Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:It wouldn't be rude to ask them to speak in English, but I do notice that people seem to prefer to speak in their native tongues more than English which irks me to death.

After all, this IS America, right??

Uh, a person's native tongue will always be the most comfortable for them. What is so wrong with communicating with their fellow expats in the language they can best express themselves in?

But OP, yes, what they are doing is rude. I'm on the west coast and experience the same thing. The foreign nannies have their clique and I'm not welcome in it, so like PP I talk mostly to parents and avoid disclosing my job until after they've gotten comfortable with talking to me as an equal

+1 Like OP, most of the nannies in my area are foreign (Eastern European in fact) and are a hard clique to break in to...and by the way they act with their charges, not often one I would like to. Most people assume I am the kids mom and very rarely outright ask. Of course I correct people who call me mom, but up to that point I let them think what they want.
The conversations tend to end pretty abruptly if is starts out with "Nope, I'm the nanny!".

Anonymous wrote:It wouldn't be rude to ask them to speak in English, but I do notice that people seem to prefer to speak in their native tongues more than English which irks me to death.

After all, this IS America, right??

Uh, a person's native tongue will always be the most comfortable for them. What is so wrong with communicating with their fellow expats in the language they can best express themselves in?

But OP, yes, what they are doing is rude. I'm on the west coast and experience the same thing. The foreign nannies have their clique and I'm not welcome in it, so like PP I talk mostly to parents and avoid disclosing my job until after they've gotten comfortable with talking to me as an equal

Anonymous wrote:I have the same problem in NY!!! I have to associate with these immigrant nannies. Not by choice, but because my kids parents set up these playdates and send them to a school were there are only these immigrant nannies.

I am the only American, probably the only college educated one (Early Childhood Education and physics) and a career nanny. I don't speak another language (Yes, I feel awful). I have to dress nice and presentable for work, it's required by bosses. I work for very high net worth people. And my bosses have wealthy friends. But as it turns out, everyone of the nannies I have to surround my self with are foreign. And they all stick together. They are very polite and sweet to me, but they also seem to not want to be friendly with me. They treat me like they treat their bosses, not like one of their equals. We have nothing in common I guess.

The mothers also don't talk to me, because I'm just a nanny . It is an odd situation. I wish I can meet the OP & NY PP's who are in the same boat.

this is why i don't reveal I'm a nanny. I don't lie, but I might avoid the topic on occasion.

I have the same problem in NY!!! I have to associate with these immigrant nannies. Not by choice, but because my kids parents set up these playdates and send them to a school were there are only these immigrant nannies.

I am the only American, probably the only college educated one (Early Childhood Education and physics) and a career nanny. I don't speak another language (Yes, I feel awful). I have to dress nice and presentable for work, it's required by bosses. I work for very high net worth people. And my bosses have wealthy friends. But as it turns out, everyone of the nannies I have to surround my self with are foreign. And they all stick together. They are very polite and sweet to me, but they also seem to not want to be friendly with me. They treat me like they treat their bosses, not like one of their equals. We have nothing in common I guess.

The mothers also don't talk to me, because I'm just a nanny. It is an odd situation. I wish I can meet the OP & NY PP's who are in the same boat.

It wouldn't be rude to ask them to speak in English, but I do notice that people seem to prefer to speak in their native tongues more than English which irks me to death.

After all, this IS America, right??