I work at a retail establishment on Broadway near Lincoln Center and constantly see a barrage of nannies when we first open in the morning. The shop I work for is NOT a grocery store, nor it is a children's toy or clothing store, so I see no reason for these women to be here while at work. One in particular seems to be there every morning, ready to hunt down a bargain (those don't really exist at this store) and is constantly harassing the employees about older items, attempting to get a major deal. On tuesday, she was in the store with her charge, a blonde boy, who is usually sleeping or happily munching on cheerios; this day, however he seemed to be in a very bad mood, and kept whining that his ears hurt. She shopped around the store for no less than an hour, while the boy cried the entire time. A coworker asked her if there was anything wrong, and she shot us a side eye and said no. She argued with myself and another manager about getting further discounts on some old picture frames.... we could barely think with the sound of the boy screaming about how he wanted to go home. As predicted, she asked that we hold her bags until later that day (presumably because she shouldn't be shopping while watching your child) and gave us her name: "Bibi". If you are paying this woman to watch your child, I'd re- think what you're paying for. If you think this is your nanny, please contact the blog for the nanny's last name.
Friday
Nanny Bibi near Lincoln Center in NYC
Received Friday, December 17, 2010
I work at a retail establishment on Broadway near Lincoln Center and constantly see a barrage of nannies when we first open in the morning. The shop I work for is NOT a grocery store, nor it is a children's toy or clothing store, so I see no reason for these women to be here while at work. One in particular seems to be there every morning, ready to hunt down a bargain (those don't really exist at this store) and is constantly harassing the employees about older items, attempting to get a major deal. On tuesday, she was in the store with her charge, a blonde boy, who is usually sleeping or happily munching on cheerios; this day, however he seemed to be in a very bad mood, and kept whining that his ears hurt. She shopped around the store for no less than an hour, while the boy cried the entire time. A coworker asked her if there was anything wrong, and she shot us a side eye and said no. She argued with myself and another manager about getting further discounts on some old picture frames.... we could barely think with the sound of the boy screaming about how he wanted to go home. As predicted, she asked that we hold her bags until later that day (presumably because she shouldn't be shopping while watching your child) and gave us her name: "Bibi". If you are paying this woman to watch your child, I'd re- think what you're paying for. If you think this is your nanny, please contact the blog for the nanny's last name.
I work at a retail establishment on Broadway near Lincoln Center and constantly see a barrage of nannies when we first open in the morning. The shop I work for is NOT a grocery store, nor it is a children's toy or clothing store, so I see no reason for these women to be here while at work. One in particular seems to be there every morning, ready to hunt down a bargain (those don't really exist at this store) and is constantly harassing the employees about older items, attempting to get a major deal. On tuesday, she was in the store with her charge, a blonde boy, who is usually sleeping or happily munching on cheerios; this day, however he seemed to be in a very bad mood, and kept whining that his ears hurt. She shopped around the store for no less than an hour, while the boy cried the entire time. A coworker asked her if there was anything wrong, and she shot us a side eye and said no. She argued with myself and another manager about getting further discounts on some old picture frames.... we could barely think with the sound of the boy screaming about how he wanted to go home. As predicted, she asked that we hold her bags until later that day (presumably because she shouldn't be shopping while watching your child) and gave us her name: "Bibi". If you are paying this woman to watch your child, I'd re- think what you're paying for. If you think this is your nanny, please contact the blog for the nanny's last name.
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29 comments:
I do not really see this as a bad nanny sighting in general. You said the woman shopped for less than an hour which could be 10 or 20 min. Perhaps this woman was Christmas shopping and as a Nanny probably a) does not make very much or b) works long hours/days and can only squeeze in her Christmas shopping when she is at work. Remember: Most nannies do not get the benefit of a true lunch break. Or maybe she left the bag at the store because she was buying her bosses a Christmas gift and wanted to surprise them.
I see no true abuse or neglect here.
OP I stand corrected about the shopping less than an hour..you actually said she shopped no less than an hour.
But I still see no true abuse or neglect here. Many of my families tell me that they do not mind if I take my charge to Target or whatever. They like me to take my charge out and about during the day and are fine with me running errands.
As a nanny, I am not paid to do shopping that can and should be done on my own time. However, in the four years I have worked for the family, I have gone on several short errands for myself, but it was always turned into a fun outting for them. They love "the red store" (target), so if I have to pick something up I usually go there with them because it's enjoyable for everyone. If they're ready to go and/or getting fussy, I finish up what I am doing and we leave. They are not my children and as I mentioned, I am not paid by the family to do things that can easily be done on my own time.
Being able to run personal errands while working is a job perk, not a right. This is definitely a good sighting.
