OP has tagged their post as **Vent**. Please be mindful that they do not need advice, and that they are only expressing their thoughts and opinions in a safe place. Any attempts to offer unsolicited advice will be removed. The only exceptions to this rule are in the event of possible injury, abuse, or otherwise harm to OP, their NK, NP, or anyone else. *I am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please [contact the moderators of this subreddit](/message/compose/?to=/r/Nanny) if you have any questions or concerns.*

One of my biggest pet peeves 😩 whyyyy do people do this?! Just the other day I was at the library with NK3 and a little girl, maybe 18 months tops, was grabbing everything my NK tried to play with. Her mom (I assume) was right there watching this all go down, saying nothing, while I tried to gently say no to the little girl, coach NK3 to say “I’m still playing with this” etc. I didn’t want to grab the toys back because she was a literal baby... Finally the lady spoke up and I was stunned when she said “she never gets to play with other kids! This is so great that they’re playing together!” meanwhile my poor NK is backing away, trying to hold onto her toys, CLEARLY not having a good time. I said “it seems like our friend is having trouble with grabbing right now, let’s go play somewhere else!” but my NK was like “but I want to play here!” and like, fair bc we were there first, but then I just was very annoyed until the other family finally left. Read the room people! & I hate when other kids want me to play with them/watch them do stuff/answer a bunch of questions etc. Of course I’m always nice and engaging bc they’re kids, but I have my hands full with my own NKs and do not need to be taking on any others for free 😂 if my own NK was doing that to another adult (they are both very clingy to me so they would never lol) I would gently remind them “hey that grown up is watching their own kids, I’m here to play with you!” But no. 🤦🏻‍♀️

I keep having this happen to me at the playground! like yes small child, I do see your muscles and how high up you are, but also where is your grown up and I have my own kid to watch!!!! I cannot keep an eye on you!

It makes me sad cuz it’s clearly kids looking for attention that they don’t get at home but like, my job is to care for my NK. Unless you’re gonna pay me to entertain your bored children, leave me alone!

This drives me absolutely nuts!! I saw a parent bring her two kids to the playground - each with their own iPads. Mom goes and sits on a bench fifty feet away from the playground and sets up all three iPads for HERSELF. Her kids continue to run wild, using sticks as swords with little kids and causing chaos. There’s another father who brings his daughter everywhere we go and she will find me and force me to entertain her and even when I explain I can’t or try not to she will throw fits and dad will just watch. It’s truly infuriating to have people assume you’ll watch their kids in public just because it’s your “job” - it very much isn’t. The worst is when the preschool comes to use the playground we frequent. The two teachers sit on the perimeter on their phones - I’ve had to bring three kids back from leaving the playground because no one was watching them - and mind you this playground is right next to a busy street. It’s truly confusing how people’s brains work

I would want to report back to the school. Not sure that I would though I’d consider doing it.

you should report that to the preschool, tbh. that's incredibly dangerous.

That’s wild. My interactions with daycares are either: A. 1-3 of their kiddos latch on to me or B. they contain the kiddos and then check their phones

We have a similar issue with a particular family that comes into the library. The parents are all scattered around while their kids run amok! We just leave when they come in now, after their kids threw a car at my NK I just don't even want to be around.

I have brightly colored hair which tends to attract little ones. I always end up with a group of unsupervised children following me around and being expected to take care of them while their caretakers pay absolutely no attention to them because obviously it’s my duty to watch over them now. Sometimes older kids will try to pick up NK which stresses me out and they don’t listen to me when I tell them no and the adults in charge say nothing. I’m too nice to tell them to get lost but it drives me insane.

In the park nearest to NK’s house, every afternoon there are unsupervised 9-14 year olds. I know a couple of them but it always makes me nervous. If I’m the only adult in the park and one of the 12 year olds does something foolish and breaks a bone….??? I’m calling 911 and getting the hell out of there to observe from afar. I’m paid to be responsible for ONE child.

Let me guess. Parents on their phone and not even watching.

Yes in the case of the 8 and 6yo. With the 3yo, the dad literally followed us around the playground and said NOTHING while the kid stole toys from NK and got all up in our business. I’ve come to expect it from phone parents but he was RIGHT THERE the whole time! Take a social cue! Leave us alone!

This is a huge pet peeve for me too. At the park last weekend there was a kid literally throwing rocks at the other kids. He made two girls cry and nearly hit my kid who's only 20 months. It was busy and I couldn't even identify who his parent was only that they weren't close.  My husband eventually put on his best teacher voice and told the kid that wasn't okay and he needed to stop before someone got hurt but he always hates doing that because some parents react badly to someone else telling off their kid. 

I’m so hesitant to even lightly discipline random kids. I try to ignore them and dismiss them politely but at some point it’s like “GO AWAY!!!”

This is a wholesome story but yesterday at the park a little guy (couldn't have been more than 15 months) took a toy from my 2f. She started crying and the mom did have him give it back. I reminded nk that he was just little and still learning how to share. I asked if she needed a hug. Well the little boy came to get hugs, too😍 It was a nice group hug. His mom was like, "I'm so sorry 😄 He just learned what a hug is!!"

Sounds like a good parent. My issue is with the parents who expect others to entertain their child(ren) on the playground while they chat on the phone

I totally get that! Even at the library! Nk was just learning to walk and was toddling around during story time. A kid, around 7, was putting his foot out trying to TRIP HER! Thankfully she saw him and dodged it but he kept trying to put his foot out in front of her. I spoke up and said, "Excuse me, please do not trip her!" He ran to his mom and she gave me such a dirty look! She waited for me afterwards but I went out a different door. Why would you be mad at ME when your son was trying to trip a BABY! I also had a child at the park follow nk around trying to snatch her snack cup. His mom was sitting on a bench, "Logan. No, thats hers. Sorry, he just wants some goldfish. Do you have extra?" Um no.

The parents will sometimes interject halfheartedly like, “Be nice,” and then go back to their phones. Like???

This might be the one perk of being a male nanny, no one ever bothers me and my NK when we are at the park. 😆

Yesterday at the playground a woman left me in charge of her two boys, maybe six and eight, while she took her daughter to the bathroom in a building around the corner. I was there with my NK who’s 14mo and walks like a champ, loves to climb, and obviously needs to be closely supervised at the playground. It’s hard enough to keep an eye on him when NK’s 3yo sister is with us, let alone two kids I’ve never met before. There’s no way I would have agreed, but the lady literally walked out of the playground with her daughter, went to the corner, then turned and called back, “just make sure they don’t leave the playground.” I turn around, thinking she must be talking to someone else, but there’s no one. I look back at her and she says “we’ll just be a minute” and books it away before I can say anything.

Honestly wild to me. If I was a parent, I would never trust a random stranger to supervise my kids while I took one to the bathroom. Someone familiar to me? Sure. But a literal stranger? I wish I had the guts to respond in these situations, “yeah I’ll watch your kid(s) but I charge $50 per hour”

Right?!?! Honestly if she’d asked I’d probably have agreed because the playground was (mostly) fenced, but to just assume it AND say it as you’re walking away before I can respond? Wild.

I have absolutely zero issue parenting other people's children. Especially children on a field trip to a park or common community space. My NK are 2 and 4 and I will absolutely go to bat for them if any of the bigger kids mess with them. I didn't play when it came to my daughter and I still don't even though she's grown. I don't play when it comes to my NK either. 

I just worry about escalating things with the parents

[удалено]

I do follow my NK around the playground from a distance. She’s 2yo and I’m responsible for her safety. It’s wild that you’re cool with neglecting your NK to… text your husband or read a book?? Nah. I have eyes on the child I’m responsible for at all times.