The Nannies at the Park

I'm on the neighborhood list serve so I can "keep on top of things."

A couple of this week's posts made me stop and think.  And I'd like to start off by saying that I'm not anti-Nanny, but as a Mother who spends a lot of time at the park, I do agree with these comments. 

I'm not saying all Nannies are bad.  They are not.  I am also not trying to generalize (in fact I met a great Nanny just this morning).  But there are a lot of negligent care takers out there and I'm sure the parents who employ them would be horrified at the lack of care and attention being directed to their children.  Just something to think about.

From the list serve:

Re: NANNIES @ TURTLE PARK

Are you confident that your Nanny is properly caring for you child?

I have been taking my grandchildren to Turtle Park this spring and summer. I have been overwhelmed at the poor quality of child care being provided to the young children who come to the park with their nannies. I have been hesitant to post something, but today after observing a nanny hitting a child, a nanny talking on her cell phone unaware that her charge had fallen & was crying and a child open the gate and leave the area without being noticed by the nanny, I am posting this asking families to make unannounced visits to Turtle Park at a time your child and nanny plan to be there.

I am a retired Early Childhood Educator with over 35 years experience. I would fire many of the care providers I have observed this summer. They are regularly completely distracted by their cell phone conversations or their adult group conversations.

I hope that you can find a time to observe and ensure that your little ones are receiving the quality of care you are expecting.

Re: NANNIES @ TURTLE PARK

I've seen the exact same thing and would be horrified for most of the the local Nannies I've witnessed to care after our child.

While at Turtle Park some weeks ago, I saw a toddler vomiting in to the side of the sandbox while his Nanny continued talking on the phone; almost like she couldn't be bothered to attend to him.

Crazy

Just Driving Home Minding Our Own Business

*****WARNING: This is a rather disturbing post which discusses Anti-Choice Activists*****

Despite the fact I have a graduate degree in political science, I am not one to get into political arguments.  I figure people will believe what they believe and there's no point in me wasting my time trying to convince them that I am right and they are wrong.  Too each their own unless it hurts me or my family.

That is part of the reason I was SO DISGUSTED today as we drove by a large truck with HUGE photos of aborted fetuses all over it.  It was obviously carrying the anti-abortion message, but in an excruciatingly graphic manner.  I just don't think this kind of thing is necessary and I found it very offensive.

The reason I got so upset is because the babe pointed at the truck as I tried to speed by it and started asking questions about it.  "Mama, did you see that truck?" she said.  "What was that?"  As she was talking, I realized the truck was only the beginning.  There were about 15 people on the side of the road with very large posters of aborted fetuses at various stages of development.  The light ahead turned red and I was stuck.

I was panicking.  Somehow, the babe was managing to look at me and not at all these crazy people on her side of the car (I had switched to the furthest lane possible at this point).  I tried to keep her attention on my side of the car so she wouldn't clue into what was going on outside our windows. 

I wimped out and told her I hadn't noticed the truck and asked her what she had seen (I was trying to assess the damage that had been done in her little brain).  She told me she thought is was pictures of a toy bug or something.  I made the "hmmmmm" sound and said that perhaps she was right.  The light turned green and I sped off as fast as I could.

I felt like my children and I had somehow been abused.  It was just not right to have such large and disturbing images out in the open like that.  I almost rolled down my window to yell something like "I have children in the car, you freaks," but held myself back.  I didn't want to make matters worse for my innocent little babes.

I suppose this is all part of living in a free society, but this subject matter is not something I want my children exposed to right now.  I'm just grateful the situation turned out as well as it did.  The babe could have noticed a lot more and could have had a lot more questions running through her very active mind.

An Anniversary of Another Kind

A year ago today my Mom arrived from Ottawa.  She had flown down with a day's notice because I needed her.  We had just experienced one of the most frightening nights of our lives and my Mom knew it.  I didn't have to ask her for help.  She just offered to come, and I accepted.

On the 4th of July, 2009, I walked into the little guy's room to find an oscillating fan on fire, a room filled with noxious smoke, and my screaming 6 month old baby boy stuck in his crib.  It is an image I will never forget.  I can not believe a year has gone by since that day. I really tried my best not to dwell on it over this past weekend, but a one year anniversary of something so disturbing can not be forgotten.

My husband said we should take the opportunity to be thankful on the 4th because the little guy made it out of that room OK and the fire didn't spread to the rest of our house.  I agree that we should celebrate our good fortune, but I also find myself asking, "what if."  I try not to go there in my head, but sometimes I can't help it.