I take issue with the idea that it is okay for nannies to galavant on the job, especially when the nanny may be taking the child, a child who is not her own, to less civilized locations. It would be one thing if our nanny ran errands at our post office box, our UPS store or the department store I shop at. It's a different caliber of people, and the nanny's populi is likely going to be more of the criminal elevant and therefore a direct danger to the child.
Sid can't be real. Sounds like a troll.
Sid, I live and work in a high income zip code. The criminals I would be exposing my charges to would most likely be the Wall St. type. Would that be OK with you?
She very well could have been allowed to shop on the clock. I certainly am, my boss is very nice and felixable and if I need to go to the mall, or the shoe store, or the bank, or wherever she has no problem with that.
Now the poor kid, I don't take my charges out if they aren't feeling well. Especially with an ear ache, those hurt and he might have had an infection. She should have stayed home with him
Well, first off, "Sid" is an idiot. A different "caliber" of people? I'm a nanny and my own family is more well off than some families I work for.
In terms of the OP running errands, it sounds like she shouldn't be, since she had to hide the fact that she purchased items while on the job. But it doesn't make someone a bad nanny to run errands while at work--if you are with your charge for 8-10 hours a day, you would go crazy just entertaining the child for hours on end. Parents don't do that, nor does the nanny need to. She should be able to run errands since she is working full time, all day, and rarely has free time to accomplish things that she needs to get done.
I am a nanny in a city and will occasionally pop in a store to get something I need. That doesn't make me a bad nanny. My heart and soul are dedicated to the children's well being. Also after I read this today, and took my charge for a walk and did happen to stop by a store, I felt like big brother is watching me. Uh-oh, will someone "spot" me and report me to isawyournanny? This website needs to remain dedicated to only serious nanny sightings in which the child seems to be in danger as a result of the nanny's negligence (and the like). Not stupid sightings like this one.
Wait, can us nannies start reporting bad mom behavior?
Am I the only person that is bothered by the fact that the OP is willing to divulge the last name of this nanny to anyone who thinks this may their nanny? I could possibly understand her divulging it if she came by it in a different way...but I think she is abusing her role as a store clerk just as much or more than this nanny may (or may not be) abusing her role as a nanny. This poster sounds more annoyed that the woman wanted a bargain than truly being concerned over the well being of this child.
Sid you sound like an elitist.
If this were my nanny, I'd want to know.
It is hardly running occasional errands, since the OP sees her almost daily. Shopping for bargains on frames doesn't seem like an urgent errand when a kid is sick. On top of that, an hour of anything while a child is crying is just too long.
I would not want to be paying this person to watch my child.
I agree that this is not truly a "bad nanny" sighting. And the store clerk does not have the moral authority to give out the last name of the client. If I were the client, and I found out, I would sue you!
I agree, it sure seems the clerk is more annoyed that the nanny is trying to get bargains from her store and I think that is why she wrote the post...not because she truly cares about the well-being of the child involved. Uh..tacky.
Really? You don't see the difference between a nanny shopping at Lord and Taylor in Scarsdale and at some gold and jewelry place in the Bronx? With your child?
I agree with NYCMOM2. Of course it isn't abuse but if my child were sitting in a stroller every day while my nanny bargain hunted, I'd want to know too. OP did say that she is there most mornings when they open - This sighting reminds me of the nannies I see every day at TJ Maxx and Filenes Basement who are there for hours shopping while completely ignoring their charges who sit comatose in their stroller. If I"m paying a nanny 15-20 an hour this is not how I want my child spending his day. And yes, my kids do accompany me on errands but I don't get paid to watch them. I don't run personal errands when I am at my job. And when I do run errands with my kids, I engage them, ask them to help, talk to them. These shopping nannies with their stroller-trained charges barely acknowledge them. I have a feeling this woman shops every morning and becomes park bench nanny in the afternoon. You know ....the ones who sit on the bench with their friends while their charges stay strapped in their strollers- facing the nannies, not the play area where other people in the park can see the kids obviously aren't infants and should be out playing. Such a sad existence for these kids.
To the mothers who are bashing the nannies for shopping with their charges, etc...you only know one side of the story. Haven't you ever heard of the saying, "There are two sides to every story and then there is the truth..."...What OP is telling us is that she sees one nanny in particular shopping with her charge. But what about the other side of the story?? Perhaps this child is getting alleged substandard childcare because maybe the parents are paying the nanny a substandard rate. How do we know this nanny is making $15-20 an hour? As mom stated, maybe she pays that much..but mom is also assuming this nanny is making that. Parents do not understand that these types of things happen when they underpay their nannies. You get what you pay for re: childcare and rightfully so. As this post clearly demonstrates..it is (sadly) always the child who loses in the end.
