Monday

...how do you handle your Jamaicans and Peruvians?

Received Monday, November 24, 2008 - Perspective & Opinion
From Seattle with a first time question. My question is for employers. I want to know how you deal with your live-in nannies of different backgrounds. I cannot imagine how. I have a nanny from Oregon (hardly a leap) and she is the yin to my yang. An outstanding nanny, but she often grates on my nerves for her non stop quest to save the planet. Oh, stop, I know it's noble. But, how would you like your nanny to let her yellow mellow in the bathroom off the kitchen? Or to make you feel guilty for not using reusable shopping bags. Honest to God, I feel I have to hide many a purchase from her. Everything we do is eco-unfriendly and you would think she is made of seed and straw for her sworn allegiance to all things natural and reusable. If I am having this much trouble with a beatnik poet from Coos Bay, how do you handle your Jamaicans and Peruvians?

61 comments:

Anonymous said...

i was going to say you're stupid, but that's just mean.

how about instead of thnking of yourself you can think about the world. like she is. sure, maybe she is a bit extreem for your taste. but how dare you make her seem like the weirdo? let me guess, you also drive an suv? blind woman. you're blind to the world around you. your children could learn compassion for the world around them- not to mention the impact they have on their own future.

read a book.

Anonymous said...

Well, I would say that this is less of a cultural difference and more of an employee not knowing her place problem. It is poor form in any profession to assert ones own personal beliefs over other employees....and especially the boss! This girl sounds really overbearing, obnoxious, and pushy...and completely crude, if what you're saying is that she doesn't flush the toilets. Ick!!! In somebody else's home!?

I wouldn't want an employee who made me feel uncomfortable...especially in my own home. I had a pair of housekeepers, mother and daughter, that were sent out by the service I use. They cleaned well so I requested they be my regular team. After a little while the daughter started making snippy remarks about my kids rooms....especially my daughter's...the kinds of comments that implied that they are spoiled, based on how big the rooms are, what posessions they have...whatever. Something different almost every week. She started "tattling" on my daughter for every little thing...clothes under the bed, hair in the shower, and once she came and thrust a handful of candy wrappers in my face with a smug smile and, in a tone one might expect her to use to indicate she had found the hope diamond under her mattress, said, "Look at what I found under her covers!" I guess she expected me to become outraged. I said calmly, "I guess she ate that in bed while she was reading last night. Just throw the wrappers away." How disappointed she looked that I didn't have a coronary on the spot at the thought of my 13 year old child having candy in her bed one night right after Halloween. I came to really hate having them here...the daughter always looking for ways to point out to me that my children were sppoiled, or in a sarcastic tone tell me how "it must be nice".... and was trying to think of a graceful way to change teams when thankfully the daughter quit the business altogether and the mom got promoted to an office position. The new ladies tell me how much they enjoy working in my house because they enjoy being here. It's so much nicer and less stressful.

Anonymous said...

Wow! I am not even sure how to respond to this post, there are just soooo many things wrong with it.

Anonymous said...

Your nanny is into recycling? Well, by all means, let her organize your house to be as eco-friendly as it can be (the way I see it, it isn't much skin off your nose). Be sure to tell her that while you are now equipped to be green and you will do your best to try to recycle that you are only human and you will slip, but you are an adult, so you don't need a scolding or feedback from her about your indiscetions. Any true recycler should agree that something is better than nothing.

Anonymous said...

Mom, thanks for sharing that story. I can see exactly how it must have felt. OP, I think a lot of employers just do not care about their employees' cultural differences. It may actually be easier if they do not come from Oregon. In some cultures, employees will
not share anything personal with you. I have had some disappointing experiences where I tried to be open and understanding and I felt I was mostly taken advantage of. As for your current situation, I agree with mom, you should not be made uncomfortable in your own home.

Emily said...

Is it just me or is this post based on the idea that the OP can hardly tolerate her Oregonian nanny and Jamaicans & Peruvians must be EVEN worse than Oregonians.

It just seems so disgustingly racist, but perhaps I've misinterpreted it somehow.

Anonymous said...

Nope, you've got it right, she's a racist a$$hole.

Anonymous said...

