How to look for a babysitter American moms
'17.08.2019'
Source: 7ya.ru
Who is the most important person in a family with a small child? For New York, it's a nanny. How American mothers are looking for a nanny and who else is needed, in their opinion, to ensure the child's safety and care. The ironic look of two French women, authors of the book "Chicks in New York", leads 7ya.ru.
Search and selection of nannies
When a baby comes to this world, everyone says to themselves that they will not part with him for a minute. After all, it is such a fragile creature, you can’t even walk away from it to the kitchen. This was confirmed by a recent survey conducted among women who came to the rally organized by the International League promoting breastfeeding. Eight hands of twelve rose when the animator asked:
- Who among you visited the toilet with a child in her arms?
No one argues. Baby is something so gentle, touching, you can't take a step without it. Unless, of course, do not take into account one mother who forgot a child in a taxi, thanks to which she became famous on the pages New York Post.
But considering how many sleepless nights she spent near him, she can find an excuse. And as far as we know, this is called maternal amnesia (maternal amnesia). Although for most of us leave your crumb even for a quarter of an hour with strangers is unthinkable. However, after three weeks without sleep, whining seams that don’t want to heal, clothes that you have to buy again, because the baby has a bad habit of regurgitation, Mommy feels so tired and exhausted that she can leave her treasure with a kiosk, selling newspapers on the corner. And at this very moment parents come to a decision to hire a woman who will become the most important figure in your life after baby and Habby. (hubby - diminutive of husband, “Husband”) - let's call this woman Nanni.
During the first conversation, you want to know if she has any experience. Yes, it looks perfect, in fact, nothing to complain about. Although what do we know about it? That she has three children (which means she is more experienced than us), that she has ten fingers with which she swaddles your baby in less than half an hour. (We also have ten, but we do not know how to use them.) That she sleeps 8 hours a day. It's enough?
- Ok, I'm hiring you.
When Habby returns from work, he is embraced by doubts. He’s shocked by Nanny’s fake nails that look worse than the vampire’s teeth. And when she changes diapers, he exclaims:
- Be careful, you can scratch the baby!
In the end, it turns out: Nanni is not the best candidate for this position. If she is not sick, then she is late every day, and she has not three adult children, as she claimed, but five, two of which are quite small. Taking all this into account, you can say that you are not lucky.
The next stage begins: recruitment. There is one very good way: to give a small announcement. Directory City Baby (Bible for New York parents) recommends placing an ad in Irish echo (Irish newspaper).
The prospect of having a red-haired babysitter with pretty freckles on her face seems seductive. She will probably have eleven brothers and sisters, and she will take care of the baby, like her own child, will be faithful and faithful. But on the other hand, the New York Irish women have long said goodbye to their aprons for the sake of more lucrative work (especially since the Irish are in quantitative terms the largest contingent of lottery winners on the green card).
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If you do post an ad in Irish echo, be prepared for the fact that during the week your phone will ring without stopping for a second, and you will get the impression that the people of the Caribbean, Philippines, Brazil, Pakistan and Peru have no other business but to get through to you. The messages on the answering machine will follow one after the other. And voices with a wide variety of accents will make you believe that you have traveled around the world in your chair: accents like Bob Marley, Salma Hayek, like Bollywood ... the choice is yours. Before you will parade both the best (Mimi, 35 years old, impeccable recommendations, a nurse's diploma in her pocket, during the conversation she changed diapers for your baby, and within five minutes he fell asleep in her arms), and the worst (Cindy, is a member of the sect " Jehovah's Witnesses ”, was indignant at your lack of moral foundations because you vaccinated the baby).
Select among 400 candidates who responded to the ad - hellish work. It is impossible, of course, to talk with each of them and interview each of them. A baby would have already entered university while you were stomping around. In this case, one thing remains - to rely on intuition.
Some resort to other technologies, and acquire “nanniks” to help instincts. Nannikam is a covert surveillance camera that can be hidden in the ear of a teddy bear and will continuously record your assistant without her knowledge. Although the new object of worship for many families is no bigger than a thimble, it will tell you everything you would like to know about your Nanni.
The paranoia of the parents has reached such an extent that the hidden camera, previously used exclusively by investigative journalists and gangsters, has become a hit. Although in New York the law allows its use, disputes in society do not subside. Some are delighted with her, while others say that if a nanny is suspected and spying on her, then is it not better to completely refuse her services.
