I Saw Your Nanny at the Central Park Playground

I Saw Your Nanny at the Central Park Playground off 5th at 76th street this afternoon. A maybe 5 year old boy, who had previously been bothering everyone with his water gun, grabbed my daughter's arm, called her a nasty name, and pushed her to the ground, so that she hit her head hard. She was hysterically crying, and when I approached the nanny, who was on the other side of the park, she started screaming at me, really, screaming, that I was lying and then we just got into a pointless argument with one another. Three strangers approached us to say they had witnessed the whole thing and the kid did push my daughter. The nanny still refused to back down or make the boy say he was sorry, (which was all I wanted), and continued screaming at me (and I back at her, to be fair). I never thought I would post about a nanny but this behavior was beyond anything I have ever witnessed. I would like to get in touch with this nanny's employers, the boy's parents, to explain what happened.

Please EMAIL isynblog@gmail.com to be put in contact with the person who witnessed this nanny.

Passive Aggressive Nanny on Instagram

Our weekend sitter showed us our nanny's Instagram profile on Saturday while babysitting. Our beloved nanny of 9 months had posted some disparaging remarks about our family and the children. One picture showed the back of my child, having a temper tantrum against the wall. She commented, "Maybe he'll knock some sense into him self."

Then there is a picture of two pizza boxes on our counter in what I see as pretty identifiable kitchen with the comment, "when your boss comes home 45 minutes late with pizza and doesn't offer you a slice."

The other things were a picture of the open dishwasher (full) with the comment, "If I'm putting away dishes from the weekend, isn't it like I worked the weekend." There is also a picture of a $20, a $50 and a $10 and the caption, "when your boss mistakes a $50 for a $20 and you know you've earned it so don't say squat." There is also a picture of the inside of our pantry showing some junky food with the comment, "Is it possible she's trying to make me gain weight. #size2".

Those alone would be annoying. They were brought to my attention by the weekend sitter who does not like the nanny. She is a private user so you have to be her friend and have permission to see her feed. While the sitter was scrolling, I saw a few other posts, like a post of the beach and my toddler's toes that said, "There is no better job. #nannyforlife" and one with the back of the kids holding hands walking at a park that said, "does every nanny think their kids are the best? Or is it just me? Cuz I do".

I didn't peruse her whole feed. I'm fairly certain that the weekend sitter showed me all the ones she thought I would take offense to. But given that she didn't use our names, the children's names and the children's faces, do I have a legitimate reason to be mad? On one hand I think I do. I thought the comment about the temper tantrum was harsh, but I don't believe she meant it. I think I was most put off by the picture of the pizzas in the kitchen because it made me seem thoughtless?

I'm not sure how to feel. I'm just curious what other mom's think of their nanny's twitter feeds or if they see them or if they have ever read something about them that sat hard with them.

I Saw Your Nanny at Thornbury Park in Glen Mills, PA

Yesterday 8/21,  from 10am-11:30am, I brought my 23 month old nanny kid to Thornbury Park in Glen Mills, PA. The other nanny there was a young African American woman with a British accent. Her nanny kid was an Asian boy about the same age as mine. The entire hour we were there, she shooed him away from her. He fell off of one of the structures and I actually almost went to him. She eventually noticed, picked him up, dusted him off and put him back down, still crying. She never said a word to see if he was okay. She was talking on the phone to a friend about gossip. At one point after an hour of being there she stated "I never put sun lotion on you". Please keep in mind, it was 88 degrees and HOT. I never once saw her give him water or put lotion on him. If this is your nanny, know coming from a nanny, I had to seriously restrain myself from asking her what in the world she was thinking. Please be an advocate for your son and have a serious talk with your nanny about how to care for your adorable son.

Please send your confidential nanny sightings to isynblog@gmail.com or message ISYN on Facebook. Please include these details!
Date:Time
Location:
Description OR photo of Nanny:
Description OR photo of child: (children's face will be hidden on site)
Incident:

BAD Nanny at Dino Park in NYC

To connect with the OP of this post or submit an anonymous nanny sighting, please email isynblog@gmail.com .