I betcha this nanny is working 10 hour days and only making a piddly wage. And she probably only has time to shop during the day, because when she gets off she probably has just enough time to cook dinner for her own family, wash the dishes then shower and go to bed in order to be fresh and well-rested for another long 10 hr work day where she will be underpaid again (!) Her days off are spent doing her own housework, laundry, grocery shopping errands and if she isn't too tired, then playing with her own children.
Mad Scientist, please spare me the sob story about how this nanny must be making minimum wage and struggling to meet her responsibilities to her family. If that's the case, she probably shouldn't be out shopping every day, especially for non-essential items like picture frames. And regardless, there is really no excuse to go shopping and keep a toddler strapped in his stroller for an hour when he is crying and probably sick. And when you are being paid solely to watch him.
There's really nothing wrong with running to the bank, PO, grocery store, etc, and it can be an educational experience for the child as well. However, that is far from what OP described.
Yes, nannies work long hours. That's the nature of nannying. But many other people also work long days and are not able to run errands during work.
I think that we all can agree to disagree. But I also think we can also agree that the nanny was not putting the child in harm's way by shopping for a picture frame. Hence why the OP needs to keep the nanny's last name to herself. Clearly she isn't doing HER job right either, by releasing this type of information to the public. OP, what is the name of your store that you work at? So other people know that their employees are freely giving customer information away to anyone that asks for it.
Non-shopping Nanny: Yes, I agree that most other people work LONG hours at work, and they do not need to run errands while on the job. Why? Because aside from Nanny work, everyone else gets a dedicated lunch break!! Duh!! Nanny work is the unique in that Nannies do not get a dedicated lunch break each day to not only eat lunch in peace, run errands, catch up on phone calls, etc. And even the nannies that work over 8 hours per shift still do not get this privilege either. Plus, remember it is the holidays and everyone has relatives and friends to shop for this month.
Yes, OP...why not tell us the name of your store? I mean, if you really have nothing to hide (obviously you do not) since you are willing to give out a customer's last name to complete strangers online. But since this sighting is probably more based on the customer's conduct (scouting out bargains) you probably are not going to do it. I bet if the Nanny came on a regular basis and bought expensive items, you never would have posted this. Esp. if you were a salesgirl who made good commission of sales. You would care less if this woman came in with 8 screaming kids. It all comes down to the bottom line, doesn't it?
Chelsea- Yes, I'm aware that most other employees are legally entitled to a lunch break. However, the reality of many jobs is that it is not possible to really take that break or complete personal errands, for a variety of reasons. My schedule is really tight right now, but I take advantage of the Internet for holiday shopping, and do in-store shopping when I can.
While I do think OP was probably more concerned with the haggling over prices, I would still be really upset if this were my nanny. And I think it degrades the profession as a whole when nannies do that. Then we wonder why there's such a struggle to be seen as professionals.
Being able to shop on the job is a perk and should not be abused. Just because you work long hours and don't have dedicated lunch breaks does not give you the right to go shopping when you please. There are plenty of professions where employees work long hours and can't take a break, that doesn't give them the right to run errands on the job.
It seems like some nannies are forgetting that this is a job. You are paid to watch and care for the child not to do as you please. If your employer allows it thats fine to an extent but the child comes first and if he is crying and most likely sick you should be caring for him, not shopping. If I was a parent I'd be pissed if my nanny was taking my child out shopping. There are plenty of children activities you can go to and if you don't have enough time to do your own shopping on your own time then find another job with better hours or shop online. Parents pay for one on one attention, which a nanny should provide otherwise they would put their child in daycare where the employees don't take the children on errands.
Some nannies need to remember that they are not stay at home moms and do not have the right to act as one. Be professional, do you job or find a new one.
I think that everyone has more sympathy for the parents than the nanny here. Considering the situation, it is pretty obvious that the parents are obviously underpaying the nanny. If the nanny has such disregard for the child's welfare and is taking the child shopping and all, it is the parents who are to blame. A nanny who was being paid a decent salary would never do this. Let this be another reminder to all you parents who underpay your nannies. Remember: you always get what you pay for. If you pay your nanny a measly wage, then don't be surprised if she is in the next bad nanny sighting on here! Hopefully more parents will see this. As this situation illustrates..it is always (sadly) the child that loses in the end. Parents, do not ever think for a moment that you are getting away with anything by underpaying your nanny. It may seem like you are getting a great bargain, but as this sighting illustrates, this is what "cheap" nannies do all day.
