Too Perfect a Gig Has Nanny Seeing Things

I think I got myself in a sticky situation.
Let's start with the beginning:
Cut to three months ago, it was warm, no leaves were falling and I was at my favorite NYC park with my three year old charge. I met a woman who was super complimentary about my style of nannying. She was accompanying her friend to the park with twins but had no child of her own, yet clearly pregnant.

She asked for my number. The next day she texted me and said she was nervous as a first time mom and wanted to find the right fit for her first child, could she take me to lunch? We ended up having lunch on that Saturday. She schmoozed and charmed me. She offered me a better salary, better hours and a job. On Sunday, I met her husband and saw the apartment.

Trevor Allen Photography

She offered me some exceptional perks to leave my job, including in addition to a salary of $950 for 43 hours, on the books, she offered 1K cash, off the books to help me find an apartment not too far away. I really liked the job I had, although the hours were long, the pay not as good and it was live in, so I did jump, but insisted to give my current employers notice. I thought that would not be an issue since she was not due until Oct. 5.

My previous employers got very angry at me, let me go with no notice. Told me I was causing irreversible psychological damage to their children and I was selfish. With no job, I told the new employer and she said, "no problem, we'll start you now so we can get used to you and you can help me with baby projects".

So only 6 days after meeting her, I went to work for her. She was as nice in person as during the interview. Fairly laid back. She asked for my ideas about setting up things in the nursery, not furniture, but diapers, lotions, special lights, etc. I washed and folded baby clothes. We went shopping for a second and a third stroller. I got the key to their apartment, got to know the doorman, spent a minimal amount of time with the husband. The baby came Sept. 23 which was early. I was with her, I called her husband, he came and got her. It seemed to be very smooth. She was home the next day, and I met the new baby.

The job seems pretty easy and a good fit for the most part. If anything, I do not do much at all except keep bottles cleaned and organized, schlep bottled water from the store, heat things, wash things, change the baby occasionally, I've accompanied her out to one appointment. This lady seems not to care one bit that I read books and magazines all day. The first weekend, she did ask me to work and so I came Saturday. They let me go at 4 and asked me if I could come back for a few hours around noon. I came back at noon. The father went for a run, the mother took a long bath. I straightened up, restocked supplies. Before two, I was dismissed and given $400 cash for the weekend. (Not even 8 hours).

Now that I have settled, I do notice some things that are perplexing, maybe even worrying. First of all, the last thing I do at night is feed the baby between 5-6 while she is making dinner. Her husband comes home, usually takes the baby from me and I am off. She seems like a really good mom, but she'll say something off the wall sometimes, like, ""her diaper was soaked through again in the morning. I think we're feeding her too much at her midnight feeding". I didn't question her, but why would a baby of that age sleep from midnight until 6AM?

She also has a network of mirrors set up off this window by an alcove outside her bedroom and it direct sunlight to a carpeted area. She said she wants to make sure I do tummy time with the baby there. But the baby looks the wrong way, she will get sunlight blasted in her eye. (This has not started yet. This area was set up for the mom who keeps to herself, doesn't go out much and literally lays on the carpet and takes a rest at some point during the day).

Then there are things like tooth brushing. Even though it's gum brushing, the baby is not even a month old. Isn't this too soon? There are some smaller things to, like, they keep a fastidious house and the baby doesn't move much, but she will just set the baby wherever she is on the ground. I am a bit intimidated by her so it is hard to question her, but this I did. She responded that baby seats are entrapment devices and not normal for a child to bind her spine too. She believes that the baby should be able to have free range and move. She has a really awesome hammock swing that the baby swings in, but it is not a baby swing.  And the mom does a lot of physical exercise and yet she keeps the baby with her all the time, so I have seen her literally hold the baby up for stomach crunches. Is she just bonding and fitting her life to the babies? Or is that dangerous for the baby's neck?

The baby seems happy. She rarely cries. My nanny friends tell me to relax and enjoy this because it's a nice gig. Even though it doesn't seem like much, I feel like I don't do enough. For example, if she is looking at recipes online and puts the baby down on the floor, my inclination is to pick the baby up, but she doesn't want me to. She also hinted that she hoped to be pregnant with her next child by New Year's, so that might explain why she wants me around. I feel kind of like an idiot sometimes.  I did suggest she consider baby wearing and she looked at me like I had three heads. She said that was a convenience for moms who werent committed to their children and that she would seek opportunities throughout the day to hold, carry, lay with, the baby. (true).

I Saw Your Nanny at 84th Street Playground in NYC

Bad Nanny on the M15 Bus in NYC

Location: 86th at and took the M15 up to 86 in NYC

Date/Time: 1030/1040am today 8/11

Description of Nanny: See photo

Incident:
Nanny (I really hope this isn't their mother) on 79 and 1st at screaming at them, embarrassing them and ignoring them as they cried. They were heading to the movies on 86th at and took the M15 up to 86. She also screamed at the person on the phone who was saving them seats at the theater. She made fun of the kids as they got on the bus for whining and then she ignored them on the bus and until she screamed at them when the bus stopped for them to get off the bus. This was beyond an adult being annoyed- this seemed abusive.