Yeah, the first clue to the racism is the heading of this post. "How do you handle your jamaicans and peruvians?"

As if people (or nannies), are property!

Unknown said...

I can't stand hearing that people hire Jamaicans and Peruvians to care for their kids.. BUT... what the hell do those people have to do with your tree-hugging nanny?

Anonymous said...

Nannys from different backgrounds are the best. They never ever question authority, they work 10 extra hours a week for a nickel, they serve you and your guests Thanksgiving dinners as part of their job because well, everyone knows they don't care about that silly little American ritual, and they know how to grocery shop so well that you can feed your family for a week on $30. The added bonus? My children speak 3 languages! 3! I feel really sorry for you that you could only find a nanny from Oregon that would be willing to work for you and berates you about recycling.

Anonymous said...

O.k., maybe I'm naive, but just what is it about Jamaicans and Peruvians that need "handling"?

Anonymous said...

Just what the hell is wrong with "Sarah" and "my nanny is better than yours"????

Anonymous said...

Sarah said...
I can't stand hearing that people hire Jamaicans and Peruvians to care for their kids..



Umm how come? Is it just a racism thing, that you think people with darker skin and accents shouldn't be in the vicinity of white chilluns?

Or is it that you think they are illegal?

Or gosh, maybe it's just that you have really sensitive eardrums and the actually sensation of hearing things hurts you?

Pity your parents didn't raise you better. Shame on them for being such failures.

Anonymous said...

I speak softly and carry a big stick.

Anonymous said...
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Anonymous said...

A) I think this is someone trolling

and

B) It doesn't even make sense

Anonymous said...

gimmeabreak said...
Just what the hell is wrong with "Sarah" and "my nanny is better than yours"????


Hmm, look up "faceticous"

Anonymous said...

"my nanny is better than yours", yeah, I was giving you the benefit of the doubt thinking you were just being sarcastic. but, "sarah" there needs help!

Anonymous said...

:-)

Anonymous said...

Mom,

I have to say, from the perspective of a nanny, I am not sure that your housekeeper was 100% in the wrong. (Tacky, but not necessarily all wrong)

Think about what it would be like to clean up after a 13-year-old who not only ate candy in bed, but couldn't even throw out the wrappers.

Perhaps you and the housekeeper were not on the same page with children's responsibilities, but wouldn't you want to raise children that are not lazy slobs?

As a nanny, I remind the children to clean up their trash and personal things, or even ask them to actually help with chores. And I don't mind if the parents are watching and listening or not.

I even reprimand the children if I get to the house and find a mess, saying,"what is all this paper on the floor for? You know better. Pick it up right away please"

I am more interested in creating responsible, respectful children because they will be happier in life and it will be EASIER on YOU if your children learn to do some things for themselves.

To see children them pampered and spoiled by the parents is just so wrong. it probably made your housekeeper sick to see.

Unknown said...
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Unknown said...

Everyone hires them to save money.. but these people aren't poor. Be honest with yourselves, when there is a bad sighting on here, 90% of the time the person's skin color and accent is referenced. We all bitch on here about the care that they are seen providing and then jump to defend them the second someone says they don't like it. Maybe there are a wealth of wonderful Jamaican childcare providers, I just haven't seen very many or seen a good nanny sighting with one on here in the two years I've been reading this blog. Furthermore, they are uneducated and I wouldn't want someone teaching my child who is working on language development to say things like "baffroom" and "aks" which are both words that someone on here was complaining about a few months ago because their child was learning poor pronunciation from a JAMAICAN nanny. Maybe you think I'm a racist, but I think I'm just a keen observer

Anonymous said...

Off the subject..however

Not that mom needs anyone to come to her defense but I have read post after post regarding moms family and all of her children seem to be well rounded,polite children who are anything but lazy slobs.
Strict pink nanny,even the cleanest,most self reliant of kids will on occassion lv a mess behind. Adults too for that matter.
One mess does not a slob make!

Anonymous said...

Sarah you are a stereotypical and ignorant human being.

I guess you wouldn't mind if your children picked up french accents from an au pair or a aregiver from another nanny. Because it's european and "more socially acceptable".