Cleaning out the Mailbox #1

     This weekend we're going through the mailbox and answering all of the complaints and responding to the requests that have been sent in. If you have an idea, suggestion or complaint, please email isynblog@gmail.com
"Would it be possible to post a blog about all the commonly used nanny acronyms and their meanings? MB DB etc I feel like some are obvious (stay at home mom) but others I'm like who is this person referring to or what?" 

This list is from 2007. Feel free to add anything new here and we'll update it!

NANNY SIGHTINGS NEEDED

Send your Nanny, Babysitter or Childcare provider sighting to isynblog@gmail.com.

All sightings are 100% confidential.

Please include a photo or video of the nanny when possible.

Other details essential include:

Location:

Date/Time:

Description of Child:

Description of Nanny:

Description of Stroller/Vehicle/Diaper Bag, etc:

Details of Incident.

Questions we received lately:

I couldn't get a picture of the nanny, but have a picture of the child, will that work?

Yes. We can use the picture of the child, but we will block out the child's face.

Do you accept good nanny sightings?

Yes. Photos are appreciated especially in this incidence as they may help validate the sighting.

I have seen a crossing guard that is terrible to the kids, can you do something?

We accept submission of anyone who works with or is in charge of caring for children.

I see this person with a child she is verbally abusive too, but how can I be sure she is the nanny?

You can't. But don't hesitate to send us the posting or use alternate means to halt the verbal abuse.

Where is Mary Poppinz?

I don't know. She was wonderful & is missed by many.

Are you going to run the Craigs List-WTF Feature?

Yes, we are. We need your help in scouring online ads to illuminate those ads worthy of inclusion.

I wrote "A Day in the Life" for you two years ago and have a different job again. Can I send in a new story?

Yes. We encourage submissions that reflect your favorite features or ideas for new features. You may choose to submit anonymously or use your name. We look forward to sharing links back to some of our reader's blogs.

Stay Tuned.

ISYN Bad Interviews, #1

1) I literally just got home from an interview that lasted fifteen minutes, where I was told the position was filled. They are in need of weekend care, and the second I sat down, the mother tells me someone from the center their children attend will be watching them on weekends, and could she keep my information for backup? Fine, although I was ready to walk out. I found out their children attend one of my center's competitors, and the competitor has frequent turnover, poor quality care, less than dependable teachers and has been written up for violations from DHFS, leading me to wonder is the person she hired reliable? My center has been written up, yet not to the frequency of this center. Literally a day after I called her, this other person applies. I contacted her last week; she couldn't have emailed or called me, telling me she filled the position?

I didn't have to drive far, as they live less than five minutes from me. The point is, why have me come over in the first place?

2) I showed up for an interview on the UES (NY) on Monday at 555PM for a 6PM interview. The housekeeper let me in and told me her employers weren't home yet and allowed me entrance to wait. While I was waiting she was preparing dinner. I started making polite chit chat which led to the present childcare situation. The nanny leans in and tells me, "she was a good, good nanny, a good person and they did her dirty, no no no no, I wont never say a bad word about that woman, she was the loveliest." With that, the door opens and "Mom" comes through the door. She is flashy and polite and interested. I answer her questions and the interview seems to go well, but the housekeeper's whispered words and THE SCARED LOOK on her face when she said it and the woman walked in the door haunt me! It's Friday and I have an email from the lady saying she would like me to come and work a trial day next week.  My bank account says yes, even for the one day of pay, but I think that was a sufficient warning!

3) I went from my present job to my bosses apartment in Brooklyn for an evening interview and arrived as a delivery order was arriving. My boss & her husband invited me to join them at a table off the kitchen. They spread out the boxes and stuff and handed me a plate. The interview went nice.  As we ended with promises of a follow up, DB says, "would you mind just tidying up in there, I mean, since you ate, and take any leftovers you want". WTF?

