From the COLlive Inbox:
Dear Crown Heights residents,
I was walking on Kingston Avenue this morning, and I must tell you about what I saw.
It is absolutely brutally cold out today, and I met a babysitter taking a baby out for a walk.
The child is exposed, no scarf, no gloves, and her coat is open.
When I asked the babysitter, “it’s freezing cold outside, you’re bundled up, how come the child is not?”
She just nodded and said, “don’t worry,” and continued on her way.
This is not the first time I’ve seen this while out on Kingston Avenue during the cold winter. I have seen many cleaning ladies taking babies and little children out for a walk.
These kids are without the proper clothing, and they are crying. The babysitters are just not concerned about the children, and it truly breaks my heart.
Parents, please be extremely careful! Make it clear to your babysitters: If my child is not bundled up properly when you take them out, you will be fired.
raised by a full time working parents, I only saw may family after 7:00pm. I grew up eating not kosher, watching movies that no child should watch and went to church weekly. Additionally I was mistreated. My mother loved our nanny and regarded her as part of our family. Never did I think until adulthood to speak up or mention this to anyone. For this reason I do not trust baby sitters. Even when I go to the park and I am the only actual mother there, I see how some baby sitters treat their “job.” Once I saw a… Read more »
just a simple, easy tip – I constantly see babies, toddlers in strollers without the hood covering them. In the summer they have the sun beating down on their heads with the sun in their eyes and in the winter their faces – eyes, nose and cheeks, are red with the wind blowing on them. The hoods offer some protection, better than nothing, so use them!
I see an eight year old walking a one and a half year old to lefferts park, crossing streets and all…People, everyone sees things differently, what may be ridiculous to you is perfectly fine by someone else. I don’t leave my children with cleaning ladies but my sister does, we don’t see eye to eye on the matter but we respect each other. I’m not saying to ignore neglect but c’mon, a kid not wearing gloves??????? Far from neglect.
You could not have said it better than you did!
Dear Mothers: Read #30 once and once again!
I see Mothers talking there kids to school, or the kids are waiting for a bus in the cold with no scarf and a very light jacket, so it is not just the babysitters it is also the parents, that don’t dress their kids properly in the winter months when it is very cold outside, so please make sure your kids are dress properly when it is cold outside.
Babysitters don’t need to love your children, any more than a fast food worker needs to LOVE their customers. They do, however, need to do their work responsibly and effectively.
Convincing yourself that these people can be trusted accomplishes nothing but makes you feel better about doing it. But let’s call a spade, a spade. Ask yourself , truly ask yourself, if the person posted this to stir up controversy or because it was painful to see a freezing baby. These babysitters do not love our children. how many stories must one hear summertime wintertime and in between in order to believe this is true?
What I found to be very upsetting were the unecessarily negative comments some people made. Like, “the lady that cleans my toilets?” What kind of way is that to speak about someone? Is this person not doing a service for your family to then be disrespected? I think some people have forgetten how powerful the things they say are and how it efffects this world. The child was wearing a coat, hat and had a blanket. This was taken out of proportion. “Not bundled up at all” It’s this kind of misinformation that creates a lot of confusion when there… Read more »
My kid also hated hats and gloves. I persisted until he gave in, or I just didn’t take him out in this weather. If you don’t want your child to get frostbite, then take the extra precaution.
no one worries about your child like a normal mother. please no benefit of the doubt. my daughter got off the bus, walked a block and was carrying her coat in the freezing snow (5 years old) no ones fault, but an adult babysitter is yes at fault. think twice about trusting your kidsa to a yoyishe babysitter
We at the park see how ur shikses don’t care for ur kids…and it’s pretty sad…ye I know u need the $ and help but realize what u are sacrificing for it and don’t kid urself that ‘urs is realllllly good…’ it’s quite sad to see these little babies dressed in the most expensive clothes with a caretaker that clearly isn’t caring…:(
Its cold outside!!!
I understand you are looking out for that community and are very passionate about this issue. The tone of your writing is very fear based and you can get the same message across without saying that people need to threaten firing their help.
Talk about babysitters & mothers.
I saw a young man with 3 young children, no coats, hats or gloves, 2 little girls not even sweaters, maybe only went across the street, but at 5pm yesterday it was cold. So maybe fathers too need to know how to dress their kids.
Freedom for the kid yes… For the parents no! What if the child gets a cold??? Or, heaven forbid, pneumonia? I don’t think so…
That may be true but only if the parents agree!
Not trying to start anything, but… you should consider giving the benefit of the doubt.
I have an 18 month old who refuses to wear a hat. She pulls it off, and has done since she was about 8 months old.
I would randomly get dirty looks from woman, and once in a while even comments.
Kids should def be bundled up, but some times easier said then done…
but they must be bundles up!! gloves!!
My cleaning lady who has cleaned my toilets for a number of years , does not know English no motherly instincts is now a babysitter , maybe to the child in the article. Wake up moms !
I am a teacher in bais rivkah, and I see some kids coming with as little as a thin sweater on these freezing cold days. These are your kids, wold you ever go out like that. Also if your scared ofor sending gloves hathe scarf because you think it will get lost, pin it on to your child’s coat, it would be easier for everyone.
not only the goytas,I’ve seen mothers with kids. The same. No hat, scarf, gloves. Oh my, they pull them off, put a plastic over the carriage. Do something. don’t just let the kid do what she/he wants. it’s a matter of safety!!
Hashem Yishmor!!
This is terrible!
we must do something about this crazy situation in our Sh’chunah.
And don’t forget, the child is sitting still in a stroller. People who are walking briskly are a few degrees warmer purely because of the exercise. A child in a stroller is totally inactive so they are a couple degrees colder than the adult pushing them! Of course it is healthy to have some fresh air every day but only if dressed appropriately!
And if your sending your child to school and he refuses to wear a coat, then send ut along anyways and us teachers will make sure s/he wears it outside. Thank you!
When you read only the headline before offering your expertise, important details can sometimes be overlooked.
For example, the author clearly states, “The child is exposed, no scarf, no gloves, and her coat is open.”
Sadly, many mothers convince themselves that the babysitter really loves their child. They don’t realize that when Mom isn’t around they suddenly lose their love and even tolerance of the child they are supposed to take care of. I see this every day when I walk home from work. Bundled babysitters on their phones, pushing crying babies, with bright red fingers.
Let’s give the benefit of the doubt, my 20 month old pulls off her hat, gloves and blanket as fast as I can put them back on, she doesn’t get tired of doing it either!
I work in Bais Rivka and I’m sorry to say that we can’t just blame the babysitters. Many kids come to school very underdressed. Not only have I seen no scarf or hat, I have seen no coat. Kids come on freezing days with a little sweater.
Mothers! We play outside! Don’t think they are just going on and off the bus so no need to bundle them up (I’m giving you the benefit of the doubt). The kids can be on the playground for a half hour. Please dress your children warm!!!
The kids needs air and to take a walk for 10/15 min is not a big deal, expectantly if they are dressed correctly and to take pictures of random kids of blast is not ok!
it happens to be very healthy to walk a baby who is well bundled up. ask any doctor.
It breaks my heart when I see the shikses out with our yiddishe kinderlech. How do you trust them?? You can tell they totally don’t care about the kid. I can’t judge ‘cuz I understand one may need to work and has no choice but….
you should have snapped a picture of the kid and babysitter and posted that so the mom would find what her babysitter was doing. how can anyone correct a problem if they dont know who this is about.
saw the same walking to work this morning
thanks for speaking up