By the way. After paying a certain amount, you can contact the detective agency with a request that they conduct a full investigation of your candidacy. In a day you will have the addresses of her previous residences, a criminal record, the names of the former employers - in short, you will receive all of her past, written in black and white.
If your relationship with Nanny is having difficult days, don't despair or give up. Sign it up for a seminar that includes, among others, the following topics: “How to motivate your nanny?”, “How to become friends and organize children's parties together”, “Selection of games and developmental activities for a child depending on his age”.
Nanny and her problems
Problems associated with nannies are among the most pressing and discussed topics in the city. Perhaps this is the most urgent problem, and therefore the book Nanny Diaries (“The Nanny's Diary”) Emma McLaughlin and Nikola Kraus were a great success. As students, the authors worked as nannies for 8 years and spoke in an ironic tone, without hiding anything, about their experience of Mary Poppins. Readers were mesmerized by their book, which opened up the backstage of the hard work of caring for a child on the Upper East Side.
The largest squads of nannies arrive in New York from the islands of the Caribbean: from Jamaica, Barbados, Trinidad and Saint Lucia. All the girls have bright, sunny names: Keisha, Chandra, Anita, Philippia, Olivia or Sayre. They speak with a long island accent, have rounded shapes and luxurious hair.
After they receive all the necessary vaccinations, they become full members of the family. Without them, the careers of New Yorkers would not be so dizzy, their personal lives would be less successful, some dreams and ambitions could not be realized and, after all, they simply would not have time to correct the manicure. And women are aware that by taking a nanny to work, they become not only employers for her, but also social consultants.
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In a city where there are almost no preschool institutions for children, the payment of babysitting services is a heavy burden on many parents. But every time you see your baby with a blissful smile running up to Tata or Fifi (that is, to Nanni), you go to work with peace of mind (even if you have a heavy heart) to get involved in the most risky projects ( such as writing a book about women in New York), and you tell yourself that the game is worth the trouble and that it is better to help her buy a green card, buy a plane ticket on the route New York - Barbados for her son to carry her on Sundays to Brooklyn in her church, to help her get a secondary image Nia and give a good prize at the end of the year.
Conversation overheard in the gym
Arriving at the gym, I went to the exercise bikes. All of them were busy, except for one. To the right and left of the free simulator, two chicks, as it seemed to me, were pedaling. I asked myself why they didn’t choose two vehicles standing side by side - such bad luck being between them! Birds flip phrases over my head, as if I did not exist.
Involuntarily, I was forced to listen to their chatter, and this time my Walkman I did not need.
Eva, a chick on the right, a blonde with a flawless manicure, asks her friend Lisa, a brunette with a ponytail on her head:
“Do you know Katie?”
- Whom?
“Well, remember that girl who does Pilates with us and has a floor mat from Prada.
- Oh, yes, of course!
“She also just gave birth to her second child.”
- And does she have time for 3 to go to the gym once a week ?!
- You know, she was fabulously lucky, she has a nanny living with her. And therefore, to leave home is not a problem for her. Gymnastics, dinners, restaurants, cinemas.
- Well, she was lucky!
- Yes, I almost died of envy ... Although in the past month she had one trouble.
- And what?
- Her husband died of a heart attack.
- Hell! This is a real tragedy!
- No, because she has a nanny who works full time, it means everything is more or less normal.
- Yes, lucky!
- Lisa, how many calories did you burn?
Profession: Child Safety Expert
Who willingly will endanger the child? Nobody, but to make sure your child is safe, hire a child safety expert. And just as there are “ghostbusters”, there are babyroofers, whose main specialty is scrupulously combing your home (like a comb) to make sure your baby is not exposed to any risks.
The first visit, which includes a detailed inspection of the surrounding area, will cost from fifty to one hundred dollars:
"No, my dear, keeping your husband's saw among your child's toys is not a good idea!" And, as our girlfriend, a lover of figurative expressions, would say: “Well, Sherlock has covered everything, now we have nothing to worry about!”.
Although in fairness it should be noted that if the baby falls - and this happens in any case - he can injure himself. But if you hear it from the mouth of a professional, you will give him more importance.
After the inspection, the beebrufer will offer you to minimize all risks. Install safety latch on the doors of the cabinets, upholster the corners of the tables with a soft cloth, make inaccessible for small curious fingers electrical outlets. Estimates for a two-room apartment will cost about two hundred dollars. Although all this does not guarantee a quiet life, and you will still be watching what the baby is doing. Because caution does not happen much.