Send your nanny sighting to isynblog@gmail.com.

Bad Nanny Sighting at Indian Road Playground

Location: Indian Road Playground in NYC
Date: Monday, 7/27/15
Description of Nanny: African American black nanny with short, fluffy hair, medium skin, tall, long neck, wearing gold bangles, white jeans with rips in both front thighs and white t-shirt with a gold cat on it that said "My Pussy". (really)
Description of Child: Chubby white girl in red short sleeved dress, with blunt bob haircut, bangs, brown hair and blue eyes. The girl was wearing a silver ID? bracelet on her left hand.
Incident: I Saw Your Nanny mistreating your child! I saw the little girl asking to go home and complaining that she was tired, hungry and thirst. The nanny told her, "oh you always hungry, go play". She said that to her multiple times. Finally the girl came back and said, "But I really am thirsty". The nanny took out a Mott's Apple Juice box, popped a straw in it, took a long drag and then handed it to the girl. The girl said, "But you drank it." The nanny said, "Yeah, so, you can share." The little girl said, "But I am really thirsty. I am playing, you are just sitting". The nanny said, "Yah you're playing, I'm working, go on now." On this day, it was really warm and muggy out. I brought my child to play but we only stayed for 20 minutes because it just felt unpleasant. This nanny and child were still there.

Email you always anonymous nanny sightings, good or bad to isynblog@gmail.com.

Pier at 70th & Hudson in NYC

Location: Pier
Date: 7/21/15 around 1230 PM
Description of nanny: I saw Your Nanny, a Large white woman wearing stretch jeans and a black and white disco-y shirt that was too small and rolled up over her stomach. She had her hair in a tight pony tail with thick but small hoops and a scarf as a bandanna. She didn't talk but she looked Russian.
Child: One child in a blue Bopsy navy stroller with white and blue canopy and one girl who was almost 5? and chubby with curly ringlets of brown hair. She was wearing a pink animal print skirt and pink tank top with pink glittery tennis shoes that lit up.
Incident: The child was whining and wanted to go in the stroller, the nanny ignored her. The child kept approaching the stroller trying to grab it, the nanny walked faster. When the child reached for the stroller, she pushed her away. She pushed her back at one point and she fell over. The nanny didn't stop but turned around, looked at her and shook her head. I don't know if the kid was sick or had been out for awhile or what, but I'm guessing if the nanny would have opened her mouth and got down on the child's level and said one word to him, this miserable scene could be ignored. The whole time they were in my view, that poor girl was crying and fell behind even in a semi crowded area. I would never walk in such a public place without my child's hand!

Send your nanny sightings to isynblog@gmail.com.

To Low Salary Sets off Warning Bells for NYC Mom

I had the weirdest experience with a nanny interview I thought I would share because it was peculiar. I advertised in the paper and pre screened by phone. I set up interviews at a public location with just myself and the nanny. My ad listed the pay as DOE.

The first nanny I interviewed was, well a bit off. She was homely and kind of simple sounding, but when I asked her about childcare philosophies and work experience, her answers were on point. I indulged her a full interview because she seemed nice, if a bit fragile. When I brought up salary, I said, "We usually pay dependent on experience, and upon verifying that experience". She sat up and said, "Oh yes, they will all give me good references." I took the paper from her where she had listed two babysitting jobs and two nanny jobs.

I paused. She said, "Because of my experience and education, I can't take less than $8.00 an hour".

I interviewed the remaining candidates. Again we discussed salary at the end. The other rates for my job from people of similar age and experience were $16/hr, $18/hr and $22/hr. One woman suggested that she would work the prescribed hours (43) for $900 per week.

I went with the candidate that seemed like the best fit for my family, the $18/hr candidate. I remain curious, why was this American nanny in New York offering to work for as little as $8.00 an hour? I live in the Chelsea NYC area. I'm really curious about this.

Curious about something? Email isynblog@gmail.com.

3 Subway (Upper West Side) NYC

Where: NYC Nanny on the 3 Subway (Upper West Side)
When: June 22nd, 2015
Description: See Photo
Incident: On Monday morning (June 22nd, 2015) at about 10 am I was on my way to work (on the subway 3, Bronx bound - I walked in on 42nd and my exit was on 96th) when I saw Your Nanny.  I had a chance to witness this nanny's behavior towards her charge.
     The little girl was playful and kept asking her nanny questions and playing with the fringes on the nanny’s purse. Throughout my entire ride nanny was silent, looking in front of herself rather than communicating with her charge. However, the part that drew my attention was when the nanny took her phone out and her charge started touching it demanding nanny's attention. The nanny finally started 'communicating' by telling the little girl to stop bothering her and at some point she shouted at her her charge: ‘do you want me to hit you?’. That’s when the girl stopped touching her phone, and I might be wrong.. but it seemed like that wasn’t the first time this little girl heard that.
     My exit was on 96th street and thats when I took the photo, but the nanny&her charge continued the ride.I am hoping that girls parents will see this and take a closer look at whom they hired to take care of their child.

