BABYSITTER ETTIQUETTE

So here I was, covering for a friend of mine to babysit for the family that she Nannies for.  The kids were great and easy to bed.  The parents left me money for dinner which was AWESOME.  (If you aren't doing that, make sure you start doing that because it is very much appreciated!)
I took a nice little nap while watching TV.  That was also very nice.

And then BAM.  The parents came home and didn't have enough money to pay me for the night. 

Uhhhhhhhhhhhh WHAT? 

How do you idiot parents not have enough money to pay me at the end of doing my job when you know that I am there watching your kids?  WHY? I mean, seriously?  As if I'm not already tired enough, you need to go on and tell me how you were surrounded in the city by ATM's and just couldn't get to one of the million ATM's in Manhattan...and even HOBOKEN!  

Take away of this story:  Have enough cash to pay your babysitter.  Checks are unacceptable.  Babysitters want cash.  Stop being lazy and go to an ATM.  You're rich.  We know you have money.  

By the way, thanks for dinner.

ATTENTION HOBOKEN PARENTS!

When your Nanny comes to your apartment in the morning, it is time for you to leave.  No, I don't want you sticking around because you don't want to go to work.  Yes, your child is a complete disaster brat when you're around.  Yes, I would have stayed home a bit longer if I knew you weren't leaving.  

Come on people.  I know you don't realize it, but Parents, when you're around, your child is a completely different person.  Which makes my job so much more difficult.  They know that if they cry about dropping a toy, you will immediately pick them up and comfort them.  They know that if they don't want to eat something you won't make them.  Whereas I would not pick up your child if they dropped a toy and I would make them eat what they don't want to because I know that they in fact do like that food.  

When I get to your house in the morning, please please please leave.  I don't want you to help me give the kids breakfast, I just want you to leave so I can go about my way of doing things.  You are not helpful, but in fact, you make things worse.  

If you want to stay and hang out, then please tell me to come later.  And if you decide to ambush me and just stay home for the day, please tell me to have the day off.  Having parents around makes my job suck and then I hate it and then I won't want to work.  

The end.  

Parents, go to work when I come to work.  

The iPad Addiction
Part II

I come across a lot of children, as most people in Hoboken do.  I cannot get over the fact that Parents let their children use the iPAd so much. I see kids at the park using the iPad instead of playing.  At restaurants instead of coloring.  I just can't believe how one tablet can make a child who doesn't even know what their doing with it become so obsessive. 

So, here was I, sitting at a restaurant on Washington Street with some friends.  Next to us was a family. With a baby that could have been a year, but totally could have been as young as 10 months old.  The food arrived and the iPad was taken from the addicted baby.  I bet you can guess what happened next.  Yes, an all out 2 year old tantrum.  I wanted to ring the necks of these Parents for letting this happen.  Not only does it disturb the other patrons, but I don't think they realize what kind of monster they have created.  I mean, Parents, do you realize that the iPad is an addiction?  Your 1 year old child doesn't understand the "game" on the iPad.  They see colors.  Your 1 year old child isn't learning the alphabet, they are guessing what letter goes next.  

Remember when we were kids sitting at a restaurant?  Yeah, we had to color.  Leave the iPad at home and bring crayons.  Your child will be a hell of a lot smarter learning to draw letters instead of guessing.  
 

 

 

TODAY STARTS THE MOST AMAZING WEEK...

IT'S NANNY RECOGNITION WEEK!!

SEPTEMBER 22nd through SEPTEMBER 28TH

PARENTS, MAKE SURE YOU GIVE YOUR NANNY A NICE CARD AND A GIFT TO SHOW YOUR APPRECIATION!

I'M SURE I WON'T GET ANYTHING BUT I HOPE OTHER GREAT NANNIES GET NOTICED!

YAY IT'S FRIDAYYYYYY!

I THINK I'M GOING TO CHARRITO'S TONIGHT!

Childcare Mistakes

Part III

Here's a fun one!

Nannies and Parents who do not respect a sleeping child shall have their head cut off.  I came across a family with a child in daycare.  He's almost 2 years old.  The boy is the first one in and the last one out.  That is so heartbreaking to me.  Anyway, I have noticed that the children who attend daycare are developed slower and have the worst sleeping schedule in the world.  I mean what child can get away with taking a 30 minute nap?  So, insert awesome parent who picks up the kid at the last possible second.  What does that awesome parent do?  

They are selfish as hell and love to keep that poor boy awake to hang out with him.  And what does that overtired, beyond exhausted boy do when his parents keep him awake?  Cries and cries and cries.  

Hellooooooo!  Clearly his "bedtime" is not 8:30.  Clearly his bedtime needs to be the second he gets home.  Save your hang out time for the weekends and put that guy to bed!  Nobody likes a crying child.  I guess, unless you're his parents and think it's awesome.  

If you have a daycare child and they whine, cry, and rub their eyes the second you pick them up.  That's a cue for bed time.  Do not keep him awake one more minute.  PUT HIM TO BED.  

A Nanny Email

I got a hilarious email from a Nanny today that I can relate to. And I'm sure most Nannies can relate to this.

She said:

"Every Monday, I get to work, and nothing has been cleaned or put away over the weekend.  I come into the apartment.  There are dishes in the sink, dishes in the dishwasher that need to be unloaded(which, by the way, I don't get paid to do but do it anyway), and garbage coming out of the can.  I am VERY curious what goes on with this family over a weekend since they don't seem to clean up.  I mean what am I, a cleaning lady or nanny? I get so frustrated because they leave everything for me.  Bottles that haven't been washed since Friday, clothes with all kinds of stains coming out of the hamper, and I really get annoyed about the dishwasher.  Why am I the only person unloading the dishes? Is it that difficult?  Can you pay me more to do it? Hoboken Nanny, please help me with advice!"

Ok ok. This is just awful. I have been in this situation and sometimes I am still dealing with crap like this.  The dishwasher thing sucks.  But if you are like me and get the sweats just looking at dishes in the sink, there's nothing you can do other than unload the dishwasher and go on with your day.  It takes all of 3 minutes to unload and let's hope they remember this at holiday time and up your bonus a bit.  LET US HOPE!!!!!  

Lets face it.  Working parents are sometimes lazy people who are only good at working their job. We know that not all parents should be parents.  And if they choose to live like pigs well, they are disgusting human beings.  But we should not work in that atmosphere.  I get it.  So now if it bothers you so much, suggest they get a cleaning lady or if not, they can pay you more to do it.