Friday

Kohl Children's Museum in Glenview, IL.

Received Friday, March 13, 2008
nanny sighting logo On Friday, March 13, around 9:45 am I witnessed something with a nanny at the museum that bothered me.

The nanny involved was younger, probably early 20s, Caucasian with short, blonde hair pulled into a pony tail. She wore blue jeans and a blue, zip up hoodie. She spoke with an accent, I think Polish was probably her original language (This is one of the reasons I believe she was the nanny, as there are many Polish nannies in this area.)

She was with two little girls. Ages approximately 3 and 5. Both little girls had light brown/dark blonde hair in half pony tails, the older one with a big black bow. They both wore jeans and the older one had a black and white horizontal striped shirt while the younger one had a white shirt on. The nanny called the younger one Bella and Isabella. I think the older one might have been named Olivia (but I didn't hear it well, so I could be wrong.)

I was at the museum with my charge. She and I walked into the doll area and it was empty except for one little girl (the younger of the two I described, Bella). She was playing on the floor. I looked around and didn't see any adults anywhere that seemed to be watching her. The areas in this museum are walled off, with only one doorway in and out, and there were no adults in sight that were looking in her direction. I watched her for about two minutes, looking around for a parent, then tried to ask her who she was there with. She wouldn't talk to me, so I decided to just watch her until someone claimed her or a staff member came close enough for me to inform.

After about three minutes of my charge and I being in there, Her nanny came in from the Vet area (across the way) with the sister. She didn't seem alarmed that the girl was playing by herself in there, just said it was time to go. It was obvious the girl had not wandered off, the nanny knew she was in there and let her play by herself. This is a very crowded and busy museum. Anyone easily could have taken the child and the nanny would have never known. I don't think this is a "bad" nanny in every sense, she seemed decent, but definitely needs to be informed of the danger of leaving children unsupervised in public places.

22 comments:

Anonymous said...

I hope her parents see this. Or one of the girls mention it.

Just days ago, a child predator was arrested for "scouting" for children at a museum next to a park.

You can't leave such a young child all alone.

Anonymous said...

this was a good sighting! you worded it perfectly!

i think the reason some of these other sightings get flack for not being "abusive" is because of the wording... you are right OP, this nanny needs to be informed.

Anonymous said...

If a nanny needs to be informed on not leaving a child alone, she is in the wrong profession.

DowntoEarth said...

I often wonder just how great a nanny could just "yawn" at a post where a child has been left alone in a public place where there are no other adults?
If they can walk into your home and take your children how easy is it for someone to do this in a public place where a child has no one watching them?
It only take a few seconds for someone to snatch an unwatched child and be gone with them.

MaryPoppin'Pills said...

OP
I agree with Honest Nanny, you did a great job reporting this sighting, laying out just the facts and wording it very carefully. Thank you for the Post.

Anonymous said...

Who would leave a child alone this day in age? In my area a man was just sentenced after he raped a little boy in a public library and his mother was with him!

Anonymous said...

If you are posting here you must be able to read English, why are you not responding in English? Anyone Vietnamese? I think is Vietnamese.

Anonymous said...

Some ppl are either way too trusting or completely stupid.

Anonymous said...

Did the mom turn her back on her child? I mean to get raped in the library? Or did the child go in a restroom alone.

Anonymous said...

You can let a 3 year old play independently, but NOT in a separate room of a museum!

This was a great sighting, OP. Very detailed and well written. If the parents or someone who knows these children see this, they'll know.

Anonymous said...

EricsMom

Hey is an excerpt of a newspaper article:

He faces charges of luring a 6-year-old boy into the New Bedford, MA library's magazine stacks Jan. 30 and raping him as the boy's mother worked on a computer just a few feet away. Saunders was arrested that same day outside a homeless shelter.

This is an example of why you cannot take your eyes off your kids for a second! This was a mom.

Anonymous said...

Now if that story isn't a wake up call, I don't know what is!

(*in reference to little boy in library)

Anonymous said...
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Chelle said...

Great sighting! (=
I too am a nanny and often get aggravated at nannies or moms that are completely in their own world when they are in public with the children.
Good job, I hope her employers see this!

Anonymous said...

Thanks for posting the story Nanny Taxi. Its terrible what happened to that little boy!
It's pretty scary that there are no "safe" areas anymore. Or areas where you would think you can have peace of mind to a degree

Jane Doe said...

Boring troll/wounded nanny,
Are you impressing yourself? I think we all find you monotonous and sad. What must your pathetic life be like if this is all you have? You sad, sad, wounded little nut case.

Jane Doe said...

(((The troll's comment was immediately deleted. For those of you who don't know, she has taken to playing what she thinks is a challenging game of tag. She stalks the blog and posts dozens of useless and idiotic messages professing her hate for children and this blog.)))

There are so many blogs and websites I dislike. But I chose to tune in to those I do like instead of lurking like a psychopath on the ones I despise.

Sad, just sad.

We weep for you, dumb ass.

We weep.

Anonymous said...

The nanny was right to post this sighting. I've been to this museum maybe one hundred times over the last few years with my charges, and it gets ridiculously busy there. Additionally, the doll area is in the front half of the museum near the front exit- any kid by him/herself would be an easy target.

Anonymous said...

Burbs

I think someone should talk to the place about the location of the doll area. Maybe, not such a great area.. Since little kids will want to frequent it. Especially, if the exit is that close. Maybe, they need to change their design.

Anonymous said...

ericsmom- I agree the museum needs to do something, but I'm not sure what they can/will do...the whole museum is geared towards young kids (2-6yrs love it, older/younger not as much).

Since the equipment and rooms are all kid-safe and interactive, it seems that some of the parents/nannies get lulled into a false sense of security and will sit together and talk while the kids run around room-to-room.

I personally no longer take my charges there (toddler/pre-schooler)...there are too many unsupervised kids who hit, push, throw things, etc, and neither museum staff nor their caregivers seem too concerned.

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

I used to work as an exhibit aide at that same museum, and that happens all the time there! Sometimes the parent or caregiver really is watching the child... for instance if they have two kids who want to play in two different rooms, they'll sit by that street sign thing and keep an eye on both kids. But other times, I used to find 2 or 3 year olds completely on the other side of the museum! Once I found a baby who was so young he couldn't walk yet... I knelt down by him and put out my arms to him, and he smiled and lifted his arms and let me pick him up! Exhibit aids are supposed to pick up a lost child if he can't walk yet, and I found his family within a few minutes, but it was scary that he would have gone with anyone, and his family would never have known!