ISYN 2015 The Quittings

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       We hired a nanny in February. She seemed lovely. We needed someone pet friendly. During the interview, we introduced her to our dogs. We have a Husky and a miniature Dalmatian.She professed to be a dog lover. Then she started making strange claims like the Dalmation was growling when she tried to leave the laundry room. She also claimed that our 3 year old was terrified of the dog.  One day I came home and she told me I needed to do something about the dog because he was "showing his teeth at her" and she "worked in fear". I kind of chuckled because the dog is 18 lbs soaking wet. That night her husband calls me and says that his wife will not be returning because I am ignoring her safety concerns. He also tells me he will be there at 8:30 in the morning to pick up her check.

     My nanny quit because I was late. I was late the first day because it was my first day back to work. I apologized for that. The next week, we had a great deal of rain and my train was late. When I came that Thursday after being late Wednesday (less than 20 minutes). I apologized for being late and told her the trains were a mess. She told me. "That's not my concern. I have plans and a life and this is the third time in two weeks. I can come tomorrow if you need, but I am quitting."

     My nanny quit after only 3 weeks because of the sound the kitchen chairs made on the kitchen floor. Seriously. Her nanny quarters are in the basement underneath the kitchen. She not only quit, but didn't come back at all. She texted me Friday at around 10PM. Her text said, "Um, you might want to LIKE totally reTHINK your kitchenette set up before you drive your nanny insane with BIG people rolling all over the kitchen at night and hyper kids all weekends. They do make, YOU KNOW..CHAIRS WITHOUT WHEELS. Some people should YOU KNOW not have LIVE IN NANNIES."  <---That is exactly what she sent. I saved it!

     I have never worked full time out of the house. I am a production assistant on a news show and had the chance to work on a feature which was going to keep me away for long days for four to seven

Katie Berggren

weeks. My third child was 3 months and we practice attachment parenting. We interviewed. We reference checked. We created a job description. I was wearing the baby during the interview. I showed her the different baby wearing options. She starts work and things seem to go fine. The older kids like her, but I realize I see the baby in the swing a lot of the time. I verify this by popping in mid day. My husband does a pop in and asks her where the carriers are and why she isn't wearing the baby and says, 'this is very important to my wife and we thought you understood that'. The nanny said, and I will have to paraphrase, "I know, but I'm not going anywhere." My husband was probably not as understanding as he should be when he explained to her the premise behind what we were doing and how it affected the child and etc. etc. The next morning she arrived and stood in the kitchen with her arms folded. She didn't even come in. She said, "I am not working for you. No baby needs to be carried around all day long. I'm supposed to walk around all day with that 'thing' strapped to me? No thank you. I have back problems." And she didn't say any of this in a kind or gentle way. I couldn't get her off our porch fast enough.

     We hired a Brazilian woman to nanny and do light housekeeping. Only, she wasn't in to the nannying but was heavy into the housekeeping. The kids would just be sitting on the floor in a pile of blocks or dolls while she cleaned, with what seemed like the inability to stop. We saw this on nanny camera. And she used bleach on the kitchen table and counters and floor and everywhere. I tried to redirect her by saying that we wanted her to focus on the kids and not worry about the house. I explained just picking up, making their beds, cleaning up after their meals. She told me she could not work in a pig sty and if I didn't make cleaning a priority my kids were going to be sick all of the time. I told her the kids were a priority. She told me, "I won't take care of sick kids or work in fifth."

    My nanny had been working for us for three months when she quit. She was not friendly with me, but polite and quiet. My children are school aged and reported that things were okay. She wasn't personable but she was efficient and most of the job involved organization and driving to and from activities and homework help, etc. We were planning to drive to Vermont for the weekend and I was trying to get things ready. I went to her and said, "I know we have two portable DVD players, but I can't find them anywhere. Might you know where they are". She want psycho on me and started saying, "Don't you charge up to me and start accusing me. I never took nothing that wasn't mine. I won't be questioned like that." I told her she worked for me, she organized the children's areas and I had the right to ask her if she had seen anything. She said, "Oh no. I am not going down this road with you. Hell to the No." She walked to the hall closet. Grabbed her coat and keys and walked out the door. She never called for or asked for her check. It was the strangest thing. I eventually found the DVD players, so still scratching my head about this one!

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