About 10:30 on Saturday Morning at the Westside Market in Chelsea, I saw a nanny. This nanny was clearly not a good nanny. What did I observe? A toddler of not more than 2.5 and a sleeping baby of about 10 months. No nanny. The stroller was kind of unique in that it had a pram like look to it and the fabric was a very delicate blue and white striped print. There was lace all around the borders. The pram was blocking my way. Yes, that was annoying but more annoying was that the owner of the pram was nowhere around and the children were left out of sight of their owners. I started asking people, "who's stroller is this", "does anyone know who this stroller and child belongs to?" That is when the offending nanny came around the corner form the far end of the store. When I was checking out, she was coming in to line and she parked the pram behind me and took off down an aisle. Yes, she forgot something and that happens, but she had clearly demonstrated that she had no connection or care for those kids. When I was checking out, the checker asked me, "are these your kids" because I was moving past the counter and leaving them behind. I said, "nope, but they sure have spent a lot of time alone here at the store today". I am not a nut but the store is pretty crowded on Saturday. Maybe your nanny was acting up because she had to work on Saturdays, but those kids were not being cared for. Even when she rejoined them, she never said a word to them. My heart broke for the toddler who just stood around silently. Can you say understimulated? (At best).Nanny: African American, tall, thin, curly hair to her shoulders, about 30 years old, dark grey heavy, large fleece over jeans and white boots with fur and criss cross buckles on them.
Toddler: Caucasian, brown hair, brown eyes, wearing Gap overalls over a red shirt underneath a blue puffer coat.
Baby: Caucasian, mint green looking cashmere blanket over most of the child, brown hair.
I don't think the nanny was "acting up" because she was working on a Saturday. My guess is this is normal behavior for her, which is even more chilling. Couldn't the OP or the clerk at the store notify the manager, who could then call the police? I don't know the rules on all that but this seems like child abandonment or endangerment to me.
ReplyDeletePS: That stroller sounds absolutely darling. I wonder where the mom got it?
Next time grab the stroller, find her and say that she forgot something. Also "mention" the stage 3 sex offender that lives around there.
ReplyDeleteWow, I would never think of leaving my charges alone and they are 3.5 and 3 months. I even take them into the bathroom stall with me!
ReplyDeleteI hope the parents see this because it's not safe to leave kids alone while you go searching for a forgotten grocery store item.
How awful. And I bet you a dollar to a doughnut that she took her purse or wallet with her.
ReplyDeletedon't know where to post this, but I thought it was funny:
ReplyDeleteI had a nightmare last night that I was surfing this blog and saw a bad nanny siting about me! and I was crying and everything, and then I woke up and was relieved to remember: I'm not a nanny! lmao!
I may have to take a break from ISYN! (jk) :)
regarding this post: bad nanny! I never under any circumstances leave a child unattended in public. it is just crazy.
ReplyDeleteIf someone has to say "Who's kids are these" in a public place there is a serious problem.
ReplyDeletesadly not only nannys do that kind athings... there are some peaple who dont have a feeling for dangerous situations.. she might have even be angry with u ,,,
ReplyDeleteHow do we know for sure that she was a nanny (I'm not trying to be a skeptic but....) other than skin color?
ReplyDeleteI would've taken the children and called the police. Then I would question what is more important: her job and the children's safety or her own selfish needs? It takes 30 seconds for a child to get kidnappped.
ReplyDeletechrissyma..."other than skin color?" Really? That's not enough? Let's trust the OP on this one. Black women don't usually have white babies. Babies of mixed race, sure, but I don't think OP is an idiot..Like I said, let's take her word for it and give the "how do you know it was the nanny?" inquiries a rest. There have been posts in the past deserving of that question but this isn't one of them.
ReplyDeleteJacqui, in all fairness there are children who look nothing like their parents. My mom is as white as you can get but my dad's Indian so I'm really dark. She told me she can't even count the number of times perfect strangers came up to her when I was a baby and asked if I was adopted.
ReplyDeleteJust wanted to point that out, but I agree with you when you said let's give OP the benefit of the doubt.
I had a "bad mommy" sighting yesterday that was almost identical to this situation. I almost wanted to say something to her but chickened out because I don't know how appropriate that is.
MissMannah, I think that if you talk to the mom/nanny out of concern for the kids and expressing your worry, she should be able to take it in stride. If nothing else you will feel better about it, because such situations are frustrating.
ReplyDeleteKey word being "should" there. I guess I just wasn't in the mood to be cussed out in the middle of the mall yesterday. I hope if I see it again, I'll mention something. Better yet, I hope I don't see it again!
ReplyDeleteYes, children can be darker than a parent if the other parent is dark. Heck, they can be darker even if both parents are white.
ReplyDeleteBut it is so very rare for a child to be white if the mother is black, even if the father is white as well, because the gene that makes the dark skin is dominant. For the most part, it's safe to assume the white child doesn't belong to the black adult. Out of my 5 biracial nephews, not one of them is white. But nobody ever assumed they don't belong to their white mamas.
I strayed off topic. Oh well.
Now that's a nanny I wont mind losing. Hard to find great nanny's these days now *sigh
ReplyDelete