The theory on here that 'cheap' and 'underpaid' nannies shop all day and well paid ones don't is ridiculous. That is the stupidest thing I've ever heard. You either have a decent work ethic and like what you do, or you don't. I have always paid slightly above the going rate for childcare and my sitters/nannies work ethic have varied widely. To illustrate, I've had one college girl who sat on my sofa and texted the whole time, one shopping-bench nanny who basically ignored my first child, one nanny (who was my former housekeeper with no nanny experience- that I paid $800 net for 30hrs a week - she did full housekeeping too while we shared care of one baby while other 2 kids were in school) She was the BEST childcare provider I ever had and I bent over backwards to make her work schedule how she wanted it. I now have a college sitter who I paid the same as 'texting sitter' ($15 an hour)- this girl actually plays with my kids and engages them. The bottom line is that some people are not cut out to nanny/babysit - just as some people don't make good parents.- The nanny OP describes in her sighting is not going to change her work ethic for a few dollars an hour more.
I think this nanny sounds terrible and I'm glad the poster submitted this sighting. I have no problem with a nanny running occasional errands while working (as long as the parents approve) but this clearly sounds like she was ignoring the needs of the child in order to do some personal shopping. And that is not okay. My employers love it that I save my "fun errands" (book store, pet store, etc) for work hours, so I can take my infant charge. They love for him to get out and be exposed to different environments. But they also know that if I arrive at work planning on running an errand and find that the baby is sick or crabby due to poor sleep ... we stay home and I run the errand on my own time. This is just common sense.
Sid -- I understand the (elitist) point you are making, but you're painting an awfully broad stroke with that brush. I'm a nanny and I live in a much ritzier area of the city than my employers.
To a mom, I whole heartedly disagree. Morale is very important in Nanny work and I see this as a very important issue that rarely gets addressed. I admit, that as a working Nanny, I tend to provide the best care when paid the most. Mind you, I NEVER abuse or neglect my charges, I just do the "bare minimum" when I am getting paid a lower amount. When the pay is higher, I tend to go the "extra mile" at work. Do more household chores, play more games with my charges, etc. It's a fact of life people. You get what you pay for in life. If it wasn't so true, why does this cliche stick generation after generation??
BTW a mom...how did you know your nanny texted all day and your other one was a park bench nanny?? Did you nanny cam one and have someone spy on the other one?
the store clerk sounds pissed off that the Nanny makes more than her in a week time. all that over time and she still doesn't make as much as the nanny. she thinks it's easy being a nanny and it's not fair that she can't go shopping too.
all kidding aside, i don't think nannies should go any kind of shopping with their charges. that's not your job. after saying that, stop sending your nannies on errands. "oh X can you pick some strawberries on your way back from ballet". or "X can you take this back to bloomingdales i picked the wrong size". it's not part of the nanny's job to do errands for you..
How true Fuji. Many families probably look down on their Nanny shopping during her shift, yet have no problem asking Nanny to run errands for them. I understand that they are paying the Nanny to shop for them (the parents), but since they are already at the mall, or whatever..what is the problem if the Nanny stops in a near-by store and buys something for herself or her charge too?? I personally think the original post is a Nanny purchasing stuff for her bosses. It is the holiday season after all and picture frames are a common gift to give to parents. I think the Nanny is purchasing picture frames so she can give a gift to the parents of either the little boy or even some craft the boy made for his parents. I think the Nanny wanted to leave the frames at the store since she wants to keep this a surprise for the parents. It is pretty obvious guys. It's not like the Nanny was in Victoria's Secret buying lingerie with her charge. She is planning a surprise for her Mom/Dad bosses and for the Nanny and child's sake, I hope the parents do not see this because the surprise will be ruined.
Merry Christmas everyone!~
I don't there is a problem with a nanny shopping on the job, so long as the parent knows where she is and the child's needs are being met.
One of the things I had found disturbing was the number of nannies who took their charges just about anywhere they wanted to go- without the parent's knowledge.
As a nanny, I took my charges shopping with me and to run personal errands. This was known by my employer. Many times, I thought I was going to be able to return a blouse or pick up a present but the child's behavior didn't allow for that. As a parent, you might have no choice but to contine with your errand while the child struggle/cries/whines, etc. but as a nanny, you have to realize your first obligation is to the child in your care. It's such a common sense line of reasoning that trying to explain it has actually given me a headache.
That is true what Jane Doe just said. As a Nanny, we are being PAID to do a job. Parents are not being paid to do any job and therefore are not accountable to anyone but themselves.
I agree with you Just My Two Cents, this post does not sound like a bad nanny sighting. Since it is x-mas, I think the nanny was buying the frame for a nice x-mas gift for her mom/dad bosses. She was probably looking for a bargain (nannies do not make very high salaries), she had the salesgirl hold the frames (so her bosses would not know about the gift) and she proceeded to continue to shop (since she probably had only a few days to make her gift.)
This sounds like a thoughtful and caring nanny who is simply creating a wonderful x-mas present for her employers. Now if she was in Sephora trying on make-up or Macy's getting her make-up done with her charge, I would be appalled. But this sounds like a great nanny to me. I probably will get my employers an x-mas present this year so she is one step up from me.
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