What Am I Doing Wrong?

I need some help from people in the Chicago area! I was born and raised in New York and had been living in Connecticut for the last five years before I moved to the Chicago area late last year. I’ve been a nanny for eight years, the last five years have been solely for high end families. I’ve always been completely full charge, extremely well compensated, noticeably appreciated (most important), and have always genuinely looked forward to going to work every day. Until I moved to Chicago. :(

I accepted a position caring for six month old twins after only a Skype interview and it was really great at first. But my employers work a school schedule with summers off. So I worked full charge January to mid-May. Then they were both home for a full three months. They genuinely didn’t need me. I’ve never had a harder time with a job. I’ve thrived in positions where I’ve been needed and not been a luxury and for all three months I was a luxury. Both parents were home the whole time I would be there. It was so incredibly uncomfortable I came home so frustrated every day. This may sound petty, I don’t mean it to be. But my last position in CT was 60+ hours a week, completely full charge for 3.5 years. To go from that to essentially be a mother’s helper for so long was the last thing I was interested or comfortable with. They dropped my pay from my generous weekly salary to paying me hourly. Some weeks I didn’t even clear $200. FOR THREE MONTHS. So on top of being completely uncomfortable at work…if I didn’t GO to the uncomfortable job.. I made no money. I even visited my old boss back in CT in June and when I told her about the job the first thing she said was “…but they’re still paying you your full salary during the summer right?…Why don’t these people understand this is your career?” This summer has completely changed my feelings toward my bosses because I can’t wrap my brain around how they thought I was surviving financially for that long amount of time (I had to borrow a large amount of money from my boyfriend). And to answer a potential question if I spoke with them about it..I didn’t. Because these are the type of people that write checks out to the penny…i.e. $110.25 My old boss would’ve rounded to the nearest 100…rounding to the nearest dollar would’ve been decent. So I knew having a conversation about summer compensation would’ve been a waste of breath.

School is back in session so I’m full charge again. But I’m actively looking for a new position and have gone on a few wonderful interviews. Most usually start with a phone interview that goes great and then I go to the family’s home for an interview that never lasts less than an hour. They all act impressed with me, I make them laugh, I leave my references’ contact info before I leave if I’m still interested in the position, I send a lovely follow up email later that night thanking them for their time, etc. I’ve yet to land a new position. I turned jobs away left and right in Connecticut and I can’t for the life of me figure out what families in Chicagoland are looking for that I’m not bringing to the table. I’ve got extensive multiples experience, I genuinely love my job, love caring for children. I go in completely professional with the greatest attitude. I say not a SINGLE bad word about my current family - I simply state that I’m looking for a new position that will be consistent throughout the year. I have the greatest of references that not one of the interviewers have contacted - I feel like if they did I’d be a shoe in. I’m contractually obligated to give at least three weeks notice to my current employers which I would never morally give less. One family had been looking for someone to start ASAP. So I understand that one. But what am I missing for the rest? Is something important in this area that maybe wasn’t back east? Something I should be highlighting or doing differently? Help!

Email isynblog@gmail.com

I Saw Your Nanny at the Rye Golf Club in Rye, NY

I am attaching photos and information about a nanny that I witnessed at the Rye Golf Club pool area on 8/17 around 3:30/4 pm. I saw the nanny from across the pool area, and I noticed that she was wearing a Baby Bjorn with a small newborn inside. On this particular day, it was over 90 degrees and very humid. As you can see from the picture, the baby is completely covered with the material. I was very concerned for the baby's well-being, and I went up to her and asked why she was wearing that on this type of day, and if there's any way that the baby could breathe in there. She insisted that it was fine, but when she later pulled the fabric off the baby, its face was bright red. I then told her that she should remove the baby from there, but she said if she did, that the baby would cry. I then asked her if she had a stroller for the baby, and she said yes.

I Saw Your Nannny

I Saw Your Nannny

Send your anonymous nanny sightings to isynblog@gmail.com or message ISYN on Facebook.

