Thursday

Louise Park in Van Nuys, CA

Received Thursday, April 23, 2009
nanny sighting logo Dear Parent of White Toddler wearing a pink gingham checked dress with a white sweater over it and white sandal shoes. Your nanny brought your child to Louise Park today, (Wednesday). Your child clearly did not belong in this park. This was evident by your child's dress, the fact that your child had a nanny and your child's stroller. Your child arrived in a "pergo" stroller that was all chrome with a salmon colored fabric. The child was not allowed out of the stroller. Normally, I would see this as a crime, but your nanny was not there to watch the child but to meet up with her friend. Her friend was a Lowrider of sorts, with a teardrop tattoo near one eye, long dark hair, bangs, lots of eye make-up, wearing baggie black jeans and two tank tops and gold jewelery. If you live in this area, you recognize this look, in fact it may be gang affiliated. The nanny was Hispanic with lighter brown hair, curly and in wispier style. Her make up was less dramatic. She was wearing a three quarter sleeve red shirt with dark blue jeans with black tennis shoes. The nanny sat there the whole time talking to her friend. The child squirmed and wanted some attention, the nanny was feeding her from a giant sack of robin's eggs. The sack was huge, probably two pounds. Just my guess from my knowledge of this park and the surrounding areas is that this is your nanny's stomping grounds, but you probably don't even know this park exists. I am guessing it would be hard for you to stomache seeing your sweet little girl stuffed in the stroller desperate for some sort of attention for close to two hours. During this time, there were some scary characters hanging around near the ball fields.

30 comments:

mom said...

Great sighting! I hope the parents find out.

Anonymous said...

Why were you there for two hours?

lovesthegirls said...

Just to make sure my deductions are on point... is this kind of a crap-hole park? In otherwords, not a park-park where kids play... ?

Ridiculousness said...

How is this a great sighting? I mean, sure the little probably shouldn't be stuffed in a stroller for "2 hours" but if this park is so distasteful to you why were you there? It sounds like there is a lot of resentment here that you haven't learned how to express.

As a nanny I am allowed to meet up with my friends for the sake of meeting up with my friends. Possibly this nanny has the same arrangement. Do I ignore my charge? No, but there has to be some opportunities for adult stimulation in my day or we're both going to go crazy.

And to say the friend possibly belongs to a gang? Oh PAAAHHHLEEEZZEEE, did you grow up in a 1,500 population town? Sounds like you were surrounded by dutch folk and corn stalks.

mom said...

It was a good siting because the child was stuffed in a stoller for two hours while the nanny had her social time.

And please, a GOOD nanny does not require a two hour social outlet for herself in order to keep form going insane. What job allows you to socialize for two hours in the middle of the day? And what adult can't perform a full day's work without needing to meet up with their friends and sit on their butt shooting the breeze right in the middle of it. And thalk about going crazy from lack of stimulation...I suppose that's probably how the baby felt as she was strapped in her stroller being ignored for two hours.

And yes, somebody can recognize typical gang insignia without having grown up with the people of the corn.

Talk about resentment that somebody is having trouble finding a way to express...

However, I am now curious as to why OP sat there for two hours herself. Why not just move to a nicer park? ALL kids deserve to play at the nicest, safest park. Whether they are rich or poor should be completely irrelevant.

Vehhhnice said...

Obviously the person who wrote this has low self esteem. The OP describes the park as some sort of potential crime area and there are three quarter of a million dollar brand new homes on the other side of the park. Yes, that poor child shouldn't have been left in her stroller for 2 hours and depending on the time of day, it was 86 degrees yesterday.

fox in socks said...

Ridiculousness, your post really lives up to your moniker.

There does not have to be some sort of opportunity for you to interact with adults during your work day. You are there to work. You can interact with adults during your free time after work.

I hardly think you or any other poster should pick on the OP for being in the park for 2 hours, watching this dressed up little girl be restrained in her stroller and stuffed with robin's eggs (chocolates, I'm assuming).

Leave the OP alone as to why she was there. She is nice enough to come on this board and post in the hope that gingham-girl's mommy will find out that her "nanny" is not spending her paid time focusing on the girl and her needs, and what would be enriching or beneficial to her, but is instead socializing with her friend.