4) This weekend I interviewed with a mother at STARBUCKS. This is something I don't really like because it gives you no feeling for who you are dealing with. She brought her three year old girl. She had told me her children were great and she was raising them 'the Chinese way' and yadda yadda yadda, it was all about respect. It became very clear that the mother was not raising the children at all. The three year old asked no less than 100 times for her nanny. "I want Claudy, where is Claudy". The mother explained 'Claudy' had been with them for about a year and suddenly quit without notice. This for some reason didn't ring true. During the interview the child was allowed to order a cookie, a muffin, a hot chocolate and a Perrier. She ate bites of stuff and squished the other stuff. She squished the muffin right into the mothers chest, all over her shirt. The mother was frazzled but tried to play it cool. You could tell her child was not accustom to relating to her. The child also stood up on a chair and said," Im peeing my pants, Im peeing my pants" and appeared to do just that. The mother said, "Oh, ___, why are you being so silly?" The child also called her mom a "dum dum", told her to "go to work" and told me, "mommy told Claudy to go to hell." I smiled politely as if the child was just being precarious. The mother said, "well I was caught off guard and disappointed to be left in the lurch".  The child also told me my jacket was ugly and my teeth need braces. Other people in Starbucks realized it was an interview and, well even if they didn't, all those around had a look of horror on their face!

5) I interviewed with a family in Bronxville at a very nice house. The parents both met me at the door and told me how down to earth they were. They offered me tea. They sat on the sofa and kidded around the whole time. It seemed real... And then it got to real. He "tooted" and she smacked him on the thigh. Then she "tooted" back to him even louder and more aggressively. He immediately "tooted" back to her. I thought I was going to pass out from the smell and weirdness of it all. They offered me the job on the spot. I told them I had a second interview with a family I was very interested in the next day but that I would let them know.

Share your bad interview experiences! Send them to isynblog@gmail.com 
Posts may be edited for content and space.

Vacation Diaries #1

I was so excited to go on my first nanny vacation. I had only been with the family for three months when they spoke of their Spring Break Plans. I'm going to keep some things vague to protect the innocent, that being the kids.

Wait, let me back up. I don't have a nanny contract. I care for two children who are not quite school aged and one who is. Let's call the young children A and B and the older child C. The woman I work for is always working but I don't know that she makes money (or needs to). She is always on the go, has an office and apartment in NYC. The father works in Greenwich and NYC. We reside in CT. I am a live-in nanny. I live in what would be considered a basement, although on the back and sides, it is full length open, with lots of windows. The basement houses me and the housekeeper. The housekeeper is an older woman who has been with them over ten years. I mention this because my accommodations are nice. I didn't expect them to be, but they are. My nanny vehicle is nice. So when my employer told me about the trip to "Exotica", I jumped at the chance. I showed my excitement.
She said things like, "frozen drinks on the beach" and "there's a camp program for the kids they can go to all day, half day, either, or" and "the hotel has sitters for night, so if you want some down time, we will just got a hotel sitter".

We end up flying on a commercial airline. I end up sitting, I kid you not, in the very last seat of coach, right in front of the bathroom. This did not bother me though as I had plenty of room and no kids. My ticket was not bought at the same time as the family's, so this is why I am not with them. The family is in first class. From my seat, I can hear crying and whining. It does not stop. It's them all the way in first class. A fuming male employer stomps back and brings me both A & B. And with attitude, like I have done something. Right away, it makes me feel like crap. Of course, now it's just me and my stuff and no kid stuff, so I have to walk all the way back up there to get one of their kid's backpack.  The stewardess stops me and tells me, "Oh no!" as if. I collect a backpack and slink back to the back where I am able to entertain and delight the kids for the next three hours. I change diapers. Only thing I can't do is pee. I have to urinate badly. Pretty soon,we're landing.

From the back of the plane, we are of course the last to get off. I land in a foreign country with A & B. You would think the parents would have waited for me. They are nowhere to be seen. It takes me ten real minutes to find them. When I finally do, they look exasperated. (They had one older, well behaved child between the two of them? Oh please!). I start to say I need to go to the bathroom, they hurry me here and there and then through customs. Next we are in some crazy van driving dangerous roads at mach speed. I have to pee so badly. I have one child on my lap and one cuddled up in my side. The children start talking about the pool and the beach. We get to the hotel and as check in is still going on, the misses, instructs me to take the kids down to the beach.  I have done the packing so I know that there is one bag with swimsuits, swimmies, sunblock, etc. I ask for it. She rolls her eyes at me.