While not all of us appreciate certain accents, we sure learn to tolerate it because that is the appropriate thing. Britians tolerate the american accent which I am sure is painful to their ears. I think we can "tolerate" jamaican nannies who care for your children. Not all of them are uneducated.Not all of them smoke weed and not all of them speak with a jamaican dialect/accent. Just like not all americans are fat, not all are educated pass 12th grade and not all americans live on the white side of picket fence or however that saying goes.

Stop being stereotypical.

And for Ms if it's yellow let it mellow, put a brick in your tank. It is that simple. Or better yet, employ someone who has no environmental commen sense whatsoever to raise your children. I am sure they will benefit from that. You can get burberry reusable bags- for real- if the 99c ones aren't uppety enough.

Anonymous said...
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Anonymous said...

Thank you anon regular.

Strict Pink nanny...who I am going to hereafter refer to as "sour grapes," since she seems to suffer from the same malady as my former housekeeper...you might want to get a friend with a fork lift to help you get that giant chip off your shoulder. Actually, we clean the entire house of any clutter, from top to bottom, before the housekeepers arrive, because I want them doing heavy cleaning, not picking up our crap and putting it where they don't even know it belongs, thank you very much. Cleaning incidental messes and dishes is actually a normal, regular part of the cleaning service the company performs...so even if the entire family...and ten of our closest friends...had a Thanksgiving feast in bed, it would still be their job to clean it up it without complaining. We just don't avail ourselves of that part of the job because we think that's a bit overboard. But what I didn't want to hear was her constant wailing from one of my kid's rooms "Mrs. Smiiiiith! Mrs. Smiiith...." to show me that somebody had HORRORS stuffed a blouse under the bed or behind a chair, when the room was basically clean before she ever arrived. Pick the darn thing up and toss it in the laundry because...um...that's your JOB.

The trouble, dear, is that she was too envious of our living situation to act professional on the job. It is not her job to tell me that my daughter has too big a room, or that my son is spoiled because he has a Wii (which he worked off to earn...not that it was her, or anybody else's business.) She was disgruntled that my daughter was losing too much hair into the drain. What should I do, beat my child because she sheds too much? Not buy her that dress because the housekeeper is going to snoop and then judge her? I don't conduct my life around what other people think...and I don't pay to hear her judgmental, jealous opinions.

So, what is actually sickening to me is somebody coming to do a job and then feeling entitled and bitter...and not being professional enough to conduct herself in a professional manner. Let her be sick because my kids father and I spent years educating ourselves and then working our way up from hand-to-mouth living to where we can have a nice house and give our children nice things if we choose...but let her keep her bitterness to herself. She has the same opportunities in life that we did...

Anonymous said...

mom..YOU ROCK!!!

Anonymous said...

Wow.

I love my boss more and more every day. We get along great, never have any problems and I don't envy her huge house and all the toys they collect. I am so thankful to be working for a lady that treats me like an equal, not a servant and actually appreciates all that I do for her and her family. It makes all the difference in the world to me, I can actually say for the first time in my life that I love my job.


Hey little hint for all the moms and dads out there. If you treat your nanny like a real person they will do more for you. All I am required to do is watch their child but because of how nice they are I don't mind doing the dishes, walking the dog, taking out the trash, or doing laundry none of which they ask me to do, I just do it because I want to.

Anonymous said...

I can feel for you OP, it is rather obnoxious.
Lucky you it be your nanny. You can get rid of her if it gets too old.
My litte cousin of about 9 is like that. It is the most horrible time to be around her...

she says.. "You know you shouldn't use charmin toilet paper it is bad for the envoironment." She says that about Tide, Fabreeze, and any other products I use to clean my house.

She has also scolded me because she found an empty pack of cigarettes in my grabage can, and empty beer bottle on the side of the road that wasn't even mine, and the Brisk ice tea I have in my fridge will aparently cause some kind of tumor.

Well what I have to say to that is.... I love the trees and the animals and I think most humans are wasteful. But I will be damned if I have to wipe my ass with organic toilet paper and not flush the toilet. I will smoke and drink till I'm freakin blue in the face, while I wash my clothes with Tide.
Tell your nanny that you appreciate the jesture but the smell of pee will cause more toxic fumes to leak into the house. You can only be as eco friendly as you want. It is almost like she is puching a religion on you - and that is not cool!