Bad Nanny Sighting in Rye, NY

Location: Rye Recreation Park in Rye, NY
Date: 7/29/15, approx 10:45 am
Description of Nanny: I'm not sure if she was an American or an au pair, but she had no accent. She  was white, had blonde hair, large round face, big forehead, wearing mom style blue jean shorts (no pockets & elastic waist band) and a white t-shirt with a peach/orange abstract design on it. If it was a logo, I did not recognize it. She was on the taller side and slim, built like a boy.
Description of Child: The child was 4 years old and had dark curly hair and bright blue eyes. She was a little chunky and wearing a yellow pair of shorts overalls with a striped top underneath it. The little girl at some points was wearing a denim baseball style hat with a white flower on it.
Incident: I arrived to see the nothing out of the ordinary but some adults sitting and walking around and children climbing. After ten minutes, the nanny said "Nina" or "Lena" come here for sunblock. I didn't know what child she was speaking to. I saw your nanny reading an US magazine. She went back to reading, but occasionally would shout "Come get sunblock, NOW" very loudly. She did not even look up. After about ten minutes, she stood up, exasperated. She realized eyes were on her and she softened and went to find her charge. The little girl ran from her from one side of a structure to the other, and then to the swings, through the swings, etc. It could have been comical if the nanny wasn't on my radar for being angry at the child. The little girl, and I mean little, pushed an empty swing and ran past the nanny. The empty swing hit the nanny and could not have hurt her in the least. The nanny grabbed it and slung it really hard and fast towards the child. It hit the child MUCH harder than the swing had hit her.The little girl yelped and stopped and turned to her and said, "that wasn't funny". The nanny said, "running from me is not funny. When I call you, you had better come." Now she looks at me and another mom and said in a sickening sweet voice, "I don't want your sweet little face to get sunburned". The nanny grabbed her hand and the child resisted but the nanny led her to the bench. I pretended to look away but watched her apply the sunblock roughly and haphazardly. And what happens next>? The little girl starts crying that she has sunblock in her eye. Like hardcore crying. The nanny told her, "oh stop, I told you, you have to have sunblock on". The kid is crying, "You put it on my eye." So the kid is crying and the nanny nudges her away and says, "go play". The child is rubbing her eye frantically. And doesn't move. A mom near her says, "maybe rinse it with some water, do you need some?" The nanny goes to a white Toyota SUV with the child and gets a gallon of water and is working on the child with the door open. The kid is crying. The nanny is saying things like, "oh calm down, this is going to make it better". The kid and nanny come back from the parking lot and the kid is soaked, her hair is soaked, her shirt is soaked and she is still rubbing her eye. And crying. The nanny again nudged her to go play. The girl again started to cry. The nanny then kind of yanked her and said, "that's enough" and loaded her in the car-seat,. I didn't like how she treated her in public. That nanny has no patience or empathy!  PS Side note...It is possible she is one of those Mormon specialty nannies.

Send nanny sightings to isynblog@gmail.com.

I SAW YOUR NANNY - JOB OF THE DAY

A NEW JOB WILL BE LISTED EVERY DAY 

Any great nannies looking to relocate? PLEASE CONTACT US DIRECTLY WITH COMMENTS AND QUESTIONS. WE KINDLY ASK THAT YOU DON'T COMMENT ON THE STATUS. Great family! BLOOMFIELD HILLS, MICHIGAN NEEDING A NANNY! 3 active girls ages 4, 3 and 2 Full time. MUST DRIVE AND SWIM! Nanny MUST live in Wed-Sun or Thurs-Mon (5 days) Family will provide a car and a phone. If the nanny doesn't live in Michigan the family is happy to have her relocate! They have a goldendoodle, sweet dog! Nanny must be trustworthy, have a completely clean background check and have at least 2 years of paid experience. $700 to $800 per week, about 55 hours. Raises will be given annually and you will have lots of opportunity to work overtime for extra $$$. Kids are healthy, energetic and sweet. You will have your own bedroom and bathroom. Family requires the nanny to be mature and responsible, please don't bring your own friends to their home. They will pay overtime if the family travels with the nanny. Family is so warm and loving! Email us directly if you are interested! We kindly ask that you don't comment on the status. AbigailMadisonAgency@gmail.com www.amstaffing.biz NO EXCEPTIONS TO THE TERMS smile emoticon Must work 5 days a week including the weekend, must live in and must drive and swim. This is a wonderful and loving family!