Send your nanny sightings to isynblog@gmail.com.

St. Catherine's Park in NYC

Location: St. Catherine's Park in NYC
Date: 6/20 Saturday 10:20 AM on
Description of Nanny: I saw Your Nanny, she had thick, curly brown hair with red highlights, hispanic with a large round face but normal body. Wearing jeans, hi top tennis shoes and a rose tatoo style tanktop.
Description of Child: Chubby Boy, between 2 & 3 years old. Dark hair, blue-blue eyes. Sat in black Bugaboo Bee style stroller with white canopy.
Incident: Beautiful Day. That's why so many people were out at the park. This little guy wanted to get out of his stroller and the whole time he was there, she just sat at a bench and kept him in there while she read from a tela- novella type magazine. The boy had words enough to ask "play now? now play?" and even tried to climb out of the stroller. Every time he did, she pacified him with food. Including, his juice, which when was empty, she refilled from her can of A & W root-beer. The whole time she was just shoving food at him. Bags of colored cereal, little crackers, even what looked like gummy worm type candy, and not a little bit.  This bothered me because of the food, the kid was already chunky, he wasn't allowed physical activity and the nanny didn't even have to look up from her book or scold him. You could tell this was their routine. Very sad!

Send your nanny sighting to isynblog@gmail.com. 

The Borrowed Nanny

     I just wanted to share my experience with you. I live in NYC. I work as a consultant and had been working less than ideal after going through two nannies in six months. At the park, I would speak with other mothers and nannies and let them know what I was looking for. One nanny that I had observed for awhile said she was looking to make a change because her employer was paying her only $600 for the week as a live-in. I told her we didn't have the space for a live-in so I was looking for a live-out but could pay $20/hr for 40 hours and $25 for hours over 40. We exchanged emails and phone numbers. She told me she would need to give notice. She texted me that her employer was very disappointed but that she could start in two weeks. She started working on Saturday with us to acclimate the kids to her. The children liked her and I got a great feeling of her. She started on April 27,  as planned to start full time as a live out.  It felt like my life changed. I suddenly had a savy, smart, punctual and energetic nanny full of ideas who seemed to love her job.
   

Stephanie Graegin

      In her activities with our children, she was at the park and observed the nanny who replaced her. She didn't identify herself to the nanny but observed her. Apparently, she even took a photo. She texted it to her former employer and let her former employer know the new nanny was unkind and not paying attention to the children.  At the time, all she told me was that she saw her replacement and felt bad for the kids.
     Unbeknownst to me, the mother and her met for coffee and spoke last week. They offered her the same salary she is making here to live-in and work more hours there. Not only did she take it, but she informed me by text, Saturday morning that she would not be returning on Tuesday because she was going back to her former employers. I had never imagined such a thing could happen. I'm also upset because I would not have hired a nanny who did not give her former employers notice, but she didn't show me the same favor.

Share your experience with ISYN. Email isynblog@gmail.com.

2015 Day in the Life, #14

In the beginning of February, I took a job for a stay at home mother of three. One of the children is in school all day, one child is in school half day, three days a week and one child is not in school. This is my day. It was annoying to right as it is to live. I have included the SAHM I work for in this rundown because after all, she hired me as her "partner".

