Saturday, October 11, 2008Queer Mary Poppins a super creative and least condescending sitter (Brooklyn)
I'm a 22 year old student studying Africana and Latino studies at Goddard College in Vermont. My studies are all research based and I'm only on campus 1 1/2 weeks a semester twice a year. I've worked with young people (children) and in childcare since I was 14. I absolutely love working with children and making connections and building relationships with families. My interests include reading, crafting, sewing, printmaking and coloring, yes I love coloring. In addition to being creative, educated and patiently loving I'm very invested in my roots and identity as a Queer feminist. I'm familiar and open to Attachment parenting principles, and can wear a baby pretty well. I want to work with a family who would be comfortable with me being myself and bringing all of who I am to my work. In return I will try my best to instill self confidence, creativity and love into your children. I've worked with children ages 6 months-13 yrs, can tutor and help with homework and I have excellent references. I love the childrens museum, Botanical gardens and slides at the playground and will enjoy these activities with your children while being a supportive adult figure who wants to hear what they've got to say, pick them up when they fall and have that conversation about teasing/ and or being teased with them. I'm not CPR certified but I will be starting classes soon. I would prefer longer hours and less work days, but I'll be flexible for the right family. I'm an excellent cook with experience in ethnic macrobiotic, vege, and wheat free/ gluten free foods. Pick Me, Pick Me!
Original URL: http://newyork.craigslist.org/brk/kid/874563482.html
Read MORE of this week's CL-WTF submissions by clicking HERE.
re: The Queer Activist post. What does "wearing a baby" mean?
ReplyDeleteAustin Nanny
ReplyDelete"Wearing a baby" means to wear it in a sling... usually in front, close to your chest. Advocates of 'Attachment Parenting' believe it helps to increase the bond between child and parent, and that it makes the child feel more secure.
Here's a photo of a Father "wearing his baby".
ReplyDeleteOkay-- seriously, I do not see anything wrong with this ad... for the right fmily (perhaps a lesbian couple, or those that are active in that community) I think she would be great. This gal sounds like a wonderful nanny to me. Yes, maybe a tad different from own lifestyle-- but not really in the whole parenting specturum--- I think nannies that would comfort my kids are great.
ReplyDeleteLovesthegirls
ReplyDeleteI agree, it's nothing more than a little different. But the main reason I posted it is because Attachment Parenting is a very debatable subject and I was hoping to hear people's views on it. Some people really swear by it while others think it's completely wrong.
I would hang out with this queer feminist if only to learn how to cook more gluten free meals.
ReplyDeleteIn Maine she would be a huge hit. Between her activism and her diet - she would be one hot commodity.
ReplyDeleteI guess I am missing the WTF on a lot of those... the single mom looking for a volunteer to watch her kids a couple hours while she finds a job! God bless her. That is how to get it done. She isn't just collecting a welfare check. She is trying to better herself. If I had a couple hours to give and lived there I would do it. It is called KARMA.
ReplyDeleteAnd what is the wrong with the 9pm - 2am? You can stay over after or she will pay your way home, I assume that is in addition to your other compensation. And it is in a safe building. I guess I am missing the point.
The firefighter one just has erradic hours but if you are a nanny just looking for a job you might want it. Remember all kinds of professions have swing shifts and erraditc hours. Some don't mind... nurses, co's, police, fire, emt...
la
ReplyDeleteWhy Maine? Is that a hotbed of baby wearing queer feminist granola-crunching nannies?
O.k.
ReplyDeleteThe single mom looking for somebody to watch her kids for free - Not something you see every day.
The 9 - 2 post - that Mom is looking for someone TOMORROW... to possibly stay overnight. So much for the screening process.
The Firefighter one - I'm guessing it's because the pay is too low?
A lot of people that send these Ads in sometimes include their opinion of why they believe it's a good WTF?.... maybe if an Ad is questionable, I might starting including those.
A few months ago a nanny was murdered when she went to interview for a job on CL, so......single dad who wants a picture, and the one who wants a sitter for TOMORROW night from 9 PM to 2 AM, ummm, NO.
ReplyDeleteI'd hire the Queer Feminist in a heartbeat. She sounds like a secure and intelligent person with plenty to offer.
ReplyDeleteWe believe in attachment parenting in our home and if I had an infant and needed a nanny, she'd be the one.
If anyone is interested, do a search on Dr. William Sears, who is considered to be one of the main advocate for attachment parenting.
Keep posting the craigslist items. Even if they are not quite WTF and I don't have a better suggestion for the name, they still keep us aware across the board to what's out there.
