I wasn't sure at first if I should post something, but we figured this was something we would want to know.Yesterday (Friday), JJ Byrne Park, around 3:00, I was with my son when a young boy named Henry (he introduced himself), around 3 years old, blonde/reddish hair, blue eyes, started hanging around us (me especially.) Very sweet, seemed like he wanted or needed a little attention and interaction. I went to sit on a bench a few feet away from the jungle gym (or whatever they are called) and noticed that he had followed me and sat right next to me, almost up against me. Although I would have had no problem engaging with him, I was a little uncomfortable, for obvious reasons. After a few seconds, his nanny, who was sitting on the next bench, called for him after seeing us together. She was mid twenties to late thirties, small to medium build, dark skinned with a brown hat (the kind that Fidel Castro wears, not sure what the style is called.) She had a gray umbrella stroller on which there was a purple bag. I had noticed her a bit earlier, when Henry had first started hanging near me and my son. She hadn't been paying much attention until she saw him on the bench with me.
I was a little concerned that she didn't see him come over to me, but my real concern was that after he left, and shortly came back, It was a good five or ten minutes until I saw her even look for him. I was looking over towards her the whole time hoping she would make eye contact and notice that I was a father playing with my son as well, maybe to put her at ease, but she never looked around. She just sat there staring straight ahead. If she had noticed her charge following a stranger around, even one there with his own son, shouldn't she have been a little concerned? If I saw that my son was prone to following someone around whom I didn't know, adult or child, my eyes would have never left him. But she didn't even seem to know that he came right back to me.
It eventually got to the point where I figured we should leave. It was getting to that point anyway, but I was feeling more and more uncomfortable as I realized this sweet boy would have probably left with us without hesitation, just for the interaction. He saw that we were having fun, and really wanted to join in.
This is just a little heads up for Henry's parents. Things can happen so quickly, and I find that my heart skips a beat if I've been distracted for even 5 seconds while with my son. And Henry seemed so friendly, or attention starved, or both, that I fear what could happen if the wrong person came along.
Flame away.
31 comments:
OP/Dad
I think your Post is completely legitimate. I can tell you really struggled with this, and what would be the right thing to do. I really hope you don't get flamed.
Thank you for being so concerned and sending this in.
No flames here. That's exactly the kind of situation that predators seek out - an inattentive caretaker, a kid who really wants someone to pay attention to him. The parents should know.
its really sad that in this day in age we have to worry about predators! I don't live in NY and I've never been there but it makes me sad every time I read a post about someone worrying that if they don't watch their child for 2 minutes that they are in harm's way! I live in MN so its completely different here, mom's all over the place let their kids go to the park alone if they live near it, etc.
This is a sad situation but its good that you posted it here.
Honestly, Ilovejasoncastro, do mothers in MN let their 3-y.o.s go to the park alone? I think not. Kidnappings happen everywhere, not just in NYC.
OP, I can completely understand your concern for this little boy. Hope someone alerts his parents.
OP-
Your post was well written without unnecessary verbal putdowns and humiliating descriptions. I can tell you wrote it out of the real concern your felt. Way to go. No flaming from me. Your concerns are real and valid. Kudos for posting.
I am not going to flame you for this post, OP, because you did the right thing. You had every right to be concerned. All this was really was a lazy nanny who shouldn't even be a nanny in the first place. I don't live in NYC either, and all it takes is a second for a child to wander off and another second for a pedo to grab him. I've always had this philosophy when it comes to being a nanny or working with children:
If you get into this field because you think it's easy, you are in the wrong line of work. If you don't want to be in this line of work, get out and let those of us who want to work as nannies and teachers do the job.
That being said, I teach full time during the week and nanny on Fridays/alternate Saturdays. When my charge and I go out, I ALWAYS know where he is, what he is doing, and I would never let him out of my sight. This nanny is unqualified to be a nanny in my opinion, because she let this child wander off, ignored the child, and OP found him. The only time I let my charge play by himself is when we are in the house, which I did a lot of today, since I have been sick all week. I hope this little boy's parent's find out what happened, and hire someone who will act professional around their son, not this nanny, who put his life and safety at risk.
Well..I witnessed abandoned..children screaming so horrid in Gordman's today in our little town of Omaha..and I watched.. hoping they didn't hurt each other with their little arguing. All they wanted was Mum, to hear them out. Finally two women who didn't speak English finally showed up to take care of them. I kept thinking..do I really want to go Christmas shopping.
I'd be very worried even in a department store, even if they were two little boys who didn't speak English.
oh just a question to Mary..have you hear from U. Just wondering.
gossip guy
Thanks for posting OP. This sounds like a negligent nanny, and the parents should be alerted.
Ivy
No, I haven't. I'm worried.
Me too. Umass, if you've changed your moniker, can you just let us know that you're here and OK?
You had the weird, mean stalker person here, who was pretty certainly somebody that knows you and was trying to intimidate you in "real life." They sounded fairly unbalanced and it was very disconcerting, to say the least.
We are worried about you. Please let us know that you are OK.