Anonymous said...

you are right Phoenix..I mean afterall..it does not affect you right now anyway,so,who cares right? Since you only have a step child and none of your own,it won't affect your children either. Who cares if we continue to be a wasteful nation,wasting water and burying tons of non-recyclable styrofoams. Throw those papers and plastics in the trash..go ahead..we have plenty of land to fill...and your neice is correct about many of those products...but who cares if you chose not to listen..not your problem right?
If it's yellow let it mellow happens to be a wonderful way to help save water.
If you are truly that uptight about a little pee in a toilet..may I suggest a stick removal service..they can get that thing out of there for you..I promise!!

Anonymous said...

K...Um... i don't think you were reading correctly. I think that most humans are wasteful, I do not condone hurting animals or over forresting. I do beleive however that if you are not in your own home then flush the toilet!
I would never go to my emplyoers house and pee in the toilet and leave it! That is not sanitary. Urine is only sterile for the first couple minutes it leaves your body.
In response to the arrogance of your statement you actually do not know anything about me, and my religion that is based off of nature and the balance between humans and nature together. Just because I used tide to wash my clothes doesn't mean that I use tide to water my plants.
Get real. an employers employee is forcing behaviors on her employer that she has no right to do so.
And if a stick really were in my ass.... and it was made of wood.... wouldn't that make me environmentally correct? since you didn't propse that it wasn't a plastic rod! And why would you say that about someone anyway? I have never attacked anyone on the board before... I have only defended myself. So why are you implying that since I don't have my own children that I don't care about the fate of the world.
I think it's wrong for anyone to push there personal opinions on someone, adult or child. Think about what you say before you say it, otherwise you sound just as ignorant as i did. (Which I did on purpose to make a point)

Anonymous said...

phoenix.. You were very clear that your little 9 yr old cousin annoys the hell out of you when trying to get you to understand the damage that Tide and other product can do to your body as well as the environment.
Unless you are planning on bathing in the toilet,pee sitting inside the bowl will not,cannot and is not harming you one bit!
The whole "don't water my plants with tide" statement pretty much explains your knowledge of the working world. Where is it that you think the runoff water from your washer,dishwasher,shower and yard go phoenix? Please do tell?
Your arrogance about the fact that you are going to do what ever you please contradicts your whole"humans are wasteful" cover-up!
And yeah, if you have been warned/told of the damage of those products and still use them as you claim..then really,you don't care about the fate of the world..kids or not!
It's a shame that a nine yr old is more in the know that you are..guess that explains a lot though!

Anonymous said...

dum ass.... I have to use Tide because all the other laundry detergants make me break out, including the organic ones. i have a reason for everything that i do and use in my home... i know exactly where the run-off goes my father works for the water services environmental dept.
You have to understand that you can't comment on peoples live until you know about them in detail.
you have no idea that i have to flush the tiolet every time I pee because the medication that i take stains the urine and thus stains the toilet. Maybe I should keep my toilet the nice bright orange red color. Or the fact that almost everything that I use I am allergic to...
mind you manners... old lady!

Anonymous said...

hey mom,

i think you missed the major point i was trying to make in your quickness to defend yourself.

i never said the housekeeper shouldn't be professional. she should. she shouldn't judge you based on what you have or make rude comments.

you earned those things, i agree. as long as you pay your employees well and are respectful, no one has the right to make those comments.

however, i think it is your job not to raise spoiled, lazy, slobs either. Let your 13 year old throw away her own darn candy wrappers and put her own stinky clothes in the laundry basket! Come on!

The two year old I watch can do that much!

Anonymous said...

Phoenix,

You're making me laugh today! I get it about the Tide...we have that same problem here too...Tide Free (which cleans best) or Cheer free is all we can use and still sleep without itching. And we flush...or my little messy hooligans (as some seem to suggest they might be based on their non-compulsive cleaning type habits) get into trouble. I don't like to go into a potty and find it filled with somebody else's excrement...and I sure as heck don't want my gusets to stumble upon that scene.

