Dear editors,
I am extremely concerned about the following incident which happened today, Friday Sept 2, at Lefferts Park approximately between 11:30am-12:30pm.
I will leave it to your obvious discretion as to whether or not you will put it on your website. If you post this, I would like to be “ANONYMOUS” however, should the parents want to speak further with me, you may disclose my name/email address.
As my children played at Lefferts Park, I kept a casual eye on our surroundings as many people do. I noticed two sweet little girls, close in age, accompanied by a non-Jewish babysitter. They had a double red Maclaren stroller. The girls looked to be between 2-4 years old, presumably sisters. They were wearing matching light pink, short-sleeved shirts, and light pink leggings. One girl had blond hair, the other I believe a reddish blonde/brown.
At first nothing remarkable caught my attention (although as a side note, she did speak quite harshly several times to the maidelach), but then I happened to notice the babysitter FELL ASLEEP on the bench. I tried to judge favorably, thinking perhaps she was just resting her eyes a moment.
Since I was concerned, I kept an eye on the girls and the babysitter in addition to watching my own children. It was at least 5 minutes that her eyes were closed, then she startled awake and tried to locate the girls (who I had been watching play the entire time). I saw other parents notice this situation as well, but we all kept quiet. However, the SECOND TIME the babysitter AGAIN FELL ASLEEP, and this time it was closer to 8-9 minutes. Again, I kept an eye on the maidelach.
It makes me beyond uncomfortable to speak to someone in this situation, but I felt that the safety of the girls was far more important than my own comfort. I walked over to the babysitter, and said in a firm voice, “Excuse me.” She woke up, looked at me and I continued, “If you are watching these girls, you should stay awake.” I walked away in order not to speak further, as we all know–chas v’shalom, the dangers of unattended children.
She shouted angrily at the children, “Let’s go.” She walked to the swings, and pushed them for less than 3 minutes in the swing, all the while staring pointedly when I happened to catch her eye. She left the park quickly.
I can only daven that my words be heeded properly, from a concerned mother to another.
Have a Gut Shabbos, and ksiva v’chasima tova, may we all be blessed with revealed, sweet good year,
H.
PS. Additionally, I would like to note that I would have spoken up to *any* babysitter, Jewish, or otherwise. I mentioned non-Jewish for points of identification (she was black, and looked to be in her 50s).
I grew up with a non-Jewish babysitter, and she was wonderful to us! She helped us wash negel vasser, reminded us to make brachos, and encouraged us to daven. She kept us safe and healthy, and we owe a lot to her.
We still have a wonderful relationship with our parents, but we could barely afford to make ends meet if my mother didn’t work as well.
Parents need to be very aware of who they hire to trust with their children, but just because a person isn’t Jewish does not mean that they are irresponsible.
To the commentor who say five babysitters talking on a bench in the park:
Um, that’s what the MOTHERs usually do, they are not watching their own kids half the time…
I had a Jewish sitter who fed my child dairy and meat together and treifed my whole kitchen!!! And trust me, this is not some kind of rare, extraordinary case.
Please don’t judge mothers who work. Let me make a reference to another article on TUITION.
actually, there are tons of jewish babysitters around, its just more expensive cuz you need to hire a separate cleaner, but if you care about your children youll spend less on their clothes, and more about the quality of their care. face it. dont be in denial cuz your kids are getting hurt.
Instead of criticizing ppl who have not Jewish sitters be a bit more practical. Maybe make a list of Jewish ppl that are available to watch kids and keep a house clean. I think if I found someone that can do that I would look into t. When I first looked for a sitter I tried tofind a Jewish one and none seemed to be around. I finally found one and she informed that twice a week she can only do a couple hours. Yes you think it’s worth the sacrifice and you think it’s better for a woman not… Read more »
iI saw a housekeeper with 2 jewish children sitting outside of KFC having a meal. I asked the housekeeper who she worked for and she wouldn’t tell me, so I asked the 2 year old what her name was. This happened over 20 years ago. It was a non lubavitch family in our community. I called the mom, and she was very upset at me and said that she is sure the housekeeper didn’t feed her kids treif, she’s been with her family and her parents family for many years. She was more concerned that I would tell someone and… Read more »
I have a Hungarian friend who also understands Polish. He related to me that he once overheard 2 Polish maids conversing on the bus in Polish. They both worked in Jewish households. One of them said: “When they’re not looking over my shoulder, I usually add some milk into the chicken soup.” Such an attitude can easily be extended to the children of the Jewish family they work for…You’ll never know what really goes on in their heads…
Is it really necessary to buy 1500 dollar carriages and 85 dollar shoes ,etc and leave your children with any babysitter so you can work to have it all? NO, get your priorities straight,most of you out there go to work so you can live a fancy lifestyle not for the necessities in life, you can get that with your food stamps and medicaid and all your other benefits you manage to get from the government
Yes there are some rotten apples among Jews but why does the Torah say you can’t trust a goy??? I have seen mothers who put their children down for a nap and go out and do their shopping while the child sleeps at home ALONE! with no babysitter. Do you grow these children on trees that you are so easy going and careless with them??
