Have you ever been mistaken as your child's nanny?

[Anonymous]

Just once, also because of looks. I have dark hair and brown eyes and DS is blue eyed with blond hair. I'm white, so it's not just a mixed race thing. People just are clueless about basic genetics.

[Anonymous]

yes. I also get mistaken for the coat check lady if I stand too close to the coat rack.

[Anonymous]

Never. I'm AA and had a child in my mid 20s. Everyone says she's a clone of me. I have had strangers say that I started too young. Also, I've had people encourage me numerous times to apply for government programs only to become surprised that I'm educated and employed in a professional setting.

As a teenager, I was publicly shamed more than once by older people for having babies as a baby myself while walking with my youngest brother and sister (13 and 14 year age difference between myself and them).

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Granny, yes; nanny, no.

We're moving to the south soon. I had both kids in my forties - I'm totally expecting to get this.

As an older mom, here or out there in the real world, you just have to roll with it. During DS' first year, I got both "granny" and "nanny". The one I especially remember: "He's so cute. Do you watch him?" Do I "watch" him?? Sure do, ma'am, morning noon and night!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Just once, also because of looks. I have dark hair and brown eyes and DS is blue eyed with blond hair. I'm white, so it's not just a mixed race thing. People just are clueless about basic genetics.

+1 Same thing for me.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Believe it or not, my wife, an African-American, has never been (openly) mistaken for the nanny of our 8 year old who looks white, has green eyes and brown hair with blond highlights. We live in DC. Clearly there is something in the way she carries herself and interacts with dd that communicates a parent-child relationship. I'm sure there's some study that has been done on how parents vs caregivers interact with relation to subtle differences in eye contact, touch, tone of voice, etc.

I like to think I 'carry myself' well. However, I am AA and my DD is biracial. I get asked if I am the nanny all the time. Mostly by other AA or African nannies.

[Anonymous]

No. I am Asian mom, kids are half-white and look a lot like me except my elem schooler is almost my height already.

[Anonymous]

I'm a red head and my kids are all blonde(our friends call them the VonTraps). Our nanny is blonde and we are the same age so everyone thinks I'm the nanny. But Irish people are used to being the hired help!

[Anonymous]

Never mistaken as my son's nanny, but I was mistaken as the dog walker when I first moved into DH's house. I had taken a sick day from work, and was sitting on the front porch with my dog, wearing a sweatshirt and no make up. The neighbor came over and asked if I was taking on new dog walking clients.

[Anonymous]

It's hard for me to imagine so many assumptions or that so many people are rude enough to ask. I've had white women show up to teacher's conferences for their Hispanic or Asian child and always just assumed the child is mixed racially since that is so common around here. A few times, I later found out the child was adopted, and I was completely surprised.

[Anonymous]

Granny and nanny. Nanny, interestingly, since I have brown hair and blue eyes and my DS was adopted from India. Almost as odd are the folks who claim I look just like my son. Hmmmm! He has picked up some of my East European cultural mannerisms - maybe that's it.