ReplyDeleteThank you snips and snails. :)
ReplyDeleteFor the past 2 weeks we've actually had a couple of really great Ads submitted, but unfortunately some of them expired.
I would love for those that peruse CL to keep their eye out for any crazy Ads and send them in!
I enjoy reading them, the feminist who begged "Pick Me Pick Me" seemed very, very strange.
ReplyDeleteRe: Gluten-free meals - You should TOTALLY check out the crockpot lady's blog. If you don't have a crockpot, I'm guessing that you could adapt a lot of her meals to the stove or oven. (Especially as she adapts a lot of meals from the stove or oven to the crockpot.) As a nanny that works long days, I've embraced my crockpot as a way to get healthful, cheap meals during the week - and have some left for a couple of lunches and leftovers. She is mom of a kid with celiac, so most of her posts are kid-friendly - or at least attempt to be! (She's hilariously honest about flops.)
ReplyDeleteThe site is crockpot365.blogspot.com
Really, Lorenza? I guess it takes all kinds, because I found her "pick me, pick me" extremely enduring, and quite cute. Then again, I love confident out going people, and that is how the statement came across to me. As a scholar, and activist (of many arenas; including animal and child welfare) I found pretty much everything she said to be 'golden'. (I am also raising my children to be non-judgmental, and would never not hire someone due to sexual orientation.)
ReplyDeleteIn short, I would totally hire "queer" nanny, as I believe strong intelligent women raise strong intelligent children. :)
p.s: I love the WTF, and do agree, there is a huge stigma around whether or not to use the method of attachment parenting. I believe (and this is just my opinion, so please don't attack me. ha ha) that the best route is moderation...I use a little of both styles!
Cheers!
Me, myself, and I
Although I find these posts amusing, I find these particular ones to be blandly WTF.
ReplyDeleteMe, myself, and I
ReplyDeleteI agree with you 100%. I also believe in some of the methods used in Attachment Parenting, but like you said, "the best route is moderation...I use a little of both styles!"
And to Wherever
Find us a really good one then - I'd be happy to put it up for you! :)
Hey MPP--
ReplyDeleteThanks for clearing that up! As for attatcment paretning..... hereis my oppinion: NOT my fave... at all. But, to each their own I guess. I nannied for a family for like 4 mo that were into that...(among other QUESTIONABLE parenting styles) needles to stay, I was contracted for more than 4 mo... C R A Z Y
I loved this set of ads, personally, I found them extremely interesting. Thanks for posting these.
ReplyDeleteRegarding the father looking for a pic, I think that is strange and I would not send one personally. He can find out what I look like after the phone interview and when we meet in person at a public place.
I also found the queer feminist ad to be extremely well-written: I would hire her but I fear I could never afford someone who sounds so good. I wonder how much of her enthusiasm is real and how much is contrived (she is a good writer.)
As far as the woman needing free childcare, more power to her for asking but the only people I could see wanting to do it are homeless people who need food to eat.
LovestheGirls
ReplyDeleteI understand that certain types of Parenting styles seem "off the wall", for lack of a better word, so I'm not surprised to hear of the experience you had with your former family.
I'm sure with the controversy surrounding Attachment Parenting, and how some Parents are truly serious about it... it makes it difficult to admit that although I agree with certain things like baby wearing (but only to a certain age so that there aren't any problems with the child becoming dependent upon always being carried around)... something like that may be frowned upon by an advocate of AP. It's like you're not supposed to put limits or rules on anything. But I believe that whatever works for each family and child is what should be utilized... and without someone judging you for it.
I think the reason there's such a stigma is because of the issues surrounding homeschooling (which I don't do), co-sleeping (which I'm a proponent of, but again, only to a certain age), not vaccinating the child (which is something I initially stressed over and asked a ton of questions about because of the hysteria over the link between Autism and the MMR vaccine, before I ultimately made the decision to do it) and even circumcision (which my son had, but it is now becoming so unpopular that being uncircumcised is almost the norm now whereas before it used to be done without much thought).
Not a parkslope nanny -
ReplyDeleteYes, Maine is a very liberal state with a lot of hippies that love granola and a huge gay rights community...esp. among professionals.
manhattan nanny @ 1:10
ReplyDeleteAre you THE Manhattannanny? I think you're using a moniker that somebody else already chose and has been using for a long time. Her name is in blue. (Blogger).
La
Very cool, lol. Thanks.
The only thing I see wrong with this is that she said "queer."
ReplyDeleteThere are better words.
alot of gay people refer to themselves as queer. It is an accepted term that is widely used. I don't find anything wrong with the word.