6:00  Mother Wake up, make husband coffee. See husband off to train station/work.
6:10 Mother Slides in to preset out run outfit. Take pictures of "flat run outfit" Post to Pinterest with catchy hashtags like #runningformychildren #orrunningfrommychildren.
6:20-7:00 Gone on run. I assume. I mean somedays she comes back looking just as she left.
Before 7:00: The youngest child wakes up. His mom is a stay at home Mom. He comes to my nanny closet/room which is exactly the same size and not quite as fancy as the laundry room. "I want mommy," he says.  I put the TV on in my room for him and quickly dress in sports attire. I do not snap a picture for pinterest. There are no hashtags.
6:50 ish, I am usually in the kitchen getting the youngest set for breakfast because he wakes up wanting his mom and wanting toaster struedel. In case you're wondering, my day officially starts at 7.
7:00 Mom returns home from "run". Sighs multiple times, does some lunges, hugs her son and talks about needing a shower. At the same time as she heads to the shower, she sends the other two children out to me for breakfast.
7:50 The oldest child leaves for school at this time, so 1/2 the time, Mom appears ready to take him to the school on the corner.
8:00 Housekeeper arrives
8:01 If mom isn't out, as soon as housekeeper arrives, I take oldest to school. He's usually five minutes after the bell.
8:10 I walk in the door, the housekeeper hands me middle child's backpack. Middle child is ready, I walk middle child to her school.
8:30 I am back. Mom is now sitting at the breakfast table on her IPAD. She makes herself omelettes everyday with porcini mushrooms, feta, cilantro and turkey bacon. She makes one for little child too, even though he never eats it and has already eaten.  This is okay because when mom sees me arrive, she makes an excuse to leave the table. She has to call the school, the travel agent, make some calls, she owes someone an email, she's looking for an invoice,etc. This leaves me at the table with a semi warm omelette made from quality ingredients. I drop two slices of sour dough in the toaster and devour it with two cups of coffee, while simutaneously playing hotwheels with little child. I clear all of the dishes, including Mom's coffee cup, plate and fork. I load the dishwasher and wipe the table down. No one told me I had to, but the housekeeper gets it, so I make sure to do my share.
Up until 10:30, we usually play inside. Sometimes we'll walk to the playground.
10:30 is Mommy and Me Gym class.
10:20 Me and the youngest Leave for Mommy and me Gym class.
11:15 Mommy and me class is over.
11:20 I would have used my detective skills to assess whether mom was home or not now. If she is home (likely), I will go to Starbucks, the Gap, a playground, a museum and stay out until 1:05 when I pick middle child up from her 1/2 day program. On nice days, my and the little boy usually have lunch in the park. I am always prepared for a pop up picnic.
1:20 Arrive home with both children. I cannot immediately tell if Mom is home or not. The housekeeper makes a face indicating that the Mom is either passed our or napping. (We still haven't figured out this napping schedule).
1:30 I say goodbye to the housekeeper and I put the littles boy down for his nap in his big boy bed.
1:40 The middle child and I are building a doll house together with materials we got from Michaels last weekend. I'd love to post a picture because it is spectacular. We are only on the second floor of what we hope to be five stories.
2:45 Mom appears in doorway, "Where is 'little child?' 'Little child' isn't still sleeping is he?"
        I get up from the floor and let her know I was just about to get him. We just wanted to finish the wallpaper, did she want to see? She looks at me like I am speaking Japanes, then rolls her eyes, "Oh, I'll get him. I don't need him sleeping all day".
2:50: I try not to react to the mom's idiotic/hypocritical behavior. I carefully put away our supplies in the plastic seperated compartments so we can return to work tomorrow.  I hear the Mom yell, "Melissssssssssa" I smile at middle child, get up and head down to where the Mom is.  "Look at this, he has totally trashed his room. This is not okay. Not okay. Maybe he's outgrown napping". I look around the room, there is a pile of stuffed animals by the closet, blankets on the floor and two puzzles on the floor. I count backwards in my head from 10. It takes me seven seconds to pick up everything.
At 3:00: I find the mom in the kitchen. I ask her, do you want me to take both with me to pick up "oldest child". She looks at me and says, "You better. I have no idea what I'm doing for dinner". Thank goodness, the weather is warmer. It's so much easier to go and retrieve a child.
3:20-4:00 I let the children play on the playground after we pick up oldest.
4:10: We are back in the apartment. "That was quick, I thought you were going to let the kids play for a bit," she calls out. "Yes, I said, we did". Again she looks at me like I am speaking another language, lying or a squirrel in her kitchen.
4:15 The children sit down to have a semi healthy snack.
4:16 The mom rushes in to the kitchen. "What are you doing Oldest Child?, I told you we had to go and get new shoes today". The child shoves a strawberry in her mouth and picks up two oreos and begrudgingly gets up. (FYI, no she didn't mention getting new shoes today).
4:17-5:10 Mom and oldest are gone. They return with three boxes of shoes. The mother starts walking around in a panic. "I can't believe it's almost six. Where did the day go? Do you have plans tonight"? She asks me. I tell her that I have plans to meet a friend for a 730 show, so I need to leave right at 7. She asks me to call X and see if she can come sit  from 7-10ish. She tells me, "I think husband and I are just going to dine out tonight. Order pizza or Chinese for the kids". With that she disappears up to her room. I book the babysitter, place the food order. I help one child with homework. I give a bath to the youngest before the food comes.  I set out pajamas for the two oldest for after dinner. I set out outfits for all three for morning. I premake the coffee. I slice strawberries and kiwi to go with dinner or for desert. I assemble the oldest child's backpacks. I take the new shoes out of boxes, arrange them in the shoe closet and put all of the other materials in the recyclable box.
6:25 Pizza arrives
6:30 Mother kisses each child on the top of their heads and tells them to behave for "Sitter". She then asks me, "you okay here until X arrives?". I smile and say yes.
6:32 When she is out the door I pull out paper plates and sit down with the kids and have pizza and berries. The sitter arrives at five until 7. I run through the basics of what needs to be done for bed and I am out the door. Only to do it all over again tomorrow.

I am a live in in NYC and work from 7-7, M-F and make $800 per week cash. If I babysit at night, they pay me $10 an hr. If I work from 8-1 on Saturday or Sunday, they will pay me $150 for each day.  

What's your day like? Email isynblog@gmail.com.

