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.  

Confessions of a Nanny

Part VI

Working with parents who have no idea how to raise a kid gets so old so fast.  How do people honestly not know what's right and wrong?  Anyway.  A few years ago, I was a Nanny for first time parents.  Ok, I thought it was going to be easy.  New parents.  Not knowing much.  Fine, whatever.  

But as the baby got older, the parents became more complicated to deal with.  Why is the baby waking up in the middle of the night?  Why isn't he walking yet?  Why won't he eat a lot?  Or the best was when I kept telling them how their son is at the age where he can eat everything that they eat.  I kept telling them how they should be having family dinner at this point.  And so a few months after, the dad said "I was reading a baby book and it says that he should be eating what we eat."  Uhhhh can you not hear??

I get very pissed when parents don't listen.  I literally want to shake parents and be like W-T-F.

I confess, I think that parents who don't listen to their Nanny are dumb.  Us Nannies know what we are talking about.

To all my wonderful viewers:

THANK YOU!

I am having the time of my life being Hoboken Nanny.  I love all of the emails that I'm getting, but I want more!  Let me know what you think of this blog.  Is there anything you want an opinion on? I want this to be a way of communication with lots of comments, so don't be shy to comment on anything!  Also, email me!  About anything you want.  I want to hear from YOU!

HobokeNannySpy@gmail.com

 

FOREVER IN OUR HEARTS.

MISS YOU ALWAYS.

The Baby Nurse vs. Nanny

I'm feeling a little nostalgic today.  

I was thinking back to when the baby was born.  The family had a baby nurse for the first child, so naturally, the second child also had a baby nurse.  So, here we were.  A mom home, a dad home for 2 weeks, a baby nurse for 2 weeks, and me.  Why?  I can say with so much confidence that those were the worst 2 weeks of my life.  It was basically me vs. the baby nurse who had zero experience with older kids but thought she was the sh*t with newborns.  Uhh, I would have to say "you're wrong."  The parents of my family absolutely loved this woman.  I still don't see why.  

First of all, parents, you have an amazing NANNY(me).  Second, did you even realize that the baby "nurse" isn't even a certified nurse?  Therefore, why didn't you pay me $2,000 to wake up and feed the baby? Because I certainly would have done it.  But because she was called a "nurse" it made you think that she was some high almighty who did wonders to your kid.  Again, I'd have to say "you're wrong." 

 A baby nurse does nothing compared to a Nanny.  Some people try to justify paying so much money by thinking she puts a newborn on a schedule.  Nope, she doesn't.  She feeds on demand and let's be real, a newborn has NO schedule.  

Parents, so next time you decide to hire a baby "nurse" when you have a Nanny, ask your Nanny if she'd be interested in doing it and getting the money.  I am sure she would say yes.  And if she doesn't want to, hire the baby "nurse" and give your Nanny off for the two weeks.  

The Overnight Nanny

The other day, my family asked me if I would be available to watch the kids for a whole weekend in December.  I, of course, said yes!  But then they asked me my rate.  So I told them that I expect an hourly rate of $X, plus the cost of food and spending money to do fun things with the kids, if I decided to do that. They said that was reasonable.  

But today, they told me that they were no longer going away.  

I am annoyed because the money was going to be nice.  But, I can't help but think if they decided not to because the amount was so much.  My past experience was exactly what I asked for and it was fine.  

Some people argue that there should be a set rate for a weekend overnight type of deal.  I personally think that since  I am the only person in the apartment watching them, the rate should be hourly.  I've also heard of people reducing the rate when kids are asleep but what happens if there's a fire?  Or what if one of the kids wakes up...do I have to go get them?  Obviously, yes, I will.  But the price of good care should never be contradicted.  I don't want to sound greedy, but with my experience, I think that the going rate in Hoboken is comparable to what I asked.  

Has anyone ever been in this situation?  

Email me at HobokeNannySpy@gmail.com or comment below!

Childcare Mistakes

Part II

There are a lot of working parents in Hoboken with very serious jobs.  In the evening and on weekends, when I'm walking around town and see these parents, I often see them on their phones.  Whether it's at the park or a restaurant, most parents rarely have interaction with their kid...at least from what I see outside of their apartment.

Which brings me to childcare mistake 2: Not having fun with your offspring.

Your kid looks up to you and always wants your attention.  Have fun with them!  Act silly and messy. If you have a baby, let them play with crap that your type A personality may not like.  If you have older kids, go roll in the grass with them at the pier.  Weekends are for fun!  

Kids will remember whether you were always on your phone or if you put the phone down and had fun.  

Make M-E-M-O-R-I-E-S!

Overheard in Church Square Park

While hanging with the kids today in Church Square, I admit, I was eavesdropping on these African American Nannies.  They were sitting on the benches near the baby park.  

What I heard: Not one of them can stand the families that they work for.  One of them was PISSED that she had to work one day this weekend to make up for a missed day in the past. She kept going on about how the parents should spend time with kids over the weekend.  

Ok true, but if that was what was agreed upon, then Nanny, suck it up and work. 

The Dog Walking Nanny

As I think back to my time as the Nanny in the Absent Parents family, I wonder how many other Nannies are asked to randomly take care of a pet.  Or let's say, how many Nannies are blindsided into taking care of a pet.  Because that's what happened to me.  Let's get it straight.  I am NOT a dog walker.  I am a Nanny and I do not ever want to take care of your animals.  Have a fish?  Fine, I'll feed it.  But do not ever expect me to take your dog for a walk and not compensate me for it.  A dog walk in Hoboken is $15 per walk.  If that's something that a family wants me to do, please expect to pay me $15 extra to walk your animal.  I think that's fair.  What do you think?

