We Hired “Quiet” Because the Last One Wasn’t.
She was quiet, that was Caroline’s first impression of Helen. And her aunt was with her; they had driven all the way down from Seattle to visit the aunt’s daughter, who was a nanny.
As the aunt and Caroline talked, Caroline reflected that Helen had two points in her favor. Her cousin was a nanny so she would know at least secondhand what the job was all about. And she did seem to come from a nice family; her aunt was delightful.
The first nanny had been a professional baby nurse who they felt was too domineering. Maybe a young, inexperienced, but sweet and loving girl was what they really needed, Caroline decided.
She hired Helen on the spot. When she told her the job started in two weeks because the family was leaving on a ten day vacation shortly, Helen’s face fell. She was here. Where would she stay in the meantime?
Caroline recalls her decision: “I thought, so what’s two weeks’ extra salary the the risk of leaving a perfect stranger in your house while you’re away? Perhaps it was the sleep deprivation, or the trust I somehow felt in the aunt, but I agreed.
Helen could move in right away, and get the ‘hang’ of the area while we were away. After all, how much harm could she do? She was new to the area. And besides, she could substitute for our regular house sitter and feed the cats while we were away. We could even save the car fare to and from the airport. Helen could drive us.
“We called several times while we were on vacation. Once the phone was answered. Helen said all was well. There were no details, but then again, one of the reasons we had hired her was that she was quiet.
We really didn’t begin to panic until we arrived back and had been waiting at the airport curb for thirty minutes. No Helen. No answer when we called home. We were just entering a cab about half an hour later, when our car came screeching to the curb.
It was Helen. Very apologetic. She had gotten lost. In Oakland. A city fifty miles away. And why had she been there? Well, the answer to that also answered why there was no child seat in the car.
She had to remove the seat to fit her friends who needed a ride to Oakland. And she had gotten lost because she had not been able to figure out the lights in the car.
“Friends? That was fast. Lights? But it was daylight now. Well, that was last night. And since she didn’t know how to work the lights she thought the prudent thing to do was not to drive in the dark. Then all we got was quiet. Well, that had ben her strong point.”
Was everything okay at home? the Suttons asked Helen not a little anxiously.
“Sure,” Helen replied calmy. “Of course, there was a little trouble with the garage door, and I don’t know what happened with the shelf in your closet, but I’m sure they’ll be easy to fix. Diane is trying to fix it now.”
“Diane?” the Suttons asked in escalating panic.
“Oh, you know about Diane, my cousin the nanny. She got fired just after you left, so I figured since the house was empty and all, you wouldn’t mind if she stayed with me while she looked for a job.
The people she worked for were very wierd. They never let her have any friends over and when they found the baby asleep without a diaper on, they didn’t believe her when she said she had put him to sleep in the crib fully dressed. She knows all about children. She’ll be a big help teaching me and she won’t charge you a cent.”
By now it was the Suttons who were speechless. They didn’t even comment when they drove into the driveway and saw the entire garage door off the hinges and hanging sideways.
The cats raced to their sides as they opened the car and mewed in sheer delight. Maybe it was their imaginations but they thought the cats seemed to be saying they hadn’t been fed in a week.
The Suttons never did figure out how the shelf in their closet collapsed. They had no idea about how a man’s wallet full of IDs but no cash got under the master bed, but since they have no proof and only theory, they wouldn’t share their thoughts.
The cousin was rushing around trying to clean up as they entered. She too was quiet and seemed sweet. But I guess by his point the Suttons decided quiet and sweet was not enough.
The cousin, Diane, coaxed, “Let me feed the baby,” as they walked in. She placed him in his highchair and covered him with a bib. She then said “Boo” and shoved the food into his surprised, but opened mouth. At that point, the Suttons decided they had had enough.
“Helen’s parting words to us,” Caroline finishes, “were, ‘Well, it was only a summer job anyway. I’m going back to school in August."