We have a GREAT summer nanny job in Southampton for 2 kids ages 4 and 8. You can live in OR out. Your choice, but you need to drive, swim and have references whom we can call. An energetic nanny with a sweet demeanor is desired. Ideally the nanny would work Sunday to Thursday about 40 hours per week. $20 per hour take home. All nannies must have references whom we can call, be fluent in English and pass a background check in 50 states! Please email us directly. We kindly ask that you don't comment on the status. ABIGAILMadisonAgency@gmail.com

Please email us directly, we kindly ask that you don't comment on the status: WE NEED AN AMAZING HOUSEKEEPER who is skilled, honest, thorough and knows how to use different cleaners and is careful with delicate surfaces who has years of experience to work Mon, Wed and Fri on the UES. Starts this month! $20 take home per hour. 8 to 9 hours each time you go. Must be able to clean wood furniture properly and do deep cleaning, laundry and ironing. You must be flexible with your hours. Sometimes you will work 10 am to 6 pm and other days you will work 11:30 am to 8 pm etc. Light cooking on occasion is expected so please know your way around the kitchen. 7+ years of experience is expected with excellent references whom we can call. The family is sooooooo nice! The housekeeper that they currently have spilled window cleaner on their carpet and tries to clean wood furniture with bleach and water. She has ruined multiple clothing items in the home as well Clearly, they need someone new who knows what she is doing! Please send top notch referalls to info@abigailmadisonstaffing.com The days, hours and salary are not negotiable. Must be flexible as noted. Must have a clean background check in all states and have cleaning references for us to call. PLEASE email us directly. We kindly ask that you don't comment on the status. ‪#‎housekeeper‬ ‪#‎nyc‬ ‪#‎uppereastside‬ ‪#‎housecleaning‬ ‪#‎homecleaning‬

IF YOU MEET ALL OF THE QUALIFICATIONS, please email abigailmadisonagency@gmail.com and use ISAWYOURNANNY in the Subject Line. Abigail Madison is the only nanny agency we can recommend to employers and nannies.

Staples in Port Chester, NY

Where: Staples located in Port Chester, NY
When: 5/29/15 11:40 AM
Description of Nanny:  Hispanic, smashed in looking flat face, brownish hair, petite but with a muffin top, wearing a pink lady's style blouse, possibly denim shorts, pants or Capri, with tennis shoes and socks.
Child: Boy of about 10-14 months. Strawberry blonde, straight hair, wearing a big bird shirt and sitting in a Bob three wheeled teal and black stroller.

Incident: I was getting my children out of their car seats. I thought I had seen someone bent over looking for something between the next two cars, so after I had my children out and their hands, we walked by cautiously. There was a nanny with a stroller right next to her peeing between two cars in the middle of the parking lot. There are restrooms in that strip mall. This was in the middle of the day. She had her pants/shorts around her ankles, so if someone would have grabbed the baby, then what? What perverts would have been attracted to her and the kid? There are people who have fetishes just like this. I also didn't like that my three year old said "I see a butt". Why does my child need to see your ass in the middle of errand running on Friday morning? And what the hell did you drink that you were still splattering when I reached the entrance and turned to look back to see your head still between the cars? I waited inside the glass door and watched because I wanted to see what car was hers. Well, she walked away from both cars and towards the direction of the supermarket building.

Leif Ericson Park in Brooklyn, NY

    This is part rant, part bad nanny sighting. I was at the playground on Monday afternoon at around 5:20 and a nanny was there with her charge. The charge was a white girl, about 3-4, very petite, blonde long hair, pink bow, wearing blue track pants and a white shirt with an American flag design on it. The nanny was biracial, light skinned black, no accent, very tall, with a solid, not fat build and blonde hair. She was wearing brown Capri pants and a white flouncy shirt with brown sandals with lots of buckles and her toenails were painted very purple.