PLEASE GIVE ME YOUR CHILDRENS NAMES SO THAT I CAN SAY TEHILLLIM FOR THEIR POOR LITTLE INNOCENT NESHAMALACH! YOU ARE SO RIGHTEOUS AS TO WORRY ABOUT CHILUL HASHEM BUT DON’T SEEM AT ALL CONCERNED WITH THE FACT THAT YOUR WONDERFUL GOYE CAN AND IS MOST LIKELY FEEDING YOUR PRECIOUS CHILDREN PURE UNADUTERATED TARFAS!!!! WHY DOES THE TORAH MAKE DIFFERENTIATIONS BETWEEN A YID AND A GOY? PERHAPS THE TORAH IS ALSO CREATNG A CHILUL HASHEM?! FACE IT LADY, YOU JUST DON’T WANNT TO HAVE TO FEEL GUILTY THAT YOU ARE NEGLECTING YOUR CHILDREN FOR THE SAKE OF MONEY. IN MY DICTIONARY… Read more »
I wish you rots of ruck, I meaan lots of luck. If you don’t know the difference between a yid (we’re not talking about the odd sicko) and a goy your in big trouble. To date I haven’t heard of any unusual or dangerous behavior from Jewish babysitters, but can tell you factual horrific stories with none Jewish sitters. wake up lady and smell the coffee.
Unfortunately, I saw a frum girl daven shemoneh esray, as she babysat in Lefferts Park, busying her for about 5 minutes. The kids that she was watching almost ran out of the park! I ran to get them and then told her what happened & that davening to Hashem can wait til when its not at the expense of the kids’ safety. The park was empty besides me and my kids- if there was NO ONE there what could have been in thos 5 min chvsh? You can never be too sure w/ anyone, I suppose ;(
levi aron was NOT A BABYSITTER!!!!
you OBVIOUSLY should check into EVERY babysitter you hire, you don’t take any stranger off the street (which is what the goyim are anyhow). only a YID cares about your yiddishe neshamales. CHELEK ELOKAI MAMASH, to trust with goyim? i dont care who they are!
and sandra WAS NOT MOSHE’S BABYSITTER OR CARETAKER! she was KITCHEN STAFF.
not to leave our children with goyshe babysitters. he did not say to leave them with ANY jewish sitter.
put your heads on straight. you make me sick.
when you hire a JEWISH babysitter you ask for references and obviously do not leave her with the key to your jewelry box and tell her where your secret cash stash is!
Jewish mothers your children need you. They absorb yiddiskeit from seeing it lived at home. They will absorb trief ideas by being left with a goy. Sondra was an exception – she was one of the few chasdei haomus, And even she wasn’t alone with Moshe – his mother was right there peeling potatoes with her helpers. By the way, for those of you who don’t realise, there is NO ERUV in CH, and therefore you are violting shabbos by asking your goyta to push your baby to shu,l or so you cn go eat with your friends/family. Stop bring… Read more »
I’m sure your kids would be muh happier with peanut butter sandwiches and hand-me-down clothes. You care too much about gashmius. Stay home and make a playgroup if you need extra money, but stop lying to yourself. The goyta is not going to remind your kids to make a bracha before they eat.
And if you are gone for 11 hours and 15 minutes, 4 days a week, go ket you kitchen kaashered. You can’t have a goy unsupervised in your kitchen!
too many mothers today have their priorities all messed up. I have often repremanded mothers who left their infants outside in strollers or running cars while they “just ran into the store/house for just a minute”. It’s not just a minute. I stayed to guard one infant on a hot summer day for about 7 minutes while her mom was waiting in line at Kahans! I told her next time she should leave her wallet and jewelry in the stroller and take the baby with her.
Next time I see an unattended baby, I’m calling 911.
#11 is correct. i had jewish girl from BR steal amd mistreat my kids. and i woudnt give the key to my safe to any jewish girl that comes to babysit. it has nothing to do. if someone is a good caregiver jewish or not they are good if not not. some people you trust with your money but not with your kids and some the other way around
It is absolutely revolting to see what people are writing here. What a chilul HaShem that others should see how Jews view the rest of the world. As far as “how can we trust our children to non-Jews?” If you can send me a Jew who will watch my children from 7:45am until 7pm four days a week and keep my house clean, so my husband and I can provide for our family, I’ll replace the non-Jew. And yes, I would trust her with my jewelry and valuables. If you think you can’t trust your babysitter with your valuable gashmius,… Read more »
the majority of goyim really dont care about ur kids. face reality , stop being in denial and pay a little more for your kids caretakers!
being on the school bus I have watched too many spanish woman waiting for the girls to come and hugging them it makes me sick to my stomach after a long day in school you jewish mothers should be waiting for your precious daughters there is no excuse in the world everyone says my goite is amazing she wouldnt do these kinds of things WAKE UP !!!!they just do it for the money its all an act and even if you do have a good one a goy is a goy just think and reevaluate before its too late
this situation has nothing to do with jewish or non-jewish…i once was in a playground in flatbush and saw an older frum jewish baby-sitter smack and scream viciously as the two year old she was watching. not to mention all the young jewish sitters i c yapping on their cell phones while they should b watching the children!