Wait, what is this about?

     Your nanny is raising your child and turning him into a public urinator. A reckless public urinator. During the time I was at the park, 65 minutes, he relieved himself three times. Three times that I saw and mind you I was doing other things besides watching your helian throw a pee party in the middle of the park. Three times. Who has to pee three times? Nevermind, he whipped out his willy at warp speed and without any regard to who was around him. There are perverts who stroll by the playground all day long just hoping to get a glance of a diaper change in progress or a mother's nipple. This is New York.. This is not your toilet. Please teach your nanny to supervise her charge. If he must out of emergency pee in public, please shield his willy from public. Also, please pick an appropriate target for his pee stream. He was trying to urinate on my child's stroller wheel. I put a stop to that. I gave him the look of death and he stopped midstream and ran towards the water well, willy still in hand.

     If you aren't familiar with Zucker playground, the trees are there to PLAY on, not to pee on. This did not stop Dirty Harry from firing right on to the stump that was later climbed upon by Korean twins, fortunately, well padded in denim. I just don't know what to say. I sit there and read my book and check my phone, but I am still able to toilet my child, to prepare a beverage. to pop open some sesame butter and spread it on a pretzel, but what of you and your hire? This same nanny gave her child a peanut butter sandwich on mangled bread....that he ran through the playground with. Smearing peanut butter on his face, elbow and playground apparatus. Why do you think I bring sesame butter to the playground? Because I am sensitive to children with nut allergies.

    Not to nitpick, but how I wish upon wish that I had a picture of this bent and broken shell of a squished sandwich so I could side by side compare it to nanny's tripple decker delight on some fancy roll, wrapped in tin foil. I don't know what was on it, but I positioned myself at the ready to perform the heimlich because she had no manners at all. The bites she took were enormous, huge, scary. But, at least she wasn't moving around, which is pretty impressive because this playground is one that encourages a nanny or parent to move around with her kid. Nope, she was sitting on her orange blanket. She had orange died hair, very pale, wearing a peach short skirt and purple cardigan with military style boots and knee socks.

      I think you should also know that teenagers flock to this area at certain times and I wouldn't suggest you have a kid flashing his willy around likely deviant teenagers. It's not just NY, it's Brooklyn, and hardly the best area.

     So to recap, if you aren't going to raise your own child but choose instead to outsource the childraising to some neo nazi punk:
1) No peanut butter or products on equipment where a child could get seriously ill
2) Willy should be secured at all times.  Unholster in public restroom only, or in densely, naturally wooded areas while providing security and protection.
3) Children should be supervised. Unless you like a kid needing up or over and relying on some would be pervert offering him a lift or a hoist.

