Monday

Harbor Island Park - Mamaroneck, NY

Received Monday, April 12, 2010
negative emoticon 1 This may be something. Or it may be nothing. I was pulling up to Harbor Island Park with my 9 year old who can't go to school because he has a pink eye. He has ADD so I can't keep him home all day without an outlet, so I decided to take him to the park and let him run around. We pulled up and it was, jeez, maybe ten am and about 52 degrees. I see the strangest sight. This dark complected woman of unknown origin, slender but with a pot belley, black and white printed pucci style kechief on her hair, tan pants, red sweater, holding a white child of about 9-14 month like a football. She was on the passenger side of a black late model, shiny SUV Ford, don't know the make because my son took off running towards the water. What was she doing with this child out of the car? I doubt he could walk. It was cold and? and? SHE WAS FEBREEZING the baby. That is what she was doing... squirting the baby with febreeze. His carseat sits on the passenger back side of the vehicle. The car also had tinted windows. I know she was doing something bad because when I saw what she was doing she stopped and rotated 50 degrees so I could not see her. Harbor Island Park is on Mamaroneck, NY and this was about an hour ago.

19 comments:

TiredofMathandSchoolMissDee said...

Spraying the baby with freebreeze? Are you sure the baby didn't either throw up in the car or have a poopy diaper that the nanny sprayed the car to get rid of the smell? Only thing I can think of is the nanny was either smoking a cigarette or weed while on the clock in what may be the family's vehicle and she doesn't want the parents finding out. Just because she has tinted windows doesn't mean anything. Spraying the car to get rid of the throw up or poopy diaper smell-OK. Smoking around children, in the family's car while on the clock, holding a child like a football. Not OK. Did you see the nanny with freebreeze in her hand? if you didn't then you can't say she "sprayed the baby".

OP said...

Didn't I say I saw her spraying the baby? That is the point of this post. She wasn't spraying the car, BUT THE BABY~!

TC said...

My guess would be she was smoking and sprayed the baby to cover the smell, especially since she turned when she noticed you looking at her.

Even after the baby dries she/he is still going to smell of febreeze so I wonder if the parents have ever noticed that.

momo said...

TiredofMath... -
I'm pretty sure OP described the car as having tinted windows to help a reader recognize it, not because it 'means anything'?! Why are you jumping all over this post?

Phoenix said...

I think she was smoking too... I'm a smoker when I was younger this sounds like something I would've done

OP is a weirdo said...

I personally think it is gross to take a child to a public park who has pink eye. Um... spread communicable diseases much?

let's get real said...

While I think it was a great idea to post this sighting (because the nanny definitely sounds a little off...spraying a baby with Febreeze? Totally weird!) OP, what were you doing taking your contagious child to a public playground where he could touch all the equipment and spread his pink eye to children all over the neighborhood? He couldn't go to school because he had pink eye...so you decided to take him to some other place to spread it around? Keep him home!

TeamOP said...

What is with some of you people being SO insanely judgmental that you pick posters COMPLETELY apart for their sightings?! Some of you come across completely over the top, nasty, and as though you have nothing better to do with your time than attempt to find ANYTHING to put the poster down about. Are you attempting to drive posters away from the site? Honestly, control yourself, this "finger pointing" is rapidly becoming overly juvenile and quite frankly, ridiculous.

Further more, and yes, this is directed at: "OP is a weirdo": The chances of catching pink eye in the outdoors from a child on medication are slim to none . . . I doubt he was dragging his infected eye across the playground equipment, and even if he was, again, if he's already on antibiotics his period of time for being contagious is drastically reduced . . . not to mention, in a confined space (such as a classroom) you are at a much higher risk for catching an illness, verses an open space. Are you insinuating that children who catch colds or other germs should be "quarantined" and not allowed fresh air or sunshine (two things that speed up healing?) I digress, this has NOTHING to do with the posters sighting and shouldn't have even been brought up. I know plenty of children whom play outdoors when starting to recover from a sickness. *sigh* I was simply too frustrated by the reoccurrence of negative "commenters" who have to put every single OP down.