Grapey Pink,
I think we're going to have to agree to respectfully disagree. I got your point, but I do not think a child hiding some clothes upon being told to clean his/her room is so out of the ordinary, or in anyway indicates a "spoiled, lazy slob." You must be fun as a mom if that's your take on a kid trying to squeeze out of a little housework. And I don't like the suggestion that my children are anything even resembling those things. Were you compulsively neat as a child? Or were you a spoiled,lazy slob?

I think you are actually missing my point too. If some candy wrappers and some hidden laundry are enough to make a professional housekeeper "sick," I believe she may have chosen the wrong profession. If being in people's homes who may have more than her makes the housekeeper "sick," she may also need to find a profession where she deals only with those who are less fortunate than her and stay out of people's homes. Her problem was jealousy. Her comments were the typical ones people make when they are jealous...finding fault with other people, or their lives, to make them feel better about their own.

Anonymous said...

phoenix**** dumb ass??com on surely you can be a bit more clever than that.
Go to Costco and buy something called Eco. It is a green product and has nothing in it that will make you itch,burn,break-out or die from!It is a free & clear product.

Funny but in every thread that you post on,you always have some special reason that applies only to you or some wild situation that caused you to do what you did or, you always have a SPECTACULAR new set of details.To ad that you left out but now somehow they fit the situation and voila..there they are!

Lots of allergenic people are eco-friendly.And bye the way,You are not the only person who takes AZO and pees orange!

I could never get to know you because several of your posts have left a bad taste in my mouth when it comes to how you speak of your step son . I have never trolled you nor will I. I simply disagree with your post here as well as your disregard for children.

First your step child is annoying..now your cousin.....really.why do you come to this site. So you can judge others on their stellar child rearing ideas,because really,you appear very wet behind the ears in all of your posts.

old lady??ha..you have NO idea!

Unknown said...

Wow, Sarah... I seem to have no words to even reply to your statements here. My head almost exploded all over my monitor.
You are not a "keen observer" you are a racist bigot that has gone to great lengths to somehow manage to convince yourself that you aren't.

"but these people aren't poor"
What the hell are you even talking about? Did you proceed with a census report to come up with that painfully wrong statement?
You cannot lump people up in categories like that. It makes no sense and you appear to look ignorant and uneducated.

Unknown said...

Adria,

I'm not sure where you live, but here in NYC, Westchester and Fairfield counties, the people employing nannies are not poor, that is why I'm confused as to why they try to pinch pennies by hiring Jamaicans.

I am a well educated American nanny. I don't know why having an opinion about the childcare style of one ethnicity makes me seem uneducated. Can't I have an opinion?

Anonymous said...

Well OP, why DON'T you use a reusable grocery bag? Most cities now have curbside recycling pickup and I simply don't for the life of me understand people who feel that it's just too bothersome to put paper in a recycling bin instead of in the garbage, or metal cans, etc.

And I'm confused about the parallel OP is trying to draw between an earth-friendly Oregonian and Peruvians + Jamaicans. Are people excessively eco-conscious in Peru and Jamaica?

Anonymous said...

Your opinions have nothing to with being well educated. It has to do with moral character.

Anonymous said...

As the OP of this thread, I can see that the post has been overrun with liberals and nannies. This is a valid discussion. I am sorry you decided to be so short sighted.

Anonymous said...

And don't forget the fags and the Irish.

(*sarcasm*)

MaryPoppin'Pills said...

Cali mom
You are priceless!.... and I'm Irish! :D

Anonymous said...
This comment has been removed by a blog administrator.
Anonymous said...

OP: I am peruvian ,and I am actually more educated than you. And no because I speak 3 languages, but because I am smart enough to know that you can't discriminate people based on their nationality . Having an accent doesn't mean you are not educated. I feel sorry for your kids and your prospective nanny.

chick said...

Well, for Jamaaicans and Peruvians, I use either cotton or leather gloves, depending on the season. Of course, I only use WHITE cotton between Memorial Day and Labor Day.

But I digress. I prefer non-allergenic medical gloves when handling eco-conscious nannies, and I only use leather gloves if the nanny is NOT a vegetarian.

With the western european nannies I make sure my gloves are ultra chic - this is especially important with French and Italian nannies, since they are always SO stylish!

