Received Saturday, November 1, 2008. - Rant
3 weeks ago I saw a nanny in battery park (between warren and murray st). She was sitting on a bench, the baby was in the stroller and she was pushing the stroller back and forth in a very forceful (hard) way and the front wheels of the stroller lifted off the ground and you could hear them hit the ground. The nanny saw me looking and after about a minute she got up and left.
I work in the city mostly outdoors as a dog walker and see many unfortunate situations with nannies. I have seen them ignore the babies/children, use force to pick them up or adjust them in their strollers. I honestly have never seen a nanny really engage with a child in a sweet playful and attentive manner. I always think in my mind if the parents could only see how these nannies treat their children. If they are exhibiting this behavior outside then they are definitely doing it inside. Parents need to have nanny cams. I think it would be irresponsible of a parent not to invest in cameras to keep an eye on their nannies.
Hi OP---
ReplyDeleteUnfortunately, I think a good nanny is hard to find. However-- not ALL the "bad" people are nannies. Parents can be just as bad. Just food for thought when you see these aggressive behaviors. If you are looking for a nanny-- or just sympathetic to the idea-- all you can do is be a better role maodel. When you see these bad behaviors happen, perhaps go up the th child/stroller and coo sweetly. This will shame whoever it is being nasty-- and perhaps snap them back that MAYBE they are being a tad mean.
Good luck. and remember there really ARE good nannies out there ;p
I'm a nanny in Chicago and I see good AND bad nannies at the park, museums, etc. From my job searching and past experiences I can honestly say that the parents who 'settle' most likely know deep down inside that their nannies are not ideal. They're trying to save a buck! The gruff, inexperienced, unloving nannies are cheaper to employ than a wonderful, experienced, careful nanny who is fully invested in her job. It blows my mind. These parents are MUCH better off putting their poor kids in a good daycare. It's cheaper than a nanny and the kids will probably have a much better daily experience.
ReplyDelete12:36 is right on. Here where I live in So Cal you can get a nanny as cheap as $10. an hour. But as with anything..you get what you pay for. I set my own rates and hours and have never been out of work for the 10yrs I have been a nanny. I dont start work till 10am and do no housework, except dishes and the kids laundry. The kids I watch are my best referances now that they are old enough (3,4,5,6) to let their parents know what a great nanny they think I am. I wake up everyday and know that I have the best job of anyone I know. Who else gets paid to go to Disneyland or the park for a picnic? If you dont feel that way about being with other peoples kids you are in the wrong profession. This is a hard job to fake. You cant simply show up and pretend...like you can at other places.
ReplyDeleteSocal, know any parents out there looking for a nanny? That sounds great! :-)
ReplyDeleteI'm planning a move out there, somewhere between San Diego and LA, in early spring and will definitely need a good nanny job.
No, good nannies just cost money and good nannies have the forsight to demand to be treated fairly and to be paid on the books.
ReplyDelete