True story: Our former nanny used to work just Monday through Thursday and I would care for my daughter on Fridays. We all used to go to one of those Gymboree places for class and open play. One day, a mother came up to me, laughing, and said, “I thought you were the nanny and she [nanny]was the mom so I told her ‘your nanny never pays attention to your child and is on her phone constantly’. Your nanny told me that she was the nanny and you were the mother!” The woman thought this was hysterically funny!

I have to say that the vast majority of nannies I used to know (pre-covid) were all engaged and happy to play with their kids - and the other nannies kids which was most charming. They always used to include my DD, too.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:It was also assumed I was the nanny and when I'd take my kids to the playground I'd let them loose and say, "Go run and play!" and sit down on the side. At LEAST half a dozen times people told me what a shitty nanny I was and how if they knew the parents they would let them know how i treated the kids.

Sounds like you should have been more involved then.

Why? They didn't know I was a single mother and spent ALL day, EVERY day with my kids. They didn't know this was my version of giving myself a break. They didn't know we'd come from the library where we'd spent two hours reading books and playing, and before that we'd been home coloring and playing puppet show and playing hide and seek with their stuffed animals. Why shouldn't I give myself a 20 minute break from talking to a 2 or 3 yr old?

Because 2 or 3 year olds NEED supervision on a playground. Don't tell me you can sit on the bench while your 2 year old runs off...4 maybe.

By 2.5 my children could absolutely handle themselves at a toddler playground or the playgrounds for small kids (some playgrounds are big and are divided into big/little sides). Maybe if you didn't helicopter so much, your kids would learn to do that also.

+1000

We moved out of the DC area and the first thing I noticed in our new town was how NO parent hovered on the playground. Everyone stayed off to the side and *gasp* talked to other parents. We watched, but from afar.
HUGE difference from DC where everyone gave me the stink eye when I’d sit down and let my kids PLAY.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:It was also assumed I was the nanny and when I'd take my kids to the playground I'd let them loose and say, "Go run and play!" and sit down on the side. At LEAST half a dozen times people told me what a shitty nanny I was and how if they knew the parents they would let them know how i treated the kids.

Sounds like you should have been more involved then.

Why? They didn't know I was a single mother and spent ALL day, EVERY day with my kids. They didn't know this was my version of giving myself a break. They didn't know we'd come from the library where we'd spent two hours reading books and playing, and before that we'd been home coloring and playing puppet show and playing hide and seek with their stuffed animals. Why shouldn't I give myself a 20 minute break from talking to a 2 or 3 yr old?

Because 2 or 3 year olds NEED supervision on a playground. Don't tell me you can sit on the bench while your 2 year old runs off...4 maybe.

By 2.5 my children could absolutely handle themselves at a toddler playground or the playgrounds for small kids (some playgrounds are big and are divided into big/little sides). Maybe if you didn't helicopter so much, your kids would learn to do that also.