* Pierrepont Playground in Brooklyn Heights (Brooklyn, N.Y.)
* TUESDAY 3/1/11
* Nanny was standing in front of a small little boy who was sitting in a little bucket swing, very angrily shouting at him to "STOP IT!!! STOP IT!!!" I looked up at the sound of her voice, and the boy was just sitting there. She saw me looking, sighed deeply, then began pushing him in the swing again. I stood there for several minutes watching, and she kept looking up to see if I was still there.
* Boy was between 9-18 months old, either Latino or very light-skinned African American and wearing a yellow coat with some blue stripes on the sleeves, a red knit hat and either blue or black pants, possibly sweatpants.
* Nanny was African American, darker skinned than the boy, wearing a dark coat and a knit hat, 45-55 years old, medium build, had a cell phone.
16 comments:
So she told the boy to stop it.... I'm not hearing any abuse or what the core problem is. OP, I'm sorry but this does not seem time sensitive nor does it appear there is a real threating issue. So is every person who scolds a child terrible and abusive to you? Perhaps you should elaborate on the "problem" you find with this nanny? Sigh.
I read and re-read your post three times and have not found any problem with what you observed. Nothing you stated sounds abusive nor negligent. In fact, it seems like she was just doing her job. She was verbally (not physically) disciplining the child and she also pushed the swing for him. It sounds like she was doing what she was supposed to do since the child was under 1 1/2 and she was actually with him in the playground area...not just sitting on the bench.
I hope the parents see this and laugh. I would.
Hmm, I'm with the others here, also not seeing the problem. Perhaps, she kept looking up at you because you wouldn't stop staring at her, and were thus, weirding her out??? It's quite normal for any person to feel odd, uncomfortable, or off-put when a stranger won't stop staring at them...
I have a sneaking suspicion that some people want to post something on here so badly that they'll see the tiniest bit of conflict and decide it is nanny abuse. Not to even mention that this was probably the boy's mother and not his nanny.
So op what is the problem?
She probably could have been a tad nicer to the kid but honestly if that was the only problem she had then I don't think she was a horrible nanny. Maybe not the best one ever but certainly not one of the worst ones either.
Do you think maybe the kid was hitting her? OR spitting? OR chewing on the swing? Did you ever figure out just what she was telling the child to stop doing?
I hate hate hate when people question if it was a parent or a child but I'm starting to question. You said the child was either light skinned black or hispanic and that the lady pushing him on the swing was darker skinned than the child. That sounds like mommy to me. Maybe the father is lighter skinned, maybe the mother has some lighter skinned relatives.
Did anyone here really read this? She didn't say the woman scolded the child, she said she screamed at him! Who screams at an infant? That's really messed up and I can't believe anyone here would find it acceptable.
I don't see the problem.
NVMom-movedtoTX:
Did you read it? At no point did the OP say there was screaming. She said that the nanny/mother shouted, and didn't even see what was going on that precipitated it. And yet... stood there creepily staring at the woman??
I agree, this sounds like someone who just wanted to post something, even if it meant posting nothing at all.
Nothing to see here, move along. lol. The nanny did nothing wrong. I nanny for an 18 month old and the mother tells me to yell at her when she does something wrong. God forbid a kid get scolded these days. Thats why so many of them are brats, because its considered "abuse" by some crazies like NV,TX mom.
NVMom: The child was not an infant. Did YOU READ THE POST??? It was probably a toddler.
So, if I have this straight...nanny yelled "Stop it!" and given that the boy was just sitting there when you looked, I guess he did indeed stop. Then the nanny resumed pushing the swing, while you stood staring at her.
Maybe not nanny of the year, but she wasn't sitting on the bench or mistreating the child
Hey, I'm not a crazy, nice try though. I never said it was abuse, wow lots of challenged readers here. And don't give me probably a toddler. The OP said at least 9 months. Not the worst sighting in the world, but at least this person was concerned. Stop being so sensitive!
Perhaps it was what is known nowadays as a "Tiger Mother?"
This may be a new trend in parenting.....
I agree this sounds like a desperate way to get a post on here.
NYC mom move to TX:
Can you honestly say you have never been frustrated with your child, or children at ANY given age that you have not yelled stop it or that's enough? I am a stay at home mother, and former nanny and let me tell you there are days when you get frustrated or your patients is thin...I am human so are you! I highly doubt you are the picture of perfect parenting and skill. No one is, not parents, not child care workers, and not even teachers.
Something tells me you feel that because she is a nanny she should never get frustrated. Well when I was a nanny I worked full time, 5o hrs a week 10 hrs a day! As a nanny you take on the role of substitute parent, teacher, nurse, camp counselor. My point is just like a parent you have to wear many hats and think quick on your feet and sometimes the children act up and you have to yell at them to stop it, or knock it off. I have kids and I have yelled stop it at all ages of their lives, are you going to tell me I am a bad person and mother because I yell at my kids from time to time?
OP: just because you did not see what the woman wanted the child to "stop" does NOT mean that they child was not doing something unsafe or wrong.
Tiger mother. That's funny.
The nanny sounds like a nutcase. Probably hopped up on the pot.
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