I haven't b een on that much (not enough to notice an abscence) but I hope Umassis OK. Her syntax is pretty recognizable though, and I suspect she'd have to try really hard to not be "seen" even under another name.
Cali,
Now that you mention it, I did see one item...maybe yesterday or so, that made me wonder if she had changed her name. I think it was a celebrity mention or something like that...juat a few words in a post that reminded me of her. It made me wonder if maybe her stalker had forced her to change names. But you're right, she's pretty unique and unmistakable.
I just tried to look at her web site and it has been changed to allow invited people only. I wanted to see if she had posted there recently, which would indicate that she is well at least.
I have been pretty sporradic myself, so I figured her absence might be like mine...just a really busy time in her life. But now I am worried.
Funny how you come to care for internet buddies that you have never even really met. I have a mental picture of most of you regulars, and an idea of what you might be like in your lives, and I am going to be really mad if any of you turns out to be a 50 year old naked man! And if you are, we're all going to find out when we meet up for our ISYN picnic!
But anyway, back to Umass. Please let us hear from you Umass. We are worried about you.
Mom, lol. Well I have my clothes on and I'm female, but I think we are the same age, just about.
And to stay on topic, OP I am glad you posted this. The nanny sounds inattentive and careless at best, and that is NOT safe in any situation anywhere.
Alright, since it's out in the open, Umass has been gone for over 3 weeks.
And Mom, I don't see where Umass' status has been changed. Her Blog has been showing a server error for about 3 days now, and for the past 3+ weeks, there has been no activity on her Blog. Even if you Google her name, there have been no new posts from her anywhere for that long also. I had been in personal contact with her for several weeks before she disappeared, and because of the last e-mail I received from her, I am very concerned.
I don't mean to get off-topic either, but you do tend to build this camaraderie of sorts... and it's hard when you lose contact with someone.
top commenter
1. cali mom (27)
2. mom (20)
3. ericsmom (18)
4. not a park slope nanny (17)
5. goddoesen'tevenhateidiotslikeyou (15)
6. Amy (14)
7. does this moniker make my butt look big (14)
8. obama for prez (12)
9. Marypoppin'pills (12)
10. lovesthegirls (10)
UMass isn't even on the list of topcommenters anymore....
MissDee
I hope you feel better! xo
You are all so sweet and kind--- I am glad I have ISYN buddies :P
I hope Umass is okay...
its so nice to see the comments move swiftly from the abandoned child to ?????? a isyn commenter, wow that is so cool she being so much important than the child. i love the usa
Just me
The incident this Father witnessed has been reported here... and we can only hope the Parents see it. There is nothing more we can do, we've all expressed how we feel about it.
Umass had become a part of the ISYN Family and people are worried about her.
No need to be insensitive.
And to the OP/Dad
Our apologies for the thread going off-track. I hope you understand. And we do care about what you witnessed.
Marissa M. said:
"Reg Umass: I haven't posted here in forever.
Umass once posted an article about **** on her blog. Then deleted it later. It sounded like **** problems. And what is with the stalker she had on here? That sounds absurd.
I have not been following her posts but hearing she "dissapeared" worries me. I hope you are OK umass."
7:11 PM
*********
I know some people might have figured out what's going on with Umass, but I really don't think we should discuss her personal life here. I hope you understand.
I am so glad you are back Marissa.
We missed you! xo
Thanks MPP for adjusting the post details, I'm sorry- wan't thinking.
We miss you Umass! I hope everything is well with you.
I hope that Little Henrys parents see this too. Now, I will tell you when I was a kid my mom could be sitting at her sewing machine in the den,whileI was in the living room with any one of my 9 brothers and sisters and if a hand even dared to be raised towards a sibling ..she would yell out the name of the offender before contact could be made!! The woman had eyes in the back,on the side and in the front of her head!!!
That was mom though..not a nanny...
I too would be concerned if any one of my children attatched themselves to an adult while at the park...hopefully mom and dad will catch on or read this post soon.
As for Umasss,you are very missed my dear. Be strong sister!
Good call MPP. If you hapen to hear from her...since it sounds like you may have made personal contact with her...please just let us know she's OK...if that's OK with her for you to do.
PS I just went to an old post and clicked on her moniker (remember, I'm not very computer savvy) and the screen that came up said I needed to be invited to see her site.
Would someone mind explaining the stalker thing with UMASS? This all seems strange.. none of you all know who she actually is, but the stalker on this blog did?
Sarah,
In the interest of protecting Umass, I think we need to keep her information to ourselves for now. But I think it is safe to say that an extremely ubalanced sounding person who seemed to know her personally followed her here. This is not new information to that individual, so I suppose it can't hurt to say just that much.
MPP, Please let us know if you hear that she is OK...if it doesn't compromise her in any way to do so.
Umass will be back. These drama queens all disappear then resurface later. They love the attention. Marissa made her dramatic farewell and she's back. So did Butt Looks Big. Trust me on this, UMASS will be back.
They always come back
You are an asshole. Straight up. We have reason to believe that Umass may be in some serious peril, and you're going for drama at a very inopportune time. Have a little couth, will you? As for the others, I'm glad they are back. And I'm sure I'm not the only one to welcome them with open arms.
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