And I love when a family has said to me "Don't worry about the dog.  There are wee wee pads for the dog to go on."  Uhhh what?  You let your dog pee and poop on a wee wee pad with a baby that crawls on the floor?  Come on people!  Stop being so cheap and get a dog walker multiple times a day!  That is just rank and unsanitary!  And I have to work in these apartments!

 

TODAY IS...SEPTEMBER 8, 2013 AND THAT MEANS IT IS GRANDPARENT'S DAY!!

 

 

GIVE A HUGE HUG AND KISS TO YOUR GRANDMA, GRANDPA, PAPPY, MOM MOM, BUBIE, ZADIE, NONNA, NONNO, AND WHATEVER ELSE YOU CALL THESE AWESOME PEOPLE!!

 

 

Nanny Appreciation

As I sit here on the Pier on this beautiful Saturday, I wonder if the family I that Nanny for really appreciates me.  Sure, they always say thank you.  They gave me a holiday bonus last year.  But do they really notice everything I do for them...the little things that I do to make their life easier when they get home from work.  And best yet, do they see how much their children have grown and how much they have learned?  I want to believe that they do see all of this.  Like how much better the older boy is eating now that I've been in the picture.  Or that the baby reaches every milestone far ahead of "schedule."  Maybe they don't notice, but I think that they are hands on enough that they do.  But maybe they also think that THEY did these things for their kids.  That THEY got their kid to eat veggies and fruits and try things beyond grilled cheese and mac and cheese.  Or that THEY spent hours hanging on the floor while the baby did tummy time.  I don't know.  

But like any job, it would be nice to hear the acknowledgement. It's not just a Nanny that wants to hear this.  Every person who works loves positive reinforcement.  But when a family has a Nanny that develops their most prized possession, families should take a time to reflect and really think about how good or bad their Nanny is.  If your Nanny is amazing, tell her how much you appreciate her.  And even give her a gift.  

Children at The Festival

1) I saw a 7 year old sitting in a stroller watching a DVD.  Uhhhh...say what?  Your almost tween is too lazy to walk?  

2) A Nanny/babysitter eating while the kid was walking next to her...not eating.  It was dinner time!  Where is his dinner?

3) An unbelievable amount of tantrums.  Why?  Because it was late and the kids were sugared up on zeppoles and then crashed.  I understand a good time on a Friday night, but come on.  Go to the festival.  Eat. And take your kids home to bed.  Despite the awful music there last night, the sound of your crying kids ruins the Friday night fun.  

Any other fun things you saw?  And by fun, I don't really mean fantastic things.  I also mean annoying people, kids, Nannies!

I'm going to the Italian Festival tonight. 

Who else will be there??

CHILDCARE MISTAKES 

PART I

One thing I noticed about being a Nanny is that I am either the first or second mother to the children, depending how close they are with their own Mom.  If Mom is a great Mom, then I am second in command.  If Mom is more of a friend to her kids, then I am first.  It just kind of works that way.  Who instills the best values.  While I don't mean that in a bad way, there are parents out there who really rely on their Nanny to be a parent.  

That being said, let me talk about Childcare Mistake 1. 

When you have a baby, around 5-6 months, they start trying real foods.  And as they get older, it's up to the parents or Nanny to give them a variety of foods.  The biggest mistake is not giving your child different foods while they are a baby.  Expand their palettes.  If it were up to them, they would eat mac and cheese for every meal, every single day.  But it should not be up to the them. Who wants to make three different dinners as they get older?  Not this Nanny...and I'm sure not you, Mom and Dad!  Start it at 9 months old when they can start eating chunks of adult food.  Little pieces of pasta, little pieces of steak.  They CAN eat it. 

Kids should eat what the parents (or Nanny) eat!

BAD PARENTING

SIGHTING

Last night while walking around, I saw a truly amazing and ballsy father.  Riding down 6th Street. His BABY was in a bike seat in front of him.  Ok, safe so far.  The BABY was about 8-10 months old.  Definitely not 1 yet.  With no helmet.  The dad was wearing a helmet.  But not the baby.  

Is it just me or is this a recipe for disaster?  Sorry, the roads in Hoboken are uneven and the sidewalks aren't much better.

 Hoboken Dad, come on!  Get your baby a helmet before you decide to go for another dangerous ride with your most precious cargo!

TO ALL MY JEWISH VIEWERS!


MAY YOU HAVE A SWEET, HEALTHY, AND HAPPY NEW YEAR!

FIRE ON 4TH STREET PARKING GARAGE

IF YOU HAVE YOUR CAR PARKED IN THE 4TH STREET PARKING STRUCTURE BETWEEN CLINTON STREET AND GRAND STREET, A FIRE JUST BROKE OUT AT 10:57pm ON TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 3RD.  

PLEASE BE AWARE!

HEY IDIOT...!

I was walking through the city today since I had the day off and I came across this.  Yes, there's a baby in the stroller.  No, that's not the mom in the blue walking towards it.  
She's just a random lady walking towards me. 

 What's wrong with this picture?

Paying Your Caregiver

I guess I really have to beat this one to the bone because apparently there are more cheap parents out there than I thought.  It is UNACCEPTABLE to pay your caregiver for a QUARTER OF AN HOUR. 

No, I'm not kidding, and yes, it does happen.  

I mean, what parent in their right mind thinks that it's okay to pay for a quarter hour?  Someone please tell me!  Because I seriously find these people to be cheaper than life and truly disgusting people.  Is it so hard to pay your caregiver for a whole half hour?  It comes down to a few dollars more.  Really. That's it.  

Here's my take on this...if a parent is going to pay only until :15 or :45 after the hour, well honey, if you're even 5 minutes late after that, I want my extra money. 

Seriously parents, pay for the half hour.  Could you look any worse by not doing that?  Cheap freaks!!!!