nanny crisis

mr. flea has just called to say that the 3rd family in the share - new this fall, with a 5 year old daughter who's in Alexander's class at school - is probably pulling out because Alexander is beating up on their child. Since we are stretched to the breaking point financially by this fall's arrangement already, I am not sure what to do next.

And then, as Casper got out of the car at Rich Family's house this morning she said, "I'm stupid." mr. flea said, "You're not stupid, honey. Who says you're stupid?" Casper: "Ellen." So mr. flea asked the nanny, and she said that Alexander tells Ellen she's stupid all the time, and now Ellen says it to Casper. But, you know, shouldn't the nanny try to discourage this kind of thing?

The problem on both fronts is that the nanny can't handle Alexander. She's not good at discipline in general, he's 5 and testing, testing, and she's not very interested in him - she has a strong gender bias - which makes her neglect him, which makes him act out the more. If I were Alexander's mother, I'd have gotten a new nanny 9 months ago. They don't have a good dynamic, and it's more her fault than his, since she's, you know, the grown-up.

So. Tired. Of. Nanny. Crises.

NYT letter

My favorite response to the Ivy League Women article:

To the Editor:

I'm glad that the things I declared when I was 19 about what I was going to do with my life didn't make front-page news.

Carolyn Gang Irving
New York, Sept. 20, 2005

Meeeee, too. Though I think I was not much with the big pronouncements when I was 19, and I knew I didn't know what I wanted to be when I grew up, I never expected to be married at 25, for example, and considered it likely I'd not have a permanent partner nor children.

ION, today at work is again flask-o-riffic. Gah. The Move cannot be over too soon (not that it has yet begun in earnest.)