I have heard that once the sun starts to set, nannies go off-duty. I was at the Brooklyn Central Library at Grand Army Plaza, Monday, 11/23, at 5 PM. There were two African American nannies in the youth section sitting by the Babies and Books reading room. They clearly just wanted to sit together. One nanny had a sleeping infant in the bottom section of a Phil & Ted's but the other had a 2 year old in a lightweight, blue, umbrella stroller. She kept the child strapped into the stroller for the half hour plus that I was there. The child screamed and screeched periodically to be set free. Maybe she wanted to have a book read to her?? The nanny occasionally reassured her that they would be leaving soon but didn't even placate her with pirate's booty. The child was a somewhat androgynous girl with severe bangs and very pale face. The nanny wore a cap and had black freckles and a self assured smile. I think that paying $12/hr. to have someone take care of your child is absurdly low. You get what you pay for.
Wednesday
Brooklyn Central Library in NY
Received Wednesday, November 25, 2009
I have heard that once the sun starts to set, nannies go off-duty. I was at the Brooklyn Central Library at Grand Army Plaza, Monday, 11/23, at 5 PM. There were two African American nannies in the youth section sitting by the Babies and Books reading room. They clearly just wanted to sit together. One nanny had a sleeping infant in the bottom section of a Phil & Ted's but the other had a 2 year old in a lightweight, blue, umbrella stroller. She kept the child strapped into the stroller for the half hour plus that I was there. The child screamed and screeched periodically to be set free. Maybe she wanted to have a book read to her?? The nanny occasionally reassured her that they would be leaving soon but didn't even placate her with pirate's booty. The child was a somewhat androgynous girl with severe bangs and very pale face. The nanny wore a cap and had black freckles and a self assured smile. I think that paying $12/hr. to have someone take care of your child is absurdly low. You get what you pay for.
I have heard that once the sun starts to set, nannies go off-duty. I was at the Brooklyn Central Library at Grand Army Plaza, Monday, 11/23, at 5 PM. There were two African American nannies in the youth section sitting by the Babies and Books reading room. They clearly just wanted to sit together. One nanny had a sleeping infant in the bottom section of a Phil & Ted's but the other had a 2 year old in a lightweight, blue, umbrella stroller. She kept the child strapped into the stroller for the half hour plus that I was there. The child screamed and screeched periodically to be set free. Maybe she wanted to have a book read to her?? The nanny occasionally reassured her that they would be leaving soon but didn't even placate her with pirate's booty. The child was a somewhat androgynous girl with severe bangs and very pale face. The nanny wore a cap and had black freckles and a self assured smile. I think that paying $12/hr. to have someone take care of your child is absurdly low. You get what you pay for.
um.
ReplyDeletewhat?
Hey! I make $12 (in Chicago) and you get an experienced, educated, energetic, and loving nanny for that price with me :) Should I be charging more?!
ReplyDeleteHow do you, OP, have any idea how much this nanny makes per hour?
ReplyDeletepssh! that's more than i make an hour!
ReplyDeletealso, op, that's a bit of a stretch to harp on. what the heck is "pirate's booty"?
pirate booty is an all-natural cheeze puff snack. it is really good.
ReplyDeletebut I too am confused by this post. it is making my head hurt. :(
How DARE that nanny have a self-assured smile. Get a rope.
ReplyDeleteI don't think it's just Nannies that start to "go off duty" when the sun starts to set. Doesn't everyone get a little antsy at that time?
ReplyDeleteDC NAnny how do you make less than $12an hour?
ReplyDeleteThe going rate in dc is $15 an hour.
As a nanny it kind of makes me sick to hear this. It reminds me of the nannies I see at the park chatting with their backs turned to the kids on the play structure. To those of you who are concerned about the post let me help you out:
ReplyDelete1. Keeping a toddler strapped into thier stroller for almost 45 minutes is just cruel. Especially when the nanny isn't paying attention to the child except to lie and say they'll be leaving soon
2. Ignoring a child because you're too busy gossiping with another nanny is just about one of the meanest things you can do to a child. Not to mention the fact that it can seriously damage the relationship that the child has with the nanny. The child should always feel as if he or she is the most important thing in the world to the nanny. Isn't that what the parents are paying us for? One on one attention for the child that the parents can't give because they are at work.
3. They were in the YOUNG YOUTH READING SECTION. Not the sit on your lazy butt and ignore the babies section. Likely getting paid to sit around and complain about how much they make (which is how I am assuming the OP knew how much the nanny makes an hour).
While I agree that 12 dollars an hour is much too low for a full time nanny to make, the nanny knew how much she was going to make before-hand. If she didn't like the pay she should have kept on looking instead of taking it out on that poor toddler. I hope her employer is reading this and fires her lazy butt!
Ed,
ReplyDeletewhy don't you have a glass of wine?
LOL
ReplyDelete"I have heard that once the sun starts to set, nannies go off-duty. "
ReplyDeleteAs a conscientious nanny, I find that really offensive. It is too bad you started your post with a snarky comment about nannies as a group, because it diverts attention from the point of your post, which is a valid report of a negligent nanny.
If she keeps the child strapped in and miserable in the stroller when they could be reading books together at the library you can bet she doesn't come up with fun stimulating activities at home. As for the Pirate's Booty, it is best she doesn't give any to a two yo she isn't watching. It can be a chocking hazard.
WorthEveryPenny,
ReplyDeleteYes, you should!
This post scares me a little bit.. it's a bit voyeuristic? I feel like the OP watches this nanny through her bedroom window. HAHA.. sorry but it's written in a weird way.
ReplyDeleteI'm a little offended by the generalization, "all nannies'. That sounds almost bigoted. I don't think all of one kind of people do all the same thing. I don't think you should lump all nannies together. Some are lazy, some are not. Some just do their job, and go home.
ReplyDeleteLow pay and poor care cannot be directly corelated. So saying $12 per hour gets you a lazy nanny is silly.
ReplyDeleteIf you hire a good nanny, and pay them $12 per hour, they will be a good nanny for you until they leave for a higher paying job.
If you hire a crappy nanny, they will be crappy no matter what you pay them.
I'm wondering if this post is written by one of the nanny's frienemies? Maybe somebody looking to steal her job away...but at a higher pay rate? How does she know how much she makes?
ReplyDelete