Now, with your basic southern nanny, I prefer to use kid gloves, since they are of rather delicate constitutions, but with midwestern or northern nannies, I feel padded leather works best year round, because they are pretty thick skinned.

HTH, and happy nanny handling!

Anonymous said...

Chick
You know, I'm not usually one for being rude or obnoxious.. and I rarely curse, but just for your post I have to say.. you fucking rock!

Anonymous said...

Okay, this is an interesting post. I'm going to see through the horrible way it's written to still give you some advice:
If you and your nanny don't mesh, you don't mesh. Simple as that, you need to give her a big severance and send her on her way. I am a nanny and I know if I were in a situation where I was not being appreciated for being myself then I would not want to be there.

You should still write her a reference letter because other people might appreciate her ways. I'm not implying you are wrong for not appreciating her, I'm saying that different people are different, and sometimes you have to search for the right fit.

Anonymous said...

Hahaha chick!! By the time you got to "your basic southern nanny", I knew exactly where it was going. What a clever post! Love it.

Anonymous said...

I'm not sure what to comment on; this post or the numerous comments.

I think what might have been appropriate was for everybody to just ignore this post, and that would have sent a silent, yet effective message to the poster, but since that horse is already gone through the gate I suppose I'll join the pool of respondents.

I find it slightly intriguing (one eyebrow raised) when I read sweeping generalizations about Jamaican Nannies. I know nothing about Peruvians, and I'm pretty sure they are not all the same, that's hardly even possible isn't it; that an entire nation would just be the same, but anyway, back to Jamaican Nannies.
You have to realize that you sound at the very least-ignorant. Is that ok with you, or would you like to sound like an intelligent human being. Do you want to risk a nanny actually being more intelligent than you, surely you don't want that, do you?

I'm qualified to respond to this post for one reason, and that is that I am a Jamaican nanny. Interestingly enough, I am a great one. I know this because of the work I do, and I know this based on the reactions of my many employers and the happy children that I care for.
I have never been 'let go' nor fired and 2 times in my career, I have seen my employers cry when I decided to move on. When an employer has me in their employ, they do not want to let me go. Why is that? I am not only great at what I do, I am the best at what I do. I have a 'magic' that's all my own (this from a recent card from my employer)
Why else would I, a college educated person choose to work as a nanny. I get to express my creativity and touch lives in a way that no other profession can boast.
I spend the hours of my day, coming up with the next big thing for my charges, and my employers who are away for thanksgiving as am I, have no idea that yet again they are going to get the surprise of their lives when they see what else I did with their children. I live for these moments. Pardon me, I forgot I was supposed to be venting about the misconception of Jamaican Nannies.

Thankfully, I have not met such racial negativity in my years in this profession, nor have I ever been judged based on my ethnicity, if an employer did, then clearly that would be their loss.

Additionally, I''m not sure where this another sweeping thought came from about Jamaican nannies being 'cheap labor' that one is actually funny. I do not come cheap, though I'm sure my employers wish I were cheap- who wouldn't? But then again cheap is relative isn't it? Perhaps you consider over a thousand a week to be cheap labor, in which case I AM selling myself short, and must bear this in mind when my renewed contract nears an end, after all, I must remain at the top tier since I'm a top tier nanny.

There are many other misconceptions regarding nannies from the Caribbean and elsewhere, and that is that they will work late for little pay and not complain. Well, I will agree that Caribbean nannies and others may be 'nicer' than American, or rather seem nicer than American nannies but every nanny works longer hours for different reasons; some may feel intimidated by their employers and feel they have to do everything to 'keep' their jobs, some love the families so much for varying reasons and they want to help them out; some love hanging out with the kids; and for all the reasons above some may accept less pay for those additional services, but let's just say again that not all nannies are like that foreign or American born.
I work overtime for competitive wages (otherwise they can choose to hire a babysitter, and they do at times) Also, and this may rub parents on here the wrong way, but I speak my mind at all times. I am not intimidated by any employer I've had. I know they need my services just as much as their employers need theirs, and will only work with employers who respect my time as much as I respect theirs. I always assume they have the choice to keep me or let me go, as I have the choice to choose not to continue in their employ.
I believe my work speaks for itself and do not feel the need to 'do extra' in terms of housework related duties to 'make them like me'
As a professional nanny, I do not do any household work- period, but I do a darned good job of taking care of those children, and everybody in their workplace knows it, as my name and the work I do filters around the office. I'm so used to that every job I get that it seems like the norm for me.