OP: Thank you for sharing this sighting, I'm absolutely positive this is something mommy and daddy WOULD want to know about! Freebreeze is not meant to be sprayed directly on the body or ingested and can be hazardous! (As we all know babies put EVERYTHING including their clothing and hands in their mouth.) If this was my nanny she'd be fired, not only for being a liar, but also for spraying a chemical on my babies body. Not cool. Of course, I also appreciate it when people don't hold my baby like a football, and show common sense. I, too, agree nanny was most likely smoking, hope the parents catch your post!

MissMannah said...

I'm not normally one who would confront bad nannies, but I think even I would have spoken up about this one. Spraying a baby with Febreeze? {Yes, Febreeze. It is not spelled FREEbreeze, people!) WTF is up with that? I would think any idiot would know that isn't safe.

That is, assuming this post is entirely accurate. I have a feeling the nanny might have been Febreeze-ing the car while holding the baby "like a football" so his face would be away from it. I don't give this OP much credence because she did, after all, take her highly contagious child to a park.

dsi. said...

I am a researcher in a pediatric ophthalmology department and pink-eye is HIGHLY contagious! Other children may catch this disease but using the same playground equipment as the infected child, whether or not it is an open space. While I understanding taking an ADD child outside to have an outlet, perhaps a better idea would be to take him out on a walk, or to a grass area to run around and play frisbee (with you - his parent), as opposed to expose other children.

About the issue at hand, why not confront this person. Why didn't you write down the license plate number and call the cops? This is child cruelty, boarding on child abuse! If that person is willing to febreeze the baby in public, what is she going to do behind closed doors? That poor child...

OP, that is great that you posted - if the parents read this site, but not very descriptive, honestly. You should have taken more action. My heart goes out to that child.

germs are not for sharing said...

Um, hello? OP said she took her child to the park, not to the playground. When I looked at the pic, I saw a wide open grassy area perfect for letting a child "run around," as stated by the OP.

Also, I think changing the clothes would be easier than febreezing the baby, but, um, at least she was holding his head away from the spray?

dadiswrongonthisone said...

sorry team OP, but you don't take a child to a public playground/park with other children when they have pink eye. just stating the obvious.

VAnanny said...

I'm not really understanding why we are throwing stones at the OP. They took time out of their day to post this in hopes that the parents of this baby would see it. Guess this OP won't be posting again.

MaryPoppin'Pills said...

I am with VAnanny. If Readers keep jumping on the OP's they will not continue to Post their Sightings. And without these Sightings... there is no Blog.

OP, thank you for taking the time to Post. Please know that we truly appreciate you and the others for doing your part in protecting these children.

NYCMOM said...

She said park, people! If you have a kid with energy,there is nothing wrong with taking a kid to park. Get over yourselves and read Jane Ds comment last week about board etiquette.

OP- try to ignore the people who make their comments about what you did wrong. I am sure that most of us would thank you for posting something a parent should see despite those judgmental people who are so certain that they are right about everything.

I am so disgusted with people who attack the OPs. Get a life and leave your opinions about OP alone, unless you want people to stop posting.

The point is that a nanny was spraying febreeze on a kid! Is that not awful enough that you people need to jump on OPs back?

it just is. said...

It is just gross to take a child with pink-eye to the park. Possibly just as gross and negligent as spraying a child with fabreeze.

NYCMOM said...

Pink eye is spread through touching, sneezing, etc. It does not fly through the air and land on other people 10 feet away. As dsi said, a walk is fine, playground equipment is not. OP said she was at a park (see picture), not on a playground.There is absolutely nothing wrong with this taking a kid to an open park.

mean people suck! said...

Right on, NYCMOM! I think there should be a policy for this blog about attacking OP's. If people keep jumping on them they are going to stop posting sightings! All of you negative bottom feeders need to shut the hell up. And to the OP: good for you for spotting this and I hope your kid is feeling better now.

mean people suck! said...

Actually, I see in #1 it IS a policy! Then maybe those people that jump on OP's need to have their comments removed? No matter what else they say in it that might be of importance?