"You said you wanted someone to stay at least a year, so I wasn’t sure how to tell you. But you’ve made it easier for me. Thanks for letting me see the area. The shops are great and I found a cool restaurant that probably needs waitresses so I’ll be fine.’”
"the Good Nanny Book" by P. Michele Raffin
theSam!! rolls on the floor laughing.
I'm still looking through my old collection of 3.5" discs.
When I was in Seattle I saved lots of emails, letters, articles from the Net onto my small collection of discs.
For a few short months starting in 1996 I started to watch the children of some Church friends. It was fun! I love children so much.
I had 2 little mischievous boys to look after and they had a little sister on the Way. Later on this little girl would be the defining moment in my temporary entry into the Nanny/Childcare field.
How can one little person be a Defining Moment? Well, that depends upon what you define as a defining moment. But I say "defining moment" in the context of; a series of "moments" that when combined and looked upon as a Whole-you have one moment.
??????
One morning after the Parents had delivered over 400+ newspapers from 0400hrs till 0700hrs. The Dad went to work in his nice downtown office and the Mom went upstairs to the master bedroom to sleep till noon.
I watched the children on the ground floor part of the massive split level Town house. This place was a castle. It had a two car garage, the front lawn was huge and the back yard was fenced in for privacy.
For those few short months that eventually stretched into a couple of years, 4 to be exact. Each day was Groundhog day. Numbing, uneventful and yet unforgetable. Those years were the best time of my life.
And it was somewhere amongst the days and weeks of this experience when one of my little charges. I think it was the little girl. In fact I'm sure that it was her, that got into my Cosmetology "War bag" and found a pair of $100 Yusita Ice forged- drop tempered cutting shears (scissors) and decided to whisk them through her hair.
She was an Angel. A blonde haired blue eyed gal that was the funnest person to be in charge of anyone that watched her. Believe me, she was In Charge just like her beautiful Mommy.
"Uh oh" I said to myself. As I saw my cute charge admiring her handiwork in a small hand mirror she was clutching in her pink hands. Smiles, smiles, smiles and hoppity hop in joy.
I had a few hours that day to dress up in shirt and tie and drive to Seattle and work in an upscale beauty salon. I had placed my War bag by the front door and stepped away into the kitchen.
Stepped away from my gear bag for just a minute or so and returned in time to see a handful of long blonde locks fall to the floor.
"I didn't do it!" I quickly blurted out.
"wwhat?!" replied the Mom from upstairs. I repeated the statement again and grabbed my bag, hustled out the door and drove down I-5 to make some $.
Children can get into Anything. Nothing is Child-proof. Things can be "child resistant" but not ever "child proof" as I found out that morning.
I had a small roll-out bundle that held all my clean combs, my 4 shears, the styling razors, the battery powered trimmer detailer and various hair clips not to mention the "Tuxedo" themed nylon cape that I made for my clients. And that roll-out bundle was tied shut tightly.
Even the Tuxedo cape was on the floor at the little girls feet. Her gold locks on display like jewelery in one of those expensive bauble stores.
I got a chuckle out of many ladies from them having to put on the Tux for hair services. When I got into bikini waxing and day-spa wet work services I didn't make any neat coverings for my ladies to wear, perhaps I should have.
What a day that was when I returned from salon work in Seattle later that night.
Mom and Dad were irritated and amused at the new hair style worn by their young daughter. A style done by HER with MY shears.
Kids are kids.
I'm still in shock from having to watch another little girl one morning a few months later. "Hurricane Hailey" is what I dubbed this child. I should have gotten a clue from the pleading way her mother asked me to watch her for a few hours along with my 3 regular charges. Should have slammed the door and run away screaming.
4 of the Apocalypse!
She broke my tv, got into my books and clothes in my sleeping room. She unwound an entire video cassette tape, played in the water in the Master bath and got everything wet.
When I am fully recovered and can face this memory with eyes wide open and not from behind a scrunched up pillow while cowering in the corner-I'll relate in detail some more from my time spent watching children.