-Unedited

ISYN Day in the Life 2015, #10

7:00 Wake up, having slept in workout clothes, I wake up and start working out. Quick lunges and sit ups and then I run outside. I live where it's fairly cold in the winter, but I run in every temperature.
7:50  In shower, Dress, Head Upstairs.
8:00 Simultaneously start toasting waffles and pancakes, select yogurt, slice bananas and brew a pot of strong coffee. 8:105-8:15, Dad comes downstairs, grabs coffee and heads out the door. Mom has already left. She goes in early to be home by 6, he goes in late and works until 8.
8:20-8:35  Feed up and clean up after the twin 3 year olds.
8:45 Kids are both dressed and playing on the floor in the playroom.
9:00 Physical therapist arrives for Twin #2.
9:10 Leave with Twin #1 for his Pre K group. Put him in the jog stroller, bundle him, get my gator on and start running, Try not to get frustrated with the pedestrians and stoplights.
9:25 At preschool, make small chat with some of the nannies. Talk about the weather. We wonder where Spring is. I'm draining my bottle of Poland Springs.
9:30 Twin #1 is in the classroom, backpack in his cubby. I leave the stroller tucked in a special closet and run home. The physical therapist leaves by 10:15. I go three blocks further South than I need to to make the loop longer. The air stings my lungs.
10:10 I'm home and catching up with the physical therapist who demonstrates some activities that will help with hamstring flexibility. After she leaves I wash my face in the kitchen sink with soap and cold water, then I drink a cup of black coffee and a cup of hot lemon water.
10:25 I get out the trainset and set the tracks on course. I attempt to get #2 interested in playing. I put the different trees and train parts in his chubby hand. He laughs and watches me with wonder. It's too quiet so I put a CD on. Mazzy Starr.
11:00 Morning snack for #1. Cheese and a cut up apple with peanut butter. I let him take his time and encourage him, but I don't help him any more. I've learned that I was giving him too much help and I need to let him do everything he can for himself. The apple pieces are in tiny bites with no skin, even his jaw muscles are weak.
11:20 I take him with me down to the laundry room in the building. He loves riding in the cart. If the laundry room is empty, I can spin him around and chase him between the machines. He's the sweetest and easiest kid ever. After getting the clothes from the washer to the dryer, I head upstairs and we dress to go out to pick up brother from preschool.
12:20 We arrive at the school in the double jogging stroller. I get brother, load him up with his artwork for the day and we head home. #1 asks to go to Dinosaur park, his favorite, but it's too cold.
12:40 We are home and I am making lunch for the two. They are fighting over a cookie monster toy that neither of them really likes. I put in a swing CD and crank it up on high volume while I make grilled cheese and slice tomatoes.
1:00 The boys sit at the counter in their big boy stools at the counter. I drink a cup of coffee and nibble on some cheddar cheese and tofu. #1 will fall asleep in his jello if I don't watch him. I scoop them both up and carry them back to the bathroom. #1 is diapered, #2 uses the toilet. Both lay down on their beds in an L Shaped formation and I read them one story. It's so cold outside and so warm and comfortable there, I am tempted to fall asleep. I don't, but I do stay until they are sleeping and then quietly sneak out the door.
1:10 With the baby monitor I run downstairs and get the load of laundry from the dryer and bring it upstairs to fold it.
1:30 On my IPAD, emailing friends, checking FB, sharing status updates about my little charges. Mom is a FB friend. I never share too much and I never share pictures of their faces. Nina, who lives two floors up rings the bell and brings the single stroller back from this morning. She uses it on the return trip for her daughter, who is usually tired after school. She comes in to chat for awhile, holding her baby monitor, of course. She declines tea today.
3:00 I wake the boys if they are not already awake. Today both have to be woken and so they are grumpy upon rising. I ask them if they want to go play. #1 leaps up off his bed and rushes in my arms, "Dinosaur, Dinosaur". I tell him again, it is too cold out today but suggest we go to our favorite indoor playground. They cheer unanimously, "yeahhhhhyy".
3:15 We handle bathroom functions, pack snacks and head off, again in the double stroller. This ride is short though and they chomp cheerfully on Cheezits the whole way. At our favorite indoor play spot I run in to Bindi. Bindi is a  busy body who visited my employers on a Saturday morning to tell them that I favored one child and wouldn't let the other out of the stroller. She smiles at me now, I look through her. These boys are differently abled, I love them the same but things are not the same for each of them.
5:30 We are home. The boys show no sign of tiredness. I was thinking maybe a movie to wind down before dinner, but they want to do something. I get out some of my home made dough (I have all kinds) and set them up at the kitchen table while I bread chicken breasts to make what I hope will pass as chicken nuggets for dinner. I mash some sweet potato and give each a scoop of greek yogurt on their personalized plastic dinner plates. #2 drinks from a sippy cup still but #1 uses a regular cup. They sit like little men across the table from each other and grunt conversation to each other. The nuggets are acceptable but only when dunked in ketchup.
6:05 Mom comes home and throws her stuff down on the entry table. "I'm so tired, I'm late, do I have time to change" "Of course", I say, "Do  you want me to do baths tonight?". She insists she will do them. I hang back in the kitchen cleaning up as the boys finish up to give her some time to wind down. I carry the boys to the bathroom where she is sitting on the side testing the water. "Anything to report" she asks.  "Same ole, same ole" I say.
6:15 I am out the door and off work for the night. Tonight I will hit an SAA meeting at Times Square Art Center and an NA meeting at St Francis. I'm sure I could find closer spots, but I'd prefer not to run into any neighbors or acquaintances. Some days I wonder if I'll still be sober when I wake up in the morning. It's a fear that never leaves you, as committed as I am to my complete recovery.

"K" has worked as a live in nanny on the for this UWS family for 10 months. She does not wish to disclose her salary.

Send your Day in the Life Submission to isynblog@gmail.com.

The Pavilion on 77th & York in NYC

So, this is how your nanny conducts herself on a daily basis. This nanny works at the Pavillion on 77th Street. No other words necessary.

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96th Street Playground in NYC

If this is your nanny at the 96th and CPW playground on the Upper West Side of NYC, please email ISYN so we can put you in contact with the individual who observed an incident of which she would like to make you personally aware. "Nothing terrible so don't worry, but I would want to know if this were my child."

Sara Delano Roosevelt Park in NYC

Where: Sara D Roosevelt Park in NYC
When: Thursday 4/16 at approximately 430/500
Description of Nanny: White, Irish looking nanny. Wearing tight jeans, a spandex long sleeved shirt. a gold cross and wedge sandals with a good heel. Pushing a Blue and tan umbrella stroller.
Description of Child: 14-20 month old boy. Brown hair, wearing jean jacket, jeans, hiking boots and able to walk. Boy was drinking out of yellow sippy cup with a big bird head on it.
Situation: I am not a nanny or a mom. I am a girlfriend. I was surprised to see a nanny with her kid she nannies for watching a group of street toughs play ball in the park. The language was rough. The game was heated. This was no kind of atmosphere for a 14-20 month old child. I know for a fact that she was the nanny because she said she had to go, but she'd be off at 630 and would meet him back here at Subway. This is one of the guys she was watching and salivating over. There were no other kids this age at this park. At one point the boy got cranky and wanted out. She didn't want to leave her spot so she let him out, but he was nearly plowed over by one of the guys. They play hardcore here. It's not a place for babies. Or nannies. I'm guessing you didn't know your nanny was there. She looked Irish but didn't have an accent.

