Most of us don’t like our personal belongings being taken or touched without permission. Okay, maybe all of us, but I am sure there may be somebody who doesn't care. Anyway, things are things and in most cases nothing bad is going to happen, except that person may overstep boundaries and show disrespect.
However, speaking about things which we need to work on, let’s say a painting, puzzle or garden - if somebody else tries to 'help' but ends up making it worse because they didn't understand when told not to touch it - well, that's painful.
More info: Reddit
When somebody else messes up your hard work and makes it ‘not a big deal’ - well, it’s hard to not become angry
Image credits: Helena Lopes (not the actual photo)
Woman is furious after her baby’s nanny dug up her flower garden despite being instructed not to touch it
Image credits: u/IntergalacticBurn
Image credits: Kampus Production (not the actual photo)
She shares that the flowers that she planted need time to grow and are complicated
Image credits: u/IntergalacticBurn
Image credits: Nature Uninterrupted Photography (not the actual photo)
Following this incident, she took away the nanny’s privilege to grow her own vegetables or whatever she wants
Image credits: u/IntergalacticBurn
However, the nanny’s behavior just flipped a switch in her after instead of apologizing, she simply said that it’s not a big deal
A few days ago, one Reddit user took her mildly infuriating story to one of the communities. She shares that she had explicitly instructed her baby’s nanny not to touch her flower garden. However, she just went ahead and dug up everything. The post received a lot of attention and in just 4 days, it had more than 15K upvotes and 1K comments.
To begin with, the woman shares that when the nanny first moved in, she was allowed to use some of her empty space in the yard to grow her own vegetables or whatever she wanted. After some time, she went quite beyond that space, but it didn't disturb anybody and wasn’t too big of a deal. However, she was instructed not to touch the house owner’s flower garden quite a few times.
Well, she did. She saw ‘weeds and foliage’ and decided to dig them up. OP emphasizes that the flowers need time to grow and are only seedlings and can be easily mistaken for typical foliage. It was really difficult to grow these seedlings, so when instead of apologizing, the nanny said that it wasn't a big deal, the homeowner flipped. She took away the nanny's privilege to grow her own vegetables or anything else.
Folks online were worried that if she ignores or forgets requests about the garden, it may be similar when she is taking care of OP’s child and she should search for a new nanny. “In my experience, disrespectful people start with your property and escalate over time,” one user wrote. “You shouldn’t need to repeat yourself that much, and she shouldn’t feel entitled to ignore your requests. I wouldn’t leave your kid with her anymore,” another added.
Image credits: Jerry Norbury (not the actual photo)
Moreover, Bored Panda got in touch with comedy writer and single mom Ariane Sherine and she kindly agreed to share her insights regarding the importance of effective communications between a nanny and parents about boundaries, balance flexibility and common misunderstandings about navigating relationships with nannies.
To begin with, Ariane shares that being open, honest and straightforward when communicating is the best way when ensuring a harmonious living arrangement with nannies. “Also, people do forget things, so repeating your expectations regularly is important. I would always write them down and send them by email too, or give them a print-out, just to be extra-clear.”
Speaking about how to balance flexibility and firmness in parenting when working with nannies who may have their own styles, she emphasizes that establishing parents’ approach to the nanny early is really important. “If they're too strict or too permissive you may not want to work with them - or at least, you may want to lay down some firm rules and boundaries straight away.”
Moreover, Ariane mentioned a few common misunderstandings that parents may face when navigating relationships with nannies, such as the approach to take when looking after the child, when they can contact you, how to respond when a kid become ill, if a kid wants their parents or won’t sleep, or, as it was in the story - which parts of the property they are allowed in.
Long story short, Ariana highlights that the most important thing is to be clear in your communication, writing down your expectations in order to avoid any confusion with your kids' nannies.
So, guys, have you had any issues with your kids' nannies? Or maybe you have found a way to ensure a great relationship? Share in the comments!
Redditors had discussions, though many of them said that they would fire this nanny and wouldn't leave her with the kid alone
