I saw your nanny - Is your daughter called Francesca?

[Anonymous]

I was at Ann Taylor Loft today at the Market Commons in Clarendon where I met two nannies in the changing rooms. They were both Indian/Pakistani/Sri Lankan looking and they were looking after one child each. One was called Sitta but I did not catch other one's name. She looked younger than Sitta and she mentioned that she had recently lost weight and was now wearing size 8 instead of size 12. She was being quite unkind to the little girl in her care called Francesca.

Francesca was wearing a purple toggle/duffle coat, purple socks and a purple bow or clip in her hair. She was 2-3 years old, hair (lightish in color) was in a bob I think with a side parting and she was in a Peg Preggo stroller with two red bags hanging on the back. She was obviously getting quite fractious/tired/bored being stuck in her stroller during the shopping spree as I had heard her whining for a while in the store. In the changing room the whining continued and the nanny got quite angry saying that she was not a nice girl and that no one would like her. At some point the girl managed to get off the stroller and walk out of the changing cubicle. She looked very upset and the nanny kept on and on at her saying words to the effect that the girl was always difficult and implying that she was quite fed up with her . Eventually all four left. When I got out of the store they were outside. Francesca was walking behind her nanny who was pushing the stroller and talking to her friend.

I would not have liked to see my child treated in that way.

[Anonymous]

This is so upsetting. I am only responding to keep your thread near the top. Hopefully the Mom or a friend will see this and be able to take action.

[Anonymous]

I live in Clarendon but don't know Francesca. It makes me furious. It was so hard for me to go back to work and feel confident that my daughter was being well cared for. Anyway, here is a website dedicated to "I saw your nanny posts". Maybe there should be a dedicated forum on DCUM for this. I really support it. OP - thank you for posting. I would want to know if my baby was being treated anything but wonderfully.

http://isawyournanny.blogspot.com/

[Anonymous]

OP- I am so glad you posted this! I live near Clarendon and I don't think I know Francesca, but if I did I would let her mom know right away.

Last summer, I saw a nanny treating her charge horribly outside Cafe Parisien in the Lee Heights Shopping Center and got a ton of flack for posting it by some DCUM readers saying that I was a stay at home mom with nothing better to do (I am not- I own my own business) and that I was making it up.

I hope that people continue to be supportive of your post. Thank you for looking out for Francesca.

[Anonymous]

this is heartbreaking --- and it gives good nannies such a bad name.
If my daughter were being treated this way, I would be horrified.

I saw a nanny once who treated a young child rudely, and it has always haunted me that I didn't say anything to her.
I think it's so hard to get involved, but next time, I think I will consider saying, "Excuse me, but it is not appropriate to speak to her that way." Let her know she's being watched!

Thank you for this post -- with all the detail you provided, hopefully the mom will hear of this!

[Anonymous]

Why would people get mad at reporting neglectful behavior when caring for a child? I don't understand such a separatist attitude. What happened to "it takes a village" to raise a child? Neglectful child care should be taken to task.

[Anonymous]

I responded to your other post (under the nanny section), but I'll reply here too - so that this post gets bumped up. I've seen this nanny too (around early December) at the same Ann Taylor Loft. She was with another nanny and her charges and they were both behaving pretty much like how the OP has described. They were also there a long time, trying on a lot of clothes. I didn't catch their names, but the nanny sounds very much like the one that OP wrote about.

[Anonymous]

Totally agree with previous posters. We have to help each other out this way. I so hope this little girl's mom sees this. I had a nanny and asked the moms who were at home in my neighborhood to keep an eye out, they were only too glad to do it and not to "tattle" but because they understood you have to put the interests of your child first and leaving them in the care of someone else is very hard, even in the best circumstances.

[Anonymous]

Yikes! How can we find Francesca's parents???? They should really know about this.

[Anonymous]

Is there a Clarendon/Arlington parents' email list? That might be one option.

[Anonymous]

bump

[Anonymous]

OP- how about posting in the general email where people get daily digests? Ask if anyone knows someone whose daughter is francesca- or a moms goroup etc..

[Anonymous]

I would post on MONA - Mom's of North Arlington.

www.monamoms.org

[Anonymous]

OP... can you post this on the listserve mailing list?

[Anonymous]

This is the reason, I'm really scarred to use a nanny vs. day care. At least in a daycare, there are other providers around and the child isn't completely alone with the provider.