As part of our base requirements for our nanny, we ask if they are fully vaccinated for COVID-19 and willing to show their Covid vaccination card, if they are updated on their TDAP vaccine, as well as if they are certified in baby CPR. I have unfortunately made the mistake on a couple of calls and waited to confirm this until towards the end of the call. That wasted time. Now, I ask these questions upfront before proceeding with the call even though I originally wrote it in my text message to the nannies. Nannies are just like the rest of us: they do not always read your message in its entirety carefully before agreeing to meet over video chat. Tonight, the Nanny clearly did not read my message. She started by saying that she was fully vaccinated for Covid but is not certified in baby CPR. She says that nannies no longer do this and that families no longer ask that they do it. She insisted that it was not necessary and that it has never been an issue in the 20+ years that she has been a nanny. It’s always a danger sign when one nanny speaks for all nannies in in the entire industry. Because apparently, this nanny is aware of all other nannies and their professional development specifications, and they are also apparently aware of what all families ask of the nanny that they employ. 

And to add to how ridiculous this was, she looked me right in the eye over video and said that if I needed her to do this in order to be my baby’s nanny, I could pay for her baby CPR certification. I told her that that would not be necessary and that we would not be proceeding with the conversation. Then, I hung up. I left the room and went back into the living room. Chris commented how quickly the call ended. I told him what this person said. He understood. He was like, why would we pay for the professional development of someone that we haven’t even hired??

Yes, this is the bullshit that I am dealing with just to find someone competent to take care of my baby while I go back to work. What joy!