for what they are willing to pay. Sad...

    ReplyDelete
  139. Another winner:

    read below found this on Craigslist, (no surprise).

    Babysitter Needed (Carteret, NJ)

    --------------------------------------------------------------------------------
    Reply to: chongach@yahoo.com
    Date: 2008-06-30, 2:22PM EDT



    I am looking for a babysitter for Wednesdays from 10am-3pm. I am looking to pay $6 dollars an hour. It could turn into full time work. I am currently going on many interviews and need someone to look after and play with my 2 year old son. He is a normal 2 year old and loves to talk and play. He still takes naps once a day at around 12pm. Ideal candidate would be between 15-30 years old and drive or have a ride to my home.

    You can contact me at any time at 914-391-2192 or email me at chongach@yahoo.com
    Ask for Corinne

    ReplyDelete
  140. new york craigslist > queens > childcare
    please flag with care:

    miscategorized
    prohibited
    spam/overpost
    best of craigslist
    Part time babysitter Needed (Middle Village)
    Reply to: brendalys_negron@yahoo.com
    Date: 2008-07-07, 8:46PM EDT


    Hi, Im looking for a fun, loving babysitter to care for my lil ones on a part time basis, once a week and one day in the weekend, my children are 7,3 and 2 they are wonderful little kids!! your duties are to cook for the kids and clean up after them. im a neat freak and like everything in order and everything clean!! all you have to do is play with them in the yard and have a blast!! If your a slob and dont like to clean, please dont reply!! Im looking for someone who is very clean!! and knows how to cook!!
    7 hours of work $30 cash Please email me at Brendalys_Negron@yahoo.com or call me at 9175194687..

    ReplyDelete
  141. I suppose this is a "rant" of sorts but I notice no sightings so perhaps I can get some opinions. The family I work for sent their kids to an all day camp this summer (8:30-4:30). The kids are bused there as well. I do cleaning two days/week when the mom is home and this was our agreed upon arrangement. Now that the boys are gone...more housework seems to be added every week. Heavy house cleaning things. Now I am no at all lazy but this was not part of my job, yes I clean the house but I am not the housekeeper. I feel as if I am doing what a housekeeper would. They did not discuss this with me before hand and I have NO idea why they would send the kids to this very pricey camp when they have a full time nanny. In the fall the littlest one will go off to kindergarten which is 3 full days/week and I am afraid that the same thing will happen. Am I incorrect in thinking that it was THEIR choice to send the boys to this camp so why am I asked to do so many things that are not part of my job? Does this seem unfair only to me? With the addition of these tasks I feel that if I am still supposed to do more housework in the fall I should get a pay raise. I would like nanny and parents thoughts. Thanks.

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  142. I have a wonderful nanny who has been with us 2 and a half years. She makes a great salary if you think of it as "full time" but to allow for my commute to work and my commute home from work, some days nanny works 11-12 hours. I always strive for 10, but even 10 is 2 more than the average worker. I got to work which is for me a career. When I accomplish things, my name is in the trade magazines, I get more clients, hefty bonuses. I have stock options, a 401K, medical, dental and 4 weeks paid vacation per year.

    My children are in day camp 7-9 weeks per year, (barring holidays, illness or weather that is too hot- thereby closing one of the children's daycamps).

    My nanny gets 2 weeks paid vacations, 1 4 day weekend, 3 three day weekends and 7 paid holidays. The nanny is scheduled around my schedule so that my husband and I can have our careers and our children can have quality care in their absence.

    I'm sorry, but what kind of miser do you have to be to think up tasks for your overworked nanny to do when she might actually have a relaxing work pace and the chance to recharge? My husband's office runs on a skeleton crew every Friday during the summer. He is home every Friday.

    My nanny comes to work, a job where there is no opportunity for advancement. Part of her job requires that she open her heart to my children.

    It would certainly never occur to me to ask her to run errands or to work late because the children were in camp or to clean the house. Anyone who does that has no respect for their nanny as a professional.

    My husband and I will try to go in late enough 2-3 days a weeks so that we can get the children off to camp. We cannot always and on those days, the nanny has to make her 45 minute train commute to work to deal with the morning routine. I also need her every days, excepting Fridays to be here when the children get off the camp bus.

    I am shocked to hear of other employers as they brag about negotiations they have made with the nanny because they wanted their child to go to an exclusive day camp or luxury sleep away camp. One friend had the never to brag that she changed her nannies days from M-f to Thursday-Monday in the summer and then she laughed about how she is never home on the weekends.

    For those of you who think you are demonstrating prowess of or power by being demanding and unrelenting employers of nannies, I dare suggest you are only a hop, skip and a jump away from being the Long Island Nanny Killer.

    Didn't many of you wonder why she didn't speak up and say, "I'm not comfortable watching the children by the pool".

    Well, what do you think the kind of woman who would step on another woman's bloated dying body to dive off of would respond to such an honest confession?

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  143. The case of killer nannies has reached epidemic proportions what with parents failing to do proper background checks on their caregiver, people like Allick calling themselves "nurses" without even having a nursing license and child complaints not being taken seriously.

    Stories about home-alone children and killer nannies are proof that parents can no longer be trusted. And that should serve as a starting point for new family policies which set out to hold parents to stricter standards, including being arrested for criminal negligence when you leave your child with a woman with a record of abusing children in the past.

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  144. Is this where I report a nanny sighting? I am in Chicago

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  145. Yes post your sighting here.
    Or you can email me at isawyournanny@aol.com or you can send me an anonymous instant message using the MEEBO toolbar in the sidebar of this blog.

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  146. Am I in the minority here for thinking that it's a tad bit unreasonable to expect to collect a full salary for an 8 hour day while spending one hour total loading up the dishwasher, putting out the trash and changing the sheets on a toddler bed? If you want to spend the 8 hours taking care of kids and not doing housework, you may need to find new employers, 8:34. I'd also suspect they may decide soon after the youngest starts kindergarten that they really don't need a nanny anymore, so it may be in your best interests to start looking now for something more within your career path.

    Lauren, your husband is lucky. The vast majority of employees in the U.S. do not have the option of taking every Friday off to relax with their families. Kudos to those who do, but you need to realize your situation is NOT the norm.

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  147. Cali mom, why is that? It was not 8:34's choice that her family decided to make this decision. I know plenty of people who pay a full salary and send kids to camp and allow their nannies to take a summer course or get another job during the day. It was THEIR decision and making her the housekeeper to get their money's worth is not right. In fact it's damn wrong.

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