ReplyDeleteWell, among adults the word is okay.
ReplyDeleteI'm hoping she wouldn't say to the children "Hello, I'm a queer" and considering she's applying for a job with children... it should be in kid-friendly language.
Umass... I'd have to respectfully disagree with the statement that you made reagrding the mom wanting someone to watch her kids for free.
ReplyDeleteI am neither homeless or hungry, and if i was close enough to where she lived, i WOULD help her... I don't know if you know what it's like to be a single mom of 2 kids... my two are 2 and 4 as well and even though she may have gone a way that I wouldn't have to ask for help, that doesn't mean that the only people that would respond would be homeless or hungry.
I agree with the poster that said that it's called KARMA. I also call it paying it forward.
Hey, I'm from MAINE!!!
Have a good day.
cre8tive,
ReplyDeletethere is always an exception to the rule. However, the majority of people would not respond to an ad like that. Most people have their own families and friends that need them when there is crisis, and there are countless volunteer jobs other than helping someone looking for a free hand-out on craigslist that could attract God knows who. OP who wrote the ad is an idiot because you don't open your home to a stranger just because you need free childcare: you explore other, safer, avenues of support for your children.
Also, if you are implying that I don't "pay it forward", with all due respect, you're completely wrong. I have spent countless hours over the past fifteen years volunteering my time. I am the director of a volunteer organization that I work at every weekend in addition to my regular job. You really have absolutely no idea what you are talking about.
Furthermore, yes I do know what it is like to be a single mom. I have been paying a babysitter since I became a single mom so that I can still volunteer.
Lastly, I don't give a shit where you're from. You're a rude smartass and I don't like you.
You have a good day too.
Thank you to the Anonymous person(s) that Meebo'd those great CL-WTF Ads!
ReplyDeleteIf anyone comes across a really good one, please send it in... I will put them up Saturday.
Wow, it seems a lot of people like the queer feminist nanny. I am a little surprised because I thought it would turn a lot of parents off when they read it. I guess the neighborhood I work in is more traditional...?
ReplyDeleteActually, when I re-read her ad, she sound like she should be majoring in advertising. It's easy to say you are educated, have major Martha Stuart skills, an "exellent cook" and on and on. I would want more info on specific experience.
ReplyDeleteUmass - how is it different from finding a paid stranger off of craigslist? You would go through the same background check procedures for a volunteer as you would for a paid employee. Finding a babysitter off of craisglist is finding a stranger paid or not. She is looking for help. I see nothing wrong with that.
ReplyDeleteOh, and she was saying she was from Maine in response to my statement that the queer vegan nanny would be popular here.
She woud be quitr a catch on the East Coast I would think. Sounds great to me. Fun, Healthy,Open minded and caring. So many people here cmplain about nannies gone wrong this one sounds like just the cure.
ReplyDeleteBut around here it is damned if you do.. damned if you don't!
la,
ReplyDeleteIn my opinion there is a big difference. The difference is in the responses you would get. People who are volunteer-minded seek legitimate forms of volunteer work through safe, legitimate organizations. They do not typically answer people looking for free handouts on craigslist.
Furthermore, I saw nothing in her ad that spoke of an extensive background check. As a matter of fact, I saw no mention of a reference check of any kind. What kind of person would this ad attract? What kind of person did OP hope to have it attract? Be realistic. If OP is indeed a single mother who needs financial help, she should get government assistance and they would give her free childcare if she qualifies. I think a smart person, a good mother who is not an idiot, would choose a reputable daycare that she could get a voucher for than a person who would respond to an ad for a job that does not pay nor requires any qualifications or background check.
To me, there is a huge difference.
I actually sent an email to the single mother looking for free childcare. I sent her an email saying that I do hold a full-time nanny job but I can help her out for an hour or so on a weeknight or a weekend. She didn't even so much as send me an email back saying thank you or anything. I have yet to hear from her. I was trying to do a kind thing for someone in need and turns out she really is rude and doesn't deserve my offers of free help. Not to mention I am an excellent, educated, professional nanny and she would be very lucky to have me watch her children and for free, nonetheless.
ReplyDeleteWow, Umass, you sound like a very hateful person.
ReplyDeleteThat cre8ive person was very civil to you- what is your problem?
Get to anger management- that was seriously uncalled for.
nyc,
ReplyDeleteThat was very nice of you. Please keep in mind she may only be able to check email infrequently. Might not be able to afford it at home.
You're a kind person to offer that. I imagine more people would be willing to do so than just hungry, homeless people.