In all fairness I will say that I doubt the nanny sees anything wrong with this. If it were her own kid she might well do the same thing.

This is the problem, people, and it's why we need to use less of nannies and childcare, or else we need to make sure that our children are well cared for. This kid was clearly not.

And by the way, it's you who could be living in a corn field. A tear tat near the eye has traditionally been a gang sign. Could be not in the gang but has gang pals. FYI.

Anonymous said...

Yeah, good sighting, period. Something about this entire posst doesn't sit well with me. The OP obviously knows something wasn't right, gang or not and because I am not at all familiar with the area I am taking her/his word for it. Again, my gut says something isn't right. (my gut is VERY reliable, by the way :-) )

Teardrops are common prison tattoos. I honestly don't care WHY the OP was there for 2 hours. I'm concerned that this child was probably somewhere that the parents wouldn't want her to be.

SFC said...

Do you any of you actually know what the tear drop tattoo means? It is signifies that the wearer has murdered someone. Not exactly the type of person I'd want around my child regardless as to whether I authorized social visits on the clock.

sd said...

This is from wiki:

"The teardrop tattoo or tear tattoo is a symbolic tattoo that is placed underneath the eye. The tattoo has several connotations. Teardrop tattoos usually signify the loss of a friend or loved one. Often, for a male, the tattoo is given to represent the death of a brother.[citation needed] An empty tear signifies that the loved one has been killed or that the bearer has unsuccessfully attempted murder.[1] A filled tattoo signifies that a loved one has taken his or her own life, or was killed by a cause other than murder (car crash, death penalty, etc.) A tear with an empty top and a full bottom means that the wearer has avenged the murder of a loved one. The majority of the 'tear tattoos' seen in popular culture today, however, signify that the wearer has killed, with the number of tears representing the number of kills.[1]

Tear tattoos, when given in prison, primarily indicate that the bearer has murdered someone, either in or out of jail.[1][2][3] In Australian prisons, teardrop tattoos are often forcibly given to convicted child molesters by other inmates.[4] The tattoo can also be given to commemorate a loved one who died while the wearer was incarcerated."

mom said...

Here's a sick story. Our church helps out one of the low income subsidized housing projects. During last year's "school supplies fair" we were doing face painting and a number of children of various ages were asking us to paint teardrops under their eyes and numbers on their arms. Totally oblivious, I happily painted these things on them...some of them very little boys...until I was informed of their meaning...which in this area is apparently gang membership for the numbers and murders for the teardrops. One for each murder they have committed. I'm sure most of these kids (hopefully all) and not murdered anybody...yet...but how horrible that they aspire to be like that!

Anonymous said...

Yeah, teardrops implicate murder. I know there are varations and whatnot, but generally speaking, if someone has a teardrop tattoo they're either BAD or trying to emulate someone who is BAD. Either way, I wouldn't want that person around me, nevermind my kids. Even if the person is not dangerous and simply a "poser", you've got to be some kind of ass to get that tattooed on your face.

When someone I know dies, I don't get teardrop tattoos (I use other parts of my body :-). Why? Because I'm not in a gang OR in jail. Even if it doesn't mean this girl killed someone I'd still be willing to bet she has gang affiliations. Ridiculousness, you sound like the one who is out of touch with reality. Is YOUR closest neighbor a corn stalk?

Shady things going on in that park, period. I don't blame OP for the "resentful" tone of her post.

Phoenix said...

teardrops are not prison tattoos... they are associated with the latin gangs. Just like the black hand or the three dots on the hand.

Anonymous said...

They're both, Phoenix. In fact, it started as simply a prison tattoo.
Didn't you watch crybaby?

I'm kidding. I suck at jokes.

http://www.inkedblog.com/archives/2005/09/break_the_tatto.html

Phoenix said...

od you know why it started as a prison tattoo? It's because the gang le eme was first started in prison. le eme is the mexican mafia who control all latin gangs in america.. esentially all the latin gangs pay tribute to them. It may be a prison tattoo but it was started by the latins. So I will agree we are both right.

mom said...

However it started, and whatever it is in the mind of any particular person who gets one of those tattoos...I think we can all agree that it's a pretty questionable type of person who thinks it's a good idea to wear that mark on their faces.