Those were the best years of my life.
theSam!!
As the aunt and Caroline talked, Caroline reflected that Helen had two points in her favor. Her cousin was a nanny so she would know at least secondhand what the job was all about. And she did seem to come from a nice family; her aunt was delightful.
The first nanny had been a professional baby nurse who they felt was too domineering. Maybe a young, inexperienced, but sweet and loving girl was what they really needed, Caroline decided.
She hired Helen on the spot. When she told her the job started in two weeks because the family was leaving on a ten day vacation shortly, Helen’s face fell. She was here. Where would she stay in the meantime?
Caroline recalls her decision: “I thought, so what’s two weeks’ extra salary the the risk of leaving a perfect stranger in your house while you’re away? Perhaps it was the sleep deprivation, or the trust I somehow felt in the aunt, but I agreed.
Helen could move in right away, and get the ‘hang’ of the area while we were away. After all, how much harm could she do? She was new to the area. And besides, she could substitute for our regular house sitter and feed the cats while we were away. We could even save the car fare to and from the airport. Helen could drive us.
“We called several times while we were on vacation. Once the phone was answered. Helen said all was well. There were no details, but then again, one of the reasons we had hired her was that she was quiet.
We really didn’t begin to panic until we arrived back and had been waiting at the airport curb for thirty minutes. No Helen. No answer when we called home. We were just entering a cab about half an hour later, when our car came screeching to the curb.
It was Helen. Very apologetic. She had gotten lost. In Oakland. A city fifty miles away. And why had she been there? Well, the answer to that also answered why there was no child seat in the car.
She had to remove the seat to fit her friends who needed a ride to Oakland. And she had gotten lost because she had not been able to figure out the lights in the car.
“Friends? That was fast. Lights? But it was daylight now. Well, that was last night. And since she didn’t know how to work the lights she thought the prudent thing to do was not to drive in the dark. Then all we got was quiet. Well, that had ben her strong point.”
Was everything okay at home? the Suttons asked Helen not a little anxiously.
“Sure,” Helen replied calmy. “Of course, there was a little trouble with the garage door, and I don’t know what happened with the shelf in your closet, but I’m sure they’ll be easy to fix. Diane is trying to fix it now.”
“Diane?” the Suttons asked in escalating panic.
“Oh, you know about Diane, my cousin the nanny. She got fired just after you left, so I figured since the house was empty and all, you wouldn’t mind if she stayed with me while she looked for a job.
The people she worked for were very wierd. They never let her have any friends over and when they found the baby asleep without a diaper on, they didn’t believe her when she said she had put him to sleep in the crib fully dressed. She knows all about children. She’ll be a big help teaching me and she won’t charge you a cent.”
By now it was the Suttons who were speechless. They didn’t even comment when they drove into the driveway and saw the entire garage door off the hinges and hanging sideways.
The cats raced to their sides as they opened the car and mewed in sheer delight. Maybe it was their imaginations but they thought the cats seemed to be saying they hadn’t been fed in a week.
The Suttons never did figure out how the shelf in their closet collapsed. They had no idea about how a man’s wallet full of IDs but no cash got under the master bed, but since they have no proof and only theory, they wouldn’t share their thoughts.
The cousin was rushing around trying to clean up as they entered. She too was quiet and seemed sweet. But I guess by his point the Suttons decided quiet and sweet was not enough.
The cousin, Diane, coaxed, “Let me feed the baby,” as they walked in. She placed him in his highchair and covered him with a bib. She then said “Boo” and shoved the food into his surprised, but opened mouth. At that point, the Suttons decided they had had enough.
“Helen’s parting words to us,” Caroline finishes, “were, ‘Well, it was only a summer job anyway. I’m going back to school in August."
"You said you wanted someone to stay at least a year, so I wasn’t sure how to tell you. But you’ve made it easier for me. Thanks for letting me see the area. The shops are great and I found a cool restaurant that probably needs waitresses so I’ll be fine.’”