Tomkins Square Park & Playground

Where: Tomkins Square Park
When: 4/13 11:30/12:00
Description of Nanny: (Two)
#1 Black, American nanny wearing white LS sweater and very tight dark rinse jeans (squeezed stomach into football shaped pooch over her waist), wearing brown mock Uggz. Brown/black straightened hair, shoulder length. age approx 25.
#2 Black Caribbean nanny, fiftyish? dark short, tight curled brown hair, red lipstick, vivid floral shirt, tan dress style (?) pants, loafers. Carrying a large white shoulder bag with a line drawing of an orange cat.
*Not sure who the baby belonged to but she was in a very basic green canopy umbrella. The kind that you sometimes rent at a zoo or something.
Incident: A White woman, brown tank top, white capris, tennis shoes approached the gate, staying on the other side and hollared to one of the women. She was walking a medium sized dog, young, mixed breed, possibly golden mix.  The nannies were talking and the older nanny looked up and handed the baby (white, approx six months, light hair, pink sandals, jeans, girl) she was holding over to the other nanny. She marched over to the railing and said "Now what". The white woman said that the black woman had kicked her dog. The white woman said, "who do you work for, I want a name". I was sitting right there. Before this I only noticed the two black woman talking and watching the playground while holding the one. I never saw any incident with any dog. The black woman said she wasn't telling her anything.
      The older woman had a distinct Caribbean accent so when she talked she said "I am telling you no thing. You are no body to me". The woman said something like, "I wouldn't want anyone who hurt an animal taking care of a child. Who do you work for." The black nanny said, "Lady you are crazy, you better go on now. Go home and take some medicine". This made the white woman even more angry. The older black nanny started heading back to where the other nanny was and the white woman walked along the black railing. When the other nanny saw this, she walked towards the black fence/woman and the other nanny who was retreating turned around with her and they both met her at the fence.
    They started to argue about kicking a dog. Again I didn't see. The woman pointed off towards where the dog run was and said, "other people saw, see that guy, he told me you were in the playground". The younger nanny said, "Bitch, you need to stop running your mouth and get the fuck on outta here. Aint nobody care what you have to say". The woman starts talking and saying in an elevated voice, "SO I'm the only one who has a problem with someone who is being paid to care for a child kicking a helpless animal, that baby looks pretty helpless, you kick her too?"
    This really pissed off the younger nanny. The older nanny said raised her hand to indicate calm down and said, "you need to go now, you're gonna scare the children".
    The younger nanny rose up over the other nannies face and said, "Lady, I'm about to jump the fuck over this fence and drill you down into that bush. You better watch your speak"
    The white lady said, "Oh you are? With the baby?"
    The older nanny took the baby from the younger nanny and said, "Lets go now".
    The younger nanny looked at the white woman and said, "Bitch you think you know me, I know you. I know your damn dog and Ima be on the lookout for you both.  Ima be on you when you least expect it"
    The white woman said, "Beautiful. Make sure you aren't holding someone else's child when you're trying to fight next time".
     The young black woman made a physical move to the fence. The white woman looked at them both and said something about being disgusted or they were disgusting.
     So like, I don't know what happend with the dog,but I cant imagine this woman would make an issue over nothing. I think she should have backed down though because I was feeling nervous about the altercation myself and the playground was full of kids. I don't know about these two nannies though. You might want to ask around and see what is going on from someone who can report to you. I don't think there is any excuse for the older woman to kick a dog, but the younger nanny was really irate and angry. Her mood scared me. Personally, I wouldn't have let either of them watch my child or my dog. I can't be sure who the nannies were watching on the playground. I could guess, but I don't think that would be helpful. They were still there when I left.

Nanny Camera Blues

Tim Clayton

We have had a nanny camera for over a year now. Sometimes we don't even have it set up right, most of the time we don't check it. It is a remotely accessible feature. The nanny doesn't know about it. In all the time I have used it and checked it, I have only ever seen her being loving and wonderful to my child. Except for today. I am out of town, I know it's beautiful in NYC, so I called and asked her what she was doing. She told me she had just got back from spending almost two hours at the park. I hung up, pleased my daughter was outside. For some reason, I decided to see if I could log on to the nanny camera and I could. I reviewed the footage and it's very clear she never went outside. Not even for a minute. What do I do? Do I call her on this, after a whole year? Do I prod her more about details? Do I let it go and figure maybe she is just having a rough day since DH and I are both out of town at the same time? This is what I want to do, but I think more than ever when we are both out of town, I want to know that the nanny is being the kind of nanny I think she is. Help! I'm typing this from a meeting because I can't bear to confide this in people I am close to. They would follow up ask how I handled it, no doubt demanding that I did.  She just cares for one almost 3 year old girl.