I wanted to share a few photos with you.  It's not that I think you aren't following proper safety protocol in your home, it's that I want everyone to remember that bad things can happen and we need to be as aware and alert as possible when it comes to our kids and their safety.

I've said it before, and I'm going to say it again:

Please install a smoke detector IN your child's bedroom.

Do not fully close your young child's bedroom door.

Have a working fire extinguisher on EVERY floor of your home.

As parents we do our best.  But it helps to learn from other's mistakes, and this is a mistake I don't want anyone else to make.

Shrek Glass Recall

We never go to fast food places with the kids.  In that way, food allergies have been a blessing in disguise.  My kids just don't understand what a Happy Meal is.

However, a few weeks ago, after we all picked up soil at the gardening center, we were driving back home and made an abrupt decision to pick up a cold drink at the golden arches drive through.  They just happened to be selling Shrek themed glasses promoting the new movie.  I got a huge rush of nostalgia as I remembered the days my family used to collect themed glasses from fast food restaurants.  I convinced my husband we should get one for the babe.

It seemed like a lovely Puss in Boots glass. Very solid and a nice addition to our rather uninspired glass collection.

Then I get an email from my husband yesterday with a link to an article.  There is a recall on the Shrek themed McDonald's glasses because the paint contains a carcinogen, cadmium, which can cause bone and kidney problems in children.  REALLY?  Is anything safe?  I just wanted to get my kid a Shrek glass for crying out loud.

So I suppose that will be hitting the garbage.  That's what we get for breaking down and supporting the evil empire.

Looks like we have Rep. Jackie Spier (D-CA) to thank for this recall.

For additional information, contact McDonald's at (800) 244-6227 or visit the Consumer Product Safety Commission.

Sun Smarts

Last week I had 3 biopsies done. I had never been to a dermatologist before but was slightly concerned about a few odd things (a regular colored bump on my forehead and 2 reddish marks-one on my clavicle and one on my shoulder).

I expected him to have a look and tell me to put some cream on them or something.

Instead he did 3 biopsies. Yikes, I thought to myself. He told me he though they were basal cell carcinoma. That's the big "C" word you don't want to hear.

Last Tuesday, a week after my visit with the skin doc, it was confirmed. My neck and my shoulder have basal cell carcinoma and I am going to have to have them surgically removed when I get home. I was reassured by the nurse on the phone that this is the "best" kind of skin cancer to get...if you're going to get it that is.

It is indeed very common and many Caucasians will have a run in with it during their life time...just not normally in their early 30s. I have been told I need to be extremely careful with the sun and need to go for regular appointments with a dermatologist. I have worn a hat in the sun for years and always wear a facial moisturizer with a built in sun screen. I have never been a sun worshipper and am not the kind of person who lies in the sun to relax. My situation is a result of a life time of sun exposure combined with very fair skin. Apparently we get approximately 80% of our sun exposure from age 0-18.

So, for all you Mamas who hang outside at the park and in the yard with your kids, put your hat on and slather on up with some strong sun screen. It is never too late to start protecting yourself. And even more important, slather up those kiddies as we Mamas are the ones responsible for their very fragile and very beautiful skin.

Fear and Love

My husband and I started watching Heroes this weekend. I must admit I'm enjoying it, although last night it brought out a strong reaction in me. It got me to thinking about how much I love my daughter and how I want to protect her from this crazy world. There are so many bad people and bad things that can enter your life when you least expect it. I went to bed with a million scary thoughts swirling in my head. Irrational? Yes, I must admit I was being a bit dramatic. But honestly, what can we do as parents to protect our little ones?

I am so consumed with my love for the babe and, like most parents, want to do everything possible to ensure her life is filled with true happiness. I know she will have to face her challenges and go through tough times, but how can I reduce the amount of distress that she will no doubt encounter in her life?

Last night I started to worry about everything from strangers to terrorist attacks. After going over crime reports in our area on the Washington Post's web site yesterday, I realized that we're not as safe in our groovy little neighborhood as I thought. Thinking more about it, I suppose we live in a city that has already been hit by terrorists once. Does that mean we're putting the babe at risk by living in Washington, DC? Should we move to a safer and smaller city? I was living in NYC in September 2001, and I really don't want to be any place where that kind of attack could happen again.

How much of this fear is rational and how much is me just being ridiculous? I mentioned my concerns to my husband last night as I crawled into bed. He said that we can't live in fear. I agree. I have honestly tried to live my life that way (especially since 9/11). But what practical things can I do to keep my precious little family safe? How can I minimize the chance of ugliness entering our lives? As a new mother, I'm quickly realizing that these many worries are part of the job and that I am going to have to learn to live with for the rest of my life.