Nanny diaries: One woman shares her story of mistreatment
Tuesday, May 12, 2009 | 03:57 PM ET
Submitted by Sylvia Lewis-Havard
About: I babysat the neighbours' children when I was a child. The minimum wage at the time was $6.40 an hour.
My story: My neighbours, who lived down the street, had three small children when I started babysitting for them. The husband was a lawyer and the wife an elementary teacher. They would pay me $1 per child, per hour. Generally, they would leave me other chores to do such as folding laundry, dusting shelves in the bathroom or cleaning the kitchen. On one occasion the wife was preparing for a birthday party and had been busy baking and cooking before I arrived. When I walked into the kitchen the entire counter and kitchen table were piled high with pots and pans and dirty dishes.
Evidently she had been in the kitchen working for some time but hadn't taken any time to clean anything as she went — she just left it for me.
After some time it occurred to me that they were purposely leaving me messes to clean (they would tell me when I arrived what to do once the children were in bed) and they would also often have me come in exactly when it was time to put the children to bed.
On several occasions I was asked to come in only for an hour or two, exactly at bed time. It always took me a full hour to get their children into bed. I would start telling them it was bed time an hour ahead just so I would be able to get them into bed when their parents had instructed me to.
Generally when I would come over the children would be doing whatever they wanted to do on their own. As soon as I arrived, I would be given detailed instructions on what the children should be doing and when. They were never allowed to watch TV when I was there — but often they would be watching it when I arrived.
As a young child I felt quite taken advantage of by these employers. Although I was only young and really didn't need much money at the time, it hurt me that they would try and make my job harder than it was.
When I spoke to my friends about how much they were getting paid, it became evident that I was getting paid much less (about half) for taking care of more children and doing more work (none of my friends were asked to clean the house.)
I'm sure that young people and immigrants are taken advantage of every day in these sectors and that this mistreatment goes unnoticed.
Were you mistreated as a nanny or a caregiver? Share your stories below.
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Comments
Colleen
Toronto
I babysat a little child of just under 2 years of age in 1994. I also had to do the laundry of the kid and the parents and one time get down on my hands and knees and clean the kitchen floor. My hours were long - 7:45am to about 6pm. I was paid $200 cash at the end of the week. I was not a kid, but in my mid 20's and had a lot of childcare experience.
I certainly wasn't "taken advantage of" but I felt that i should have been paid at least minimum wage! The kid wasn't allowed to watch any tv except her dumb barney tapes (which got old after months of watching the same ones) Once i was asked to babysit for a longer period - (around xmas) and i remember totally defying them when it came to the tv shows.
There was no way i was gonna miss my prime time TV shows because of their dumbo rules. I think i was paid a bit extra for staying late that night I don't recall now. It is sad that parents won't pay their babysitters/nannies decent wages for taking care of their kids! I remember once too calling about a nanny job - when I told them how much i charged the woman got all huffy. (as if $200 a week is a lot of money for babysitting a toddler! - put her in daycare an you're paying a mint!)
Posted May 12, 2009 09:32 PM
martin
toronto
It just shows that some people should not have kids. They have their children then they entrust their care to babysitters whom them mistreat. If you treat someone badly, do you really trust them to take care of your children when you are not around. I feel sorry for their children, who may very well bare the brunt of their caregivers resentment or frustration.
Posted May 13, 2009 10:31 AM
John W
EDMONTON
My wife & I used to trade services with other parents.It worked well until one couple decided that the wife could bring her 2 toddlers over every day during the week while she worked.At the end of the week,I asked her just how they were going to remunerate us for 45 hours of babysitting. "Oh,we'll pay you back,don't worry!" Then they said they were off to Banff for the weekend & they'd see us on Tues. as hubby had an extra day! She was actually half way back to her car before I could catch up in my bare feet!"No time!Gottas run!" I had to inform her that her kids would be at social services as soon as they could get there,before she'd even roll down the window. I never did figure out how she thought she'd return our services & over the next 6 months,we heard from other baby sitters we hired about the money that was still owed to almost everyone we hired by the lovely couple who were going to trade for services. Of course,the story circulated by them about our relationship,was nothing remotely close to the truth. Apparently they were even going to sue us for the weekend in Banff that we ruined by our withdrawal of our services!At least that's the story the neighbours were told. It actually had me somewhat worried for a short time,because the hubby is a lawyer & his wife is a dentist. I can imagine just exactly what things must have been like for the young teenagers who had been taken in by this pair. My infant daughter's new snow suit had been "forgotten" at their house & the next time we saw it was on their little boy. He did look fantastic in pink!
Posted May 14, 2009 11:02 AM
Anna
Toronto
Well I have a problem with people in general that are not happy with their jobs and do nothing about it regardless of your profession. If you don't like it quit, I have been employed by the same firm for 11 yrs before I had 2 or 3 bad employers I did not try to change them, why would I do that? When I felt I was being taken advantage of I quit. I know am paid to work and I have to work if I believe I am not getting paid enough I can ask for a raise if they dont give it to me I will simply be on the hunt for another job. Stop winning if you don't like your job just quit it, no one gets paid to do nothing did you expect the family to call you in when they had finished puting the kids to bed? While the kids were napping were you not getting paid? Then what is the probelm with folding clothes? That's why there are so many people unemployed I came to the conclusion that most people want to jobs not work!
Posted May 26, 2009 07:34 AM
Colleen
Toronto
This is for Anna who states and I quote:
"Well I have a problem with people in general that are not happy with their jobs and do nothing about it regardless of your profession. If you don't like it quit."
Well Anna, that is easier said than done. There have been jobs i have had since the babysitting one that i have wanted to quit due to ill treatment/etc. But i didn't quit - why? because I am not a quitter and I obviously needed the money.
How the heck is someone going to support themselves if they quit their job and have bills to pay. Grow up and think before you type dumb comments!
Posted September 19, 2009 11:48 AM
Sylvia Lewis-Havard
Ottawa
Why I never read comments on articles. because, as Colleen says people "write dumb comments" - that's why
Anna, did you actually even read my post??? I am not complaining about my job, I am simply stating an experience that I had - and that I imagine many other people experince - when I was very YOUNG. I wasn't old enough to confront my employers or ask them to pay me me more - I simply was stating that I was being paid less for doing more. I also said that I didn't necessarily need more money. I was quite clear.
My point being that I'm sure immigrants get taken advantage of in the same way I did as a child - only they probably can't defend themselves or "just quit" as you say because they DO need the money.
Posted December 3, 2009 02:07 PM