Tuesday

Nanny's Punishment Makes Child Sick

We hired a nanny for 1/2 days in the summer.

We fired our nanny.

She had been punishing our children by making them take a tablespoon of pickle juice for fighting, a tablespoon of vinegar for arguing and had threatened them with Tabasco sauce, which she walked around with in little packets in her jeans.

We only found out about this because my son was sick to his stomach yesterday when we got home. The nanny had left. I told him I would call the doctor and he told me "not to worry" that "this happens sometimes" and he had "a bad day fighting with his sister".  I am shocked that she did this. I am shocked that neither of them ever told me.

The point in writing this is to make sure your children know they can tell you anything. My son told me he didn't want me to know he had been fighting with his sister or arguing with the nanny. My children are young enough that keeping their own misbehavior from me was all they needed to allow the nanny to keep dispensing her bizarre discipline. Make sure your kids know that they can come to you with the big things and small things.

When I fired the nanny, she seemed confused. She didn't think what she did was bad at all. (!)

Email your nanny experiences to isynblog@gmail.com.



14 comments:

Jen said...

Wow! I'd file charges against her! Is she insane?!!?! What did she say when you fired her? I've never heard of this. How old is this crazy person?

RBTC said...

i have heard of nuts people of all kinds doing this - weird

Anonymous said...

Crazy. There have been cases where children have died from pepper sauce. You should report her to CPS. I worked for CPS in NJ for 30 years and I know. I also care for 2 preschoolers.

Anonymous said...

... Is this a joke?

Pickle juice andvinegar are hardly unhealthy or toxic.. lol.

And tobasco? You mean mildly hot artificial tobasco from a chain restaurant? Mostly fake.

Now a real hot pepper, yes that cpuld really hurt a kiddo.

melissa said...

Was she foreign or an older lady? My grandmother used to put pepper or cinnamon on our tongues when I was little if she didn't like what we were saying. I'm certainly not saying it's okay (it's not), I'm just wondering if she's from a different era or culture where that's acceptable.

Anonymous said...

My mother used to give us tobasco sauce when we were misbehaving as well. It never harmed us, vinegar is not harmful, nor is pickle juice, you may have overreacted and you could have just spoken with her to make it clear that you did not want that form of discipline. Lesson learned, put it in your contract next time.

Dadhere said...

Seriously, is the barometer "dangerous or not"? It's never ok to punish kids like this. Time outs, loss of privileges etc, but something like this is not ok. Are you anons on crack???

bizarro world?? said...

Not toxic but it's never ok to cause pain! SMDH!

Anonymous said...

Um. How about you stop attacking the anons, and maybe pay attention when one said that she should have had a DISCUSSION with the nanny-the OP even said that she was confused as to why she was getting fired, they clearly never discussed discipline, so let's not put all the blame on the nanny. She could have grown up in an environment where that was seen as a normal punishment. Jesus. Learn to read, people. The parents also need to have accountability for when they don't communicate their needs or standards with their employees.

Selena said...

Read it, understood it. Don't care. There never needs to be a discussion that says "don't inflict pain on an innocent child." Nanny 101. Maybe the anons supporting this mess missed class that day.

I don't care what environment she grew up in. Not everything you disagree with is because the poster didn't read Angie (yes. We know it's you. Even when you don't sign your name.)

Corporal punishment isn't ok. Causing hurt in others isn't ok. Making kids fearful of adults and caregivers isn't ok.

Yes parents should always communicate as clearly as possible, but this is something that wouldn't ever occur to me to say. Asking a trusted childcare professional to not hurt my kids wouldn't cross my mind.

Anonymous said...

Sorry, It wasn't Angie, she's innocent, I don't think she cares if someone on the internet disagrees with her.

And YES, parents should make it known what type of discipline they will accept. The nanny didn't inflict pain-or at least she didn't think she was, it was an unpleasant experience for the child, I'm sure if she knew that the boy was getting sick, she wouldn't have done it. I've never heard of a child getting sick from pickle juice, that's ridiculous. But that's not the point. You can't always pass off the buck to the nanny, when the parents weren't responsible with communication.

This isn't corporal punishment, not even close. What world did you grow up in? I doubt they feared the nanny-sounds like they were more afraid of telling the mother-what does that say?

You wouldn't think to talk about discipline methods with a nanny that works with your child? You shouldn't get a nanny. That is absurd to me.

Selena said...

I disagree. Children should not be given hot sauce, vinegar or whatever else as punishment.

I grew up in a world in which my nanny didn't try to cause me pain or discomfort.

They were fearful of telling the mother because the nanny hurt them. Maybe they feared further punishment. Who knows, but would never do this to a child.

I've never run across this type of punishment so it'd never occur to me to be on the look out for it. No parent has ever told me not to spank either because it would not cross their mind to say "no harming the children "

I guess some things aren't obvious.

Some Young-Lady said...

Lol spanking is legal in most olaces sorry. And I'm paid by the parents if they say we spank, we spank. If they say hot sauce, fine, hot sauce it is.

I know, and most know, that those things don't make the kid scared of adults any more than what most oarents do, which is SCREAM AND YELL or the alternative of NO PUNISHMENT EVER.


LOLOLOLOL.

Selena said...

There's a difference between discipline and punishment. If you don't know what it is you shouldn't be around kids in any capacity.

I would never compromise my beliefs because "parents pay me". Good to know you can be bought though.

Spankings and other forms of punishment do not work. You mah need to study child psychology and or childhood development.


But regardless of my personal beliefs I would never do what this nanny did.

Happy I gave you such a hearty laugh though.