     The nanny was sitting there reading a People Magazine while the girl played. When the girl called out to her, whatever she said, the nanny said "uhhum" and never looked up. Finally the girl came over and said she was thirsty. The nanny pulled out a squirting water bottle and gave it to her. the kid kind of spun around and took awhile with the water. You could tell right away the nanny was annoyed, she didn't get back to her book. Then the kid squirted the water towards the nanny, barely getting her magazine wet. The nanny grabbed the water bottle and squirted the rest of it at the girl's face. The girl immediately was shocked and started crying. Another nanny sitting about ten feet from her said, "Hey, was that necessary?" The nanny with the People Magazine said, "Natural consequences." and then the nanny with the People Magazine patted the girl and tried to calm her down. 5 minutes later the girl went back to play on the playground. The nanny who had said something to her walked over and said, "I'm not trying to tell you how to your business, but.." and the other nanny said, "Don't" and then she went back to her magazine. The other nanny started to say, "there's a better way" and the People magazine nanny said, "Fuck you bitch, you don't know shit and you better get the fuck out of my face". Mind you, this is fifteen feet from where the kids are playing and I heard it as clear as day. So the nanny who was seemingly trying to do the right thing totally changed her attitude and said, "Who the fuck you calling a bitch, bitch?"

     Now, seriously, other people around are looking at what is going on. The mom nearest them put her daughter in a stroller and left the park. But it didn't end there. The People magazine nanny said, "Fuck you damn bitch, do I need to stand up" and the other nanny said, "No you need to be a little better at your job". The people magazine nanny said, "Bitch, if I stand up, you're going down". It was totally tense right there, even the girl with the People Magazine nanny was looking over. The other nanny said, "Bitch, I'll fuck you the fuck up, but not hear, so stay on your fat ass". Now the three year old girl is running over to her nanny, probably not hearing everything and maybe not even related, but thank God, because she STOPPED from getting up and the kid jumped in her arms. The girl then asks the nanny, "Please can we go home now".

     So, as a nanny myself, this was way too much. I didn't want to get involved because it was wholly inappropriate on a playground. I also feared they would both turn on me. I feel really bad for the 3 year old girl, because I don't know what she understood, but it seemed to me she felt RESPONSIBLE. I initially admired the nanny who said something to the other nanny but she didn't maintain her composure during the interaction which in my opinion made it worse for the little girl, or maybe not worse, but just as bad as the water on her face.  But at the same time, I didn't have the courage to say something and I thought it was really wrong when she squirted the water in the girl's face, like clearly her magazine was too important to her. But what happens if you say something to a nanny or parent who is mistreating the child and they get aggressive? I think the only thing at that point you can do is say, "have a good day" and walk away.

Ennis Playground in Brooklyn, NY

Date: 5/1 Friday
Time: 11:30 PM
Location: Ennis Playground in Brooklyn, NY
Description of Nanny: Hispanic nanny with dark, straight hair, angular eyebrows, red lipstick, wearing faded jeans, very tight and a tight white long sleeved shirt. Thermal type. Gold bangles
Child: White boy, 11 months-15 months, light brown curly hair, light eyes. wearing jeans and a red GAP t-shirt. Sitting in BLACK/DK Purple canopy walking stroller with black wheels and no chrome.
Incident: Nanny arrived at playground with child who she kept in stroller. Nanny sat on bench feeding child animal crackers. Nanny's boyfriend arrived at playground. He sat next to her on the bench. First conversation was appropriate. When she bent over to reach in the stroller he would cup her bottom. He pulled her to sit on her lap, was stroking her thigh. They kissed passionately several times. I kept giving them looks of disgust but they didn't care. I'm not sure why nannies bring kids who may or may not walk to playgrounds like this and never let them out of the stroller. When they left the playground, he was walking behind her so closely, it was like dirty dancing. It was quite the spectacle.

Send your nanny sightings to isynblog@gmail.com.

Agressive Nanny at the Children's Museum of Manhattan

Location: Children's Museum of Manhattan
Date/Time: Weds. 3/18 at approx 4:45 PM
Description of Nanny: See photo

Incident: Your nanny there with your daughter   I was there with my 2 year old son. He accidentally bumped into a little girl (probably about 1 year old) and the nanny grabbed his shoulder and armpit and pushed him away and against a wall.  He cried out in pain.  I confronted the woman and she said a few words and then basically ran off away.  I wanted to circulate this story in the hopes of finding the mother of the child.  If it were me, and my nanny pushed or, let alone, touched another child aggressively, I would want to know. Please let me know if any of you recognize this woman.
*The author of this submission has provided an email address for the parents to contact her.