I have to touch on the 'green' theory in the workplace. It is only natural that when people cohabit that their personal habits will influence each other one way or another intentionally or otherwise. While I do agree that an employee should not try to influence her employer by policing her habits, the same is true for the employer. The only difference is that when you are in someone's home your habits should not interfere with your employers lifestyle.
So if your employer is a 'recycler' then you should recycle out of respect, however if your employer is not a 'recycler' you should not feel the need to comply. YOu should recycle, but be careful to respect those boundaries. Perhaps they don't like an extra bag beside the bin. Who knows.
We all won't mirror habits of each other, but common sense must prevail. No one and I mean no one should leave pee in the potty for another (employer)to see. I don't care how 'green' it is. well hopefully it's not green, lol. I can deal with all the other 'green' ideas, but I draw the line at peeing over somebody else's pee.
I think it's disrespectful of someone to come in your home and do that, similarly, I would not work for anyone who routinely left pee mellowing in a toilet bowl. I say yes to 'wasting' water.
I mean seriously, if you don't want to flush, then pee outside for crying out loud. Go back to the old days of the outhouse.
Sorry green people.

By the way, why is this nanny not peeing in her own bathroom? Did she say she was a live out? can't recall.
As a live in, I use my own bathroom, and no one else is allowed to use my bathroom. The bathroom is a very personal thing.

Anyway, good luck to all, and remember respect begets respect in the workplace on on the blogs.
Let us try for this new year to lose the bigotry, and come together as one, and employers remember when you treat yor employees well it comes right back to you.

Anonymous said...

Kiki,
Excellent post!

Anonymous said...

MPP, OP's final comment just reminded me a bit of Blazing Saddles, and I can't explain that line from the movie without offending everyone who hasn't seen it :)

jennifer lecarlo said...

Sarah,
I enjoyed your post. Of course I always find honesty refreshing.

I yawn when I read these fake expressions of outrage. Get over yourselves.

Keep posting Sarah and I'll keep cheering.

Anonymous said...

I hope that is your soap opera name and not your real name, because it is now irrevocably linked with lameness. Even Sarah Dumbass is smart enough to use her first name only when she spouts her nonsense.

Anonymous said...

First off, I don't want to get in the middle of the argument, but K, I tried Eco detergent when I got a free sample of it. My clothes came out smelling and looking the same as they did before I put them in the washing machine. It just doesn't clean well.

Oh, and I love how the OP uses the words "liberals and nannies" as if they're nasty epithets. I personally wear both those words with pride. But it's ridiculous to just dismiss people who don't agree with you. It's basically the same as saying "well, you're a doodyhead!" to someone who disagrees with you.

Anonymous said...

Chick and Kiki,
Both of you wrote fantastic posts. I enjoyed reading them both.

Anonymous said...

Phoenix,
It is spelled dumb, and when combined with ass, and used to refer to a person, as opposed to a donkey, is usually written as one word, dumbass. I am not normally the spelling police, ( I make plenty of mistakes myself ) but I do love irony!

Anonymous said...

Eco detergent smells like ass rolled in parmeson cheese.

Anonymous said...

This post is also racist. Today was the first time I read this blog, and I'm not coming back. Way to further every stereotype about wealthy people who employ nannies.

- A law student who thinks you're racist.

Anonymous said...

Sigh, who are you directing your disgust at? As a law student, I'm suprised you don't realize that a blog owner does not write all responses to original posts. Or did you really think that Jane Doe spends her life masquerading as dozens of different characters on her site?

Never mind, you're gone. Oh well.

Anonymous said...

I am Peruvian and this statement is disgusting. I'm sorry but my culture is very similar to yours and we're even more knowledgeable about life than you will ever be. You're probably from the boondocks and have never been out of your precious little house. Go explore, get some education and then talk.