This is a warning about a nanny named Vivienne C who goes by the nickname "Birdie". She is a Jamaican with a Green card who lives in Brooklyn and works in Brooklyn and the city. I hired her as a temp to work 24 hours a day between the end of the baby nurse and the arrival of my au pair from England.
She only worked for us for two different shifts. One 4 days on and one 6 days on. She was paid $150 per day. At the end of the first week she mentioned to me that I shouldn't feel pressured to switch my baby to formula. She suggested she knew many people who could provide breast milk. I told her that I was comfortable with the choice to move to formula in prep for my return to work.
When she returned for her final six day shift, the baby seemed to be spitting out a lot of the formula during the bottles I offered. I was home at this time, had returned to work but had not left the home yet. I was setting up my office, in and out, etc. Well, on her 6th day in the morning, I paid her, although she wasn't going to leave until 4. I paid her $900 which was exactly what was due. I went out and returned. When I came back I noticed an attitude with her. I offered to take the baby for her 2 PM feeding. I tried to feed the baby and the baby was doing everything possible to avoid swallowing, playing with nipple, spitting out, holding air in her cheecks, etc.
I asked Birdie, "Have you had the same problem with -Baby Girl- not wanting to swallow". She looked at me with what I thought was disgust and said, "No, I never have a single problem with that baby". "Okay, I said. She didn't walk away and stood there. Then she said, "You know I have to say, it is customary to tip between 10 and 20% at the end of a job like this." I was caught off guard. I said, "Birdie, we've only used you for two weeks." She said, "Yes, AROUND THE CLOCK."
I said, "I'm sorry I didn't budget for that".
She then looks around the family room and says mockingly, "Didn't budget for that, okay".
I said, "You know, I'm sorry if you are upset. You've been paid, you are free to leave now, should you like"
She said, "Oh that would be MOST FINE"
She grabs her bag which is already packed and drags it down the steps, roughly so it hits every step. I try to look the other way as I am still trying to give a bottle. She stops and looks at me and says, "Oh you the mom and you don't know that baby don't like that formula. Good luck".
This made me angry. I said, "What are you saying?" Thinking she was saying I was a bad mom. She stood there NODDING dramatically. I screamed "JUST GET OUT OF MY HOUSE". I was holding the baby and she looked at me now shaking her head and said, "oh you don't know alright".
I stood up, put the baby down in the carrier and said, "GET THE FUCK OUT OF MY HOUSE"
She said, "relax old lady, your fine, it's not your baby who like my breast milk" and then she cackled and dragged her bag so slowly to the door. Then she called over her head to my daughter, "Goodbye baby, enjoy your life with servants and slaves."
Again, BIRDIE is her nickname. I found her on Craigslist. I live in Park Slope. I could not slam the door fast enough. I changed the locks, changed my credit card numbers. I did not feel good about that. And if that was a dig at my husband, she's crazy, he had no contact with her (NOR WOULD HE)