I take all three kids to a bathroom by the pool and get them changed and get sun block on. They are trying to get away. My swimsuit is in my bag. I don't know where that is. So I am wearing heavy poplin capris, a tank top, a sweatshirt, running socks and shoes. I figure, I can do this and try to take them to swim, but we don't have what we need yet for the pool, so I drag all three kids and this huge bag down to the beach. Once we hit the sand, each kid runs a different direction. I spent the next two hours chasing children on the beach. I never had time to even put sunblock on myself. I went in the ocean in socks and tennis shoes.

When the Misses finally comes for me, she is dressed in a sexy black bikini, with kicki heels she carries in her hand, a stack of books, a massive sunhat and a confused expression. She says, "I was so jealous knowing you were out here. Lucky you, I got the kids unpacked for you". I ask if I can go put my suit on. She looks at me annoyed and says, "well take one of them with you". As I walk off to find the room she has told me to go to, I see her ordering up a chaise and a drink.

In the room, the Mister tells me that there are two rooms, one for the kids and one for them. He tells me my bag is in the kids room on the ROLLAWAY. I quickly get dressed, spray my whole head and body with sunblock and literally run back to the beach. I am dying of thirst. The first thing she says to me is, "Did you bring some juices for the kids". I look at her confused. "WHATTTT??" I want to scream, but I don't. I instead go play in the water and build sand castles for three more hours. I handle every bathroom break, every reapplication of sunblock and every commissary request.  The kids and I drink pineapple juice all afternoon.

At five, we head back to the room. I am burning and covered in sand. So, are the children. She tells me that the kids all need baths. That's it, and walks away. We have our own bathroom in our room, so I bathe the kids one at a time, while entertaining them all in the bathroom for the next hour. Im starving. I'm tired. I'm wet. I bring all three kids out to the living area completely dressed. Mom and Dad are also dressed. They look at me and the Missus says with a laugh, "I know it's casual, but you'll want to dress for dinner". Huh? So literally have to ask her to watch the children while I shower. I am as quick as I can and come out dressed in a skirt and shirt and sandals. 

Next question for me is, "do you want the stroller?" I must have just looked confused every minute. What for? Well, I am taking all three kids for an early dinner myself. I take the stroller and the kids. I shove their food in my mouth. I grow bitter. The process including the walk takes an hour and a half. When I get back, there is a NOTE for me, it reads, "went for a walk before dinner, if you want to go out tonight, call the main desk and get a sitter to come and stay with the kids. PS. Don't leave until the kids are asleep".

What?

So this was my next eight days. For one minor thing and that is, when I took the kids to breakfast, lunch and dinner or to swim at the pool, I ordered drinks. I ordered food. I ordered appetizers. Mostly, I ordered food to indulge and prevent myself from being drunk, but I drank 24/7 those next days and managed to have an okay time. The parents were complete assholes to me, who sometimes seemed to act like they didn't know me or us! They dined alone, they went out alone. They went to the beach alone, they rented a boat alone. She went to the spa three days, he went deep sea fishing. I resigned myself to have a good time.

I made lots of friends from other Americans with, but mostly without nannies. They all seemed to be in awe of me. Seriously. I got home on a Monday. I still hadn't been paid for last Friday. So, when my boss does pay me that Monday, he says, in a joking way, "and we paid for everything, so your check is in tact". What??? I worked 24/7 for 8 days! I was so exhausted. And they expected me the next morning at 715!  Bitterness overcame and I lasted only three weeks after that vacation. I would never go on a family vacation again without specific plans and a very specific pay rate! I was totally duped. And that whole eight days, all three kids and I slept in one bed, so much for ever going out, because the kids were very needy and wouldn't go to sleep on time or stay asleep. One night I got a sitter, but she seemed harsh and I couldn't leave her with the kids in good faith.

Share your travel or vacation story with I Saw Your Nanny. Email isynblog@gmail.com.

Traveling? Check out What Flight Attendants Really Want You to Know