"the Good Nanny Book" by P. Michele Raffin
theSam!! rolls on the floor laughing.
I'm still looking through my old collection of 3.5" discs.
When I was in Seattle I saved lots of emails, letters, articles from the Net onto my small collection of discs.
For a few short months starting in 1996 I started to watch the children of some Church friends. It was fun! I love children so much.
I had 2 little mischievous boys to look after and they had a little sister on the Way. Later on this little girl would be the defining moment in my temporary entry into the Nanny/Childcare field.
How can one little person be a Defining Moment? Well, that depends upon what you define as a defining moment. But I say "defining moment" in the context of; a series of "moments" that when combined and looked upon as a Whole-you have one moment.
??????
One morning after the Parents had delivered over 400+ newspapers from 0400hrs till 0700hrs. The Dad went to work in his nice downtown office and the Mom went upstairs to the master bedroom to sleep till noon.
I watched the children on the ground floor part of the massive split level Town house. This place was a castle. It had a two car garage, the front lawn was huge and the back yard was fenced in for privacy.
For those few short months that eventually stretched into a couple of years, 4 to be exact. Each day was Groundhog day. Numbing, uneventful and yet unforgetable. Those years were the best time of my life.
And it was somewhere amongst the days and weeks of this experience when one of my little charges. I think it was the little girl. In fact I'm sure that it was her, that got into my Cosmetology "War bag" and found a pair of $100 Yusita Ice forged- drop tempered cutting shears (scissors) and decided to whisk them through her hair.
She was an Angel. A blonde haired blue eyed gal that was the funnest person to be in charge of anyone that watched her. Believe me, she was In Charge just like her beautiful Mommy.
"Uh oh" I said to myself. As I saw my cute charge admiring her handiwork in a small hand mirror she was clutching in her pink hands. Smiles, smiles, smiles and hoppity hop in joy.
I had a few hours that day to dress up in shirt and tie and drive to Seattle and work in an upscale beauty salon. I had placed my War bag by the front door and stepped away into the kitchen.
Stepped away from my gear bag for just a minute or so and returned in time to see a handful of long blonde locks fall to the floor.
"I didn't do it!" I quickly blurted out.
"wwhat?!" replied the Mom from upstairs. I repeated the statement again and grabbed my bag, hustled out the door and drove down I-5 to make some $.
Children can get into Anything. Nothing is Child-proof. Things can be "child resistant" but not ever "child proof" as I found out that morning.
I had a small roll-out bundle that held all my clean combs, my 4 shears, the styling razors, the battery powered trimmer detailer and various hair clips not to mention the "Tuxedo" themed nylon cape that I made for my clients. And that roll-out bundle was tied shut tightly.
Even the Tuxedo cape was on the floor at the little girls feet. Her gold locks on display like jewelery in one of those expensive bauble stores.
I got a chuckle out of many ladies from them having to put on the Tux for hair services. When I got into bikini waxing and day-spa wet work services I didn't make any neat coverings for my ladies to wear, perhaps I should have.
What a day that was when I returned from salon work in Seattle later that night.
Mom and Dad were irritated and amused at the new hair style worn by their young daughter. A style done by HER with MY shears.
Kids are kids.
I'm still in shock from having to watch another little girl one morning a few months later. "Hurricane Hailey" is what I dubbed this child. I should have gotten a clue from the pleading way her mother asked me to watch her for a few hours along with my 3 regular charges. Should have slammed the door and run away screaming.
4 of the Apocalypse!
She broke my tv, got into my books and clothes in my sleeping room. She unwound an entire video cassette tape, played in the water in the Master bath and got everything wet.
When I am fully recovered and can face this memory with eyes wide open and not from behind a scrunched up pillow while cowering in the corner-I'll relate in detail some more from my time spent watching children.
Those were the best years of my life.
theSam!!
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