Question? Rant? Sighting? Email isynblog@gmail.com.

Spector Playground in NYC

     I found this to be alarming. This was shared on a mom board I belong to:
     Do you have a Chinese or Korean nanny with jet black hair, wearing a blue Adidas track suit?
I saw this nanny today  (Weds, 4/8) at Spector Playground off 60th in NYC.
     The nanny had two boys. One was about five in a puffy yellow sleeveless coat vest and jeans. He had curly hair. The other boys was 2/3 and had an eye patch on. I believe the kid had some special needs. She kept telling him to go play but he just wanted to cling to her. Both of these boys were white with curly hair. The boy with the eye patch was wearing a plain red shirt and a blue denim jacket. The nanny was sitting next to the steps on the brick wall. The boy was whining and trying to push her to get up but she kept saying "You leave, you go, you leave". (I only mention this as clearly English is not her first language). A large Hispanic nanny walked by her a few times and then told her that she should go play with him to "make the boy happy sometime". So the Chinese/Korean nanny glared at her. Finally she gets up and takes him to the tire swing. He doesn't want to go to the tire swing. He fusses, she puts him on anyway. He continues to fuss,indicating he wants off. She pushes him faster and starts laughing in some weird high laugh. She was trying to mask his discomfort with her laughing. Then she said something like, "I give up, you want to play, you don't want to play." And with that, she went to sit down again. The little boy just stood there leaning against the wall she was sitting on. The nanny wasn't on a phone or anything. She just sat there with her hands crossed. The other boy was playing with other kids. She seemed to almost tune out. Then I noticed, the kid was messing with her hair. She didn't mind. He was quietly picking dandruff out of her hair and EATING IT. What in the hell? I thought about aproaching her and then I started to think she was probably crazy or something. Got to wonder how much she is getting paid and what she's on to be just tuned out like that. *She carries a purple umbrella with white polka dots.

Send your nanny sightings to isynblog@gmail.com.

Starbucks @ 47th. & 8th. in NYC

Location: Starbucks in Duffy Sq on 47th Street.
Time: 3:15 PM 4/6
Nanny: Older, maybe 50,60, White hair, accent, possibly Polish, heavy set, wearing a white and floral printed shirt and purple pants, brown smart walking shoes, possibly therapeutic.
Child: Boy with black hair, white or mixed race. Freckles, curly hair, prominent nose, cute, wearing,blue corduroy pants and a yellow shirt with FOZZY the Bear on it.
Situation: I was exiting the stall in the women's restroom when the boy came in. I went to wash my hands and he told me, "I have to go pee". I looked around. No one came in. This made me nervous, since he and I were the only ones in here. I said, 'go right around the corner, are you by yourself?'  He said, 'No, I am with my nanny she is eating her cake'. I waited until he went in the bathroom. I heard him start peeing, but he didn't shut the door. I went outside the bathroom and stood outside the door to make sure that no one else came in. He came out seconds later and skipped over to a table where "Nanny" sat eating her cake and drinking a hot beverage.  I went to the table and said, 'Hi, I saw your little guy in the bathroom, looks like he could have used  a little help'. She looked at me and said, 'He's a boy, what help does he need to make a piddle?'
I just looked at her and kind of stammered, 'You just never know who is going to be in a bathroom, he's little'.
She looked at the boy and said, 'Are you fine? Did you piddle'.
The boy said 'Yes'.
The nanny looked at me and said 'We are done here. Go now'.
????
What?
The little boy was tiny. And the nanny wasn't even looking for him to come out of the bathroom. She was reading a magazine with her eyes on her cake and her magazine! I would never leave my little child in the care of someone who so doesn't appreciate danger!

Super Nanny struggles to land desired gig...

   

     I have worked as a nanny all over the East Coast and am 34 years old. My desire is to work in New York City, but I am having a hard time landing a job. I have interviewed with working parents and a stay at home mother and even one family where neither parent works at all. I arrive on time, have stellar references and dress sharply. I thought the things I lacked would prevent me from getting a good job, for example I speak only English and don't play any musical instrument. What I feel I am finding is that I may be intimidating to the families I meet? I have a degree in sociology, am well spoken, attractive and exceptionally knowledge about caring for all ages of children. After nine eight interviews, I received not a single call back. I clearly spelled out my expectations as well as availed myself for a (paid) trial period of between one day to two weeks. I have been told I have a great fashion sense, but realized I might need to dress more plainly. I have selected for my interview on Tuesday; a blue cashmere sweater, white scarf, denim jeans and espadrille flats and silver bracelet and earrings, hair in french braid and light make up. I desperately want to land a position in New York as I left my last position in DC and am living off savings until I do. I would appreciate any guidance you can offer. I am working with several agencies, they have suggested I am a top tier candidate and should have no problem landing my desired position.

Have any experiences in the interview or selection process you would like share? Email isynblog@gmail.com.