My son and his mother go to the neighborhood library a few times a week. It’s his opportunity to pick out the books that he wants to read. Since we don’t have cable, he may also borrow a Blues Clues or Dora DVD. What I’ve noticed is that he mostly checks out books that are also a TV show. Marc Brown books are always on hand, among several others. This practice annoys me a tad bit more than it should. I don’t hate his choices because they are his, and he actually reads them. But that didn’t stop me from going to the children’s section of the library near my job that I like to visit during my break to search for some kiddie literature.
After checking out a couple of memoirs for myself I decided to go in search of books that I would? like to see my boy read. That’s when I stumbled upon the bad nannies. Apparently Manhattan nannies take kids to the library (and Barnes and Noble) during the day, which is probably a good thing. However they let them run amok which is bad. Now, I know some of you are thinking that the kids were in the children’s room so they should be allowed to roam free, and I somewhat agree. But do remember that the library is a public space and a one year old should not be free enough to crawl between my feet. I didn’t even see that little dude!
Next, as I reached for a book on a low shelf, another little kid walked under my arm and then started to circle me. He walked around me until he bored and walked off. To top it off (and this is what truly pissed me off, the kids were actually kind of funny) when I was squatting down in front of a bookshelf reading the titles a nanny plopped herself directly in between me and the books, blocking me out. Mind you I was close to the books, so that lady was darn near in my lap. She sat a baby on the floor next to her and started to read aloud the titles that I was perusing until she got there. And what the hell was that smell? Isn’t the nanny paid to change diapers? Seriously what did that kid have for lunch? I grabbed a book featuring D.W. and ran for the door.
I get that you don’t usually see 225 pound black men in the kids section of the library looking for bedtime stories in the middle of the day, but that doesn’t mean that I wasn’t there. For being rude, not monitoring your charges (I could have been a sicko), not changing that smelly little one, and generally making nannies look bad – Bad Nannies from the library consider yourselves Black
I hear sound-effects when I read the last line, like something Law and Order-ish. Is that normal?
OK, that REALLY makes me MAD! Yes the library is a public place and yes you WERE in the kids section, but she should have had a tighter reign on those kids. I really HOPE every last one of them were in her SIGHT at ALL times. If she was my nanny she would have been SO fired.
Yes, that whole “I don’t see you, so you must not be there” routine really burns me too. And it’s not just nannies.
Not long ago, I was in the bookstore with my son and had a mother and her son walk right in front us and just stand there, as if they didn’t see us browsing the shelves. Ho “excuse me.” No, “I’m sorry, were you looking there?” No nothing.
Now, had I smack her in the head or snatched her purse, I betcha she would have been able to describe every spot and freckle on my face . . .
Some people are just rude and idiots to boot!
You should try the Barnes & Noble in Park Slope. You would have a heart attack and no doubt, walk away with some child’s snotty nose remnants on your pants.
http://isawyournanny.blogspot.com/2007/11/b-on-7th-in-park-slope-ny.html
I love Black[dad] listed – this is great!