Is there seriously anybody here who can defend a nanny taking a toddler to spend time with such a person, and in a seedy park? The judgment of the nanny in question here is very flawed. She needs not be a nanny. And besides her choice of company, she sounds like a bad nanny anyway to leave the baby strapped in a stroller that long and completely ignore her. I would be so pissed if that were my child.

Review for Louise Park said...

Yep... and so it goes.

Anonymous said...

Gangs, drinking, dry humping and dead homeless guys. Great place for the kids.
The more I come back to this post the angier I get.

Phoenix, I was reading a little more about the teardrop. You ARE right, however it was apparently very common for sailors back in the 20s to have them. They signified a loss of loved ones back then though. It is believed that Latin gangs ARE the ones to thank for its negative connotations now.

DenverNanny said...

Great siting, OP! Yes, there may be a nice neighborhood near by, but regardless, a child should never be stuck in a stoller for hours...or be fed candy for a couple hours.

need a moniker said...

Why were you there for two hours?

sd said...

Jacqui Said:

"Even if the person is not dangerous and simply a "poser", you've got to be some kind of ass to get that tattooed on your face. "

LOL I just spit milk everywhere!

Phoenix said...

it seems that this person may have been the nannies sister or cousin. She wasn't walking with her crew so I don't think that the nanny was putting the child in danger. It sounds very much like a close friend or family meeting.

stellarlikewoah said...

Wow. Reading that review of the park is what I like to call K-LASSY! haha.

I don't really have much of a reply or anything useful, I just laughed a lot when the OP said it was clearly the nanny's "stomping ground". All I could think was "how white!"
haha. Oh man. Sorry. I'm zero help but amused!

Anonymous said...

Well, the OP did say that there were "scary characters hanging around the ball park." That could be her "crew." Now we're just speculating though. Sister or cousin aside, if I had a child and a nanny I wouldn't want either of them hanging out in such a shady place. There really isn't any way to justify the nanny's actions even if gangs, teardrops and dead guys were taken out of the equation.
They were at a park for 2 hours and she didn't let the kid out of the stroller. Minimal socializing while on the job is one thing. But gabbing for hours? Nobody needs THAT much adult interaction throughout the day. And furthermore, if you can't handle the company of ONLY children all day long, you should probably reconsider what you do for a living. That just seems like a given to me.

Manhattan Nanny said...

Tear tats mean they killed someone, wow, I just thought she must be a fan of Comedia Del Arte.
You can learn the most interesting things on this site!

Good post OP. Even in a lovely park without ex-cons, no child should have to sit in the stroller for two hours so the nanny can socialize.

Nanny Taxi said...

Why don't people have initiative any more? I have a bunch of friends all nannies and daycare providers. We decided to ask the one of the churches if we could use the nursery/toddler Sunday school area in the basement for a playgroup twice a week. We charge a dollar for each kid over 6 months. That covers snack, arts and crafts expenses. The rest goes to the church.
It has become quite popular. It gives the kids a safe place to play, social time for the care providers/mommies (even a daddy!)
We police our own. They get a snack, story time and a art project. During the summer the church is just too hot so we meet at local playgrounds, or one of the daycare providers basically has a playground in her back yard.

Lisah said...

Manhattan Nanny:

Tear tats do NOT necessarily mean that they killed someone. It can also mean that they've lost someone close to them. I know that the concept of tattooing you face in such a symbolic way is shocking to most people, but there IS a subset of society to whom the practice is considered an honest tribute.

Anonymous said...
This comment has been removed by a blog administrator.
you need a moniker! said...

Nanny Taxi, that's a great idea!Do you do that for low-income families?How do you "advertise" about it?And how many hours do you do that weekly?

Kuddos for you, that's very nice. :)

Apr 29, 2009 6:25:00 PM

Nanny Taxi said...

You need a moniker:

Families of all income ranges can come. We advertise in the church...um..ahh..whatever that thing is called that they pass out that has announcements in it during services. We also advertise in the local pennysaver (free!) newspaper. We do playgroup Tuesdays and Thursdays 9-1130 am. We occasionally will do trips that may take place on other days of the week. We've done trips to the post office where they show the kids around and give them coloring books about stamps. We've done trips to the local grocery store so the kids can watch bread being made, etc. and they all got apples for a snack.
We did one really fun hayride, pumpkin picking last fall, the kids loved it!