Here in LA, I have noticed so many upsetting things by watching babysitters in the park. Most of them are socializing with eachother and not watching the kids. Yes, mothers, go out and spy on your babysitters! Better yet, don’t let them take your kids to the park!
As for the Jewish/Non Jewish babysitter issue. You can have a terrible Jewish babysitter and you can have a wonderful non-Jewish one. There are plenty of examples out there…Sandra, Moishele’s babysitter, is one such example.
its shocking to see how narrow minded people can be, this has nothing to do with goyim, last time i checked levi aron was a jew, its all about finding a person that you could trust. no matter of their religion race or color.
WHAT IS WRONG WITH THE MOTHERS OF TODAY????HOW DO YOU TRUST YOUR CHILDREN WITH GOYIM????? NUMBER 1 SAID IT WELL. THERE ARE PLENTY OF JEWISH GIRLS AND WOMEN WHO COULD USE THE PARNASA. HAVE RACHMONOS ON YOUR POOR CHILDREN. THE RECENT KIDNAPPING OF A SHLIACH’S BABY IN GREAT NECK SHOULD HAVE SENT A CLEAR MESSAGE. DON’T WAIT FOR A TRAGEDY CHAS VESHOLOM. TREASURE YOUR CHILDREN! AT LEAST AS MUCH AS YOUR MANICURES ETC.
I have too many times seen uncomfortable situations with babysitters,and therefore chose to live on less money and hire jewish trustworthy babysitters that cost more money but are worth every penny!(don’t think nanny cams can save you,my friends sitter disconnected the nanny cam) just a feww things I saw in the park:a sweet 3 year old jewish boy fall asleep in a swing looking as if he was falling out,yarmulka fell off head,sitter left him for half hour,little baby who sitter kept stuffing food in mouth as she was talking to friend didn’t notice baby fell asleep and kept stuffing… Read more »
thank you soooooooooo much for posting this. I contstantly see non Jewish babysitters dragging kids, talking to them harshly, and as another reader wrote many are socializing. I once saw a babysitter dragging and yelling at the kids so badly that I called a SHomrim member. He told me unfortunately there is nothing they can do. The mothers make a conscience choice to put their kids in these peoples hands.
This incident that you write brings to mind a story that happened a number of years ago. We were in a bumgalow colony for the summer and there was a family that had a non jewish woman looking after her kids. She had mentioned to me one day that her lade LOVES her kids. A while into the summer there was a Bubby visiting her kids at the colony and she is from Europe so she spoke the same language as this sitter. She came back from taking a walk on the road one day and chanced upon the sitter… Read more »
I cannot tell you how many times I have been in the park where 4 or 5 spanish babysitters sit on a bench together and have their “social time” whilst the kids they are supposed to be watching are running riots round the park, doing whatever they want, completely unsupervised. Parents who have babysitters, and send them to the park, I urge you to go and spy on your babysitters, you may be shocked!
To whomever wrote the article about the sleeping babysitter, I want to thank you so much for posting what you saw. It just so happened that I was having doubts about this babysitter and fired her at the end of the day. ITs hasguchus protis. It is so nice of you to be looking out for the welfare of others and that you even took the time and was concerned enough to say something to this woman. It is nice that you are looking out for others. I appreciate that you posted this and others should be aware of what… Read more »
i saw a babysitter on the phone while the girl she was watching fell down and got hirt i help her up and i ask her where is your mommy she said she had a bebysitter ut she was deep in phone call
i went over to her and she didnt care she was still talking even after i came to her and told her what happend
BTW, when you see this happen you could always take a picture of the babysitter with your phone and then post it here.
can you please let us know if this mother was contacted??
I’m so concerned and I really hope she doesn’t let those children out with that babysitter again.
Thank you for this important letter.
Cleaners is one thing. But babysitters??? You are trusting your most precious neshamalach to someone who your wouldn’t even trust with your gashmius. Would you let your cleaner polish your diamond rings and lichters and have the key to your safe to sort your assests at her discretion? Of course not. But you WILL let her have shlita and hashgocha over your MOST precious gifts????????
Oy. Do all you can to find Yiddishe babysitters. It’s hard, but hachochom roeh es hanolad. Better safe than sorry. True not all Jews are trustworthy – but they are more likely to value Emess.