Posts Tagged ‘searching for a nanny’

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Would you let YOUR toddler play with a 300-pound gorilla?

Sunday, September 23rd, 2012

This toddler emerged unharmed from the gorilla cage, where her father deliberately once put her to prove a point about the gentle nature of primates. As you can see from the grown-up photo (bottom right), there was also no long term harm to their father-daughter relationship. (Screenshots via ABC News)

The question in this blog’s headline is deliberately meant to raise the hairs on your neck.

Would you leave your baby in the care of ANY gorilla, regardless of its size or weight?

Damian Aspinall is a remarkable environmentalist and animal rights advocate, dedicating his life to taking zoo animals and bringing them back to their natural habitats through his Back to the Wild Foundation.  Think of the project as a real-life version of the children’s movie “Madagascar,” except there are no celebrity voiceovers or musical dance numbers.

Before completely leaving the transplanted animals to protected wildlife preserves, the foundation hires human “eco-nannies” to watch over the animals and make sure they are adapting to the brand new environment.

Aspinall has just relocated three endangered black rhinos back to Africa and has been heavily involved with protecting gorillas his entire life. It is the gorilla which is now generating an immense amount of media attention for his work — as well as sparking a wider conversation on the safety of leaving children alone with animals.

Twenty-two years ago, Aspinall plunked his then 18-month-old daughter Tansy into the gorilla cage at the Howletts Wild Animal Park in Britain and videotaped the playful interaction. In a never-before-seen home video that is now spreading virally on the Internet, the gorilla is seen treating the toddler like a doll, gently carrying her around the cage. Aspinall shot the video to prove how gentle gorillas are, but he was hesitant to share it publicly out of concern there may be a backlash about his parenting judgment.

“If you’re brought up with the gorillas and you’re part of the family group, it’s really not risky at all. And I can understand how some people would find that hard to believe but it just isn’t,” the activist recently told ABC News. “These animals are very, very gentle animals and the hope is that people will see that and want to help gorillas.”

But as ABC News points out, wild animals are called “wild” for a reason, and that’s because you can never really predict their behavior with absolute certainty. During a 2004 Dallas Zoo escape, a gorilla bit a three year-old boy in the chest and collapsed his lung. And “Crocodile Hunter” Steve Irwin took a lot of flack for holding his one-month-old infant while feeding alligators in an ill-advised 2004 publicity stunt.

Of course, perhaps the most infamous case of a “friendly animal” becoming a deadly enemy is the infamous 2006 Sea World attack, which involved a killer whale biting its trainer’s leg and dragging him underwater, refusing to let go. If an experienced trainer is still vulnerable, what does that say about the rest of us?

What are your thoughts?  Would you ever leave your child with a wild animal?

Perhaps the conversation need not be so hypothetical. How protective are you with your children around large dogs who are touted as friendly?

Watch the ABC News coverage of the gorilla story and decide for yourselves.

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The Ultimate Compliment: Actress Tori Spelling named her daughter after her childhood nanny

Wednesday, September 5th, 2012

Tori Spelling’s third child is named Hattie Margaret. The baby’s middle name is in memory of Spelling’s childhood nanny. (Image Source: ToriSpelling.com)

Nannying is one of a handful of privileged professions in which the intangible benefits can echo years beyond the actual job.

Working as a nanny comes with innate bonding experiences that can make you feel part of the family. Of course, not all hires turn out that way, but many do.

Take for example, former Nanny of the Year recipient Becky Kavanagh, who spent 20 years with the same Minnesota family playing an instrumental role in the development of their three children. As a kindergartner, one of the kids cutely declared, “Did you know that not everyone has a Becky? Some kids have to go to daycare!”

It’s heartwarming to see grown children still feel a deep connection to their childhood nannies.

One of those cases is actress Tori Spelling, who recently reminded her fans on her EdiTORIal blog how much her childhood nanny, Margaret, meant to her.

Margaret is the middle name of her 10-month-old girl Hattie, a baby who’s received considerable press coverage just for uttering her first word.

Tori tells her fans that the name “Hattie” was picked from a Google search for girls’ names, but that Margaret was “my nanny who was like a second mother to me.”  The actress notoriously has a strained relationship with her own mother, but the baby naming honor wasn’t meant as any kind of slam. Tori has been a huge advocate for nannies in her own life.

Tori Spelling has long been an outspoken advocate for the benefits of hiring a nanny. In this high-profile 2009 interview with Cookie Magazine, she bristles at the idea of mothers being jealous when nannies bond with their children.

“I never understood being competitive with a nanny,” she told Cookie magazine in 2009, sharing her experiences with her nanny Patsy. “If you have someone you trust and who loves your kids, then what an amazing thing you’ve done for them.”

Right on, Tori!

Nannies are not replacements for either parent. Rather, they are a critical part of the parenting team. Hiring a nanny should involve finding someone who reflects parents’ child rearing views and who shares their values (Check out eNannySource’s screening questions here).

As for Tori’s nanny, it looks like there will some job security for the immediate future.  The actress and husband Dean McDermott are expecting their fourth child (gender TBA) soon.

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What can we learn from Award Winning Nannies?

Friday, July 13th, 2012

Marcia Hall, the International Nanny Association's 2011 "Nanny of the Year," applies her wealth of nannying experience to raising her own two daughters.

Doctors have the American Medical Association (AMA). Media personalities have the Society for Professional Journalists (SPJ). Engineers have the American Society of Civil Engineers (ASCE).  It’s not just alphabet soup. Belonging to a career trade association is perhaps the best way to keep abreast of the latest developments in your profession, and nannying is no exception.

Since 1985, the International Nanny Association (INA) has vigilantly strived to set professional standards for the in-home childcare industry, covering nannies, nanny employers, nanny agencies and educators. The INA’s Annual Conference is the benchmark for training and professional development.

Thanks to the INA, nannies now have their own Oscar, or Grammy or Emmy (pick your favorite gleaming trophy).  The Nanny of the Year (NOTY) Award represents the pinnacle of career achievement. Nominated by their employers, peers or placement agency, and chosen from the field by special committee, the Nanny of the Year award recipient ultimately becomes a role model and public goodwill ambassador for the profession.

At eNannySource.com, we’re always eager to hear about the life experiences of professional nannies — women with whom you can identify with or would be proud to employ in your home (please share your stories here). No matter how many years a nanny has been in the field, she can always increase her knowledge base as she learns from the successes and mistakes of others.

With that goal in mind, over the next few months we’ll be occasionally profiling some of INA’s past “Nanny of the Year” recipients and asking them to share some personal and professional wisdom.
“Child care or child development books are great as general theory,” says INA Co-President Becky Kavanagh, who received the NOTY award in 2006. “But each child is an individual who fits into a mold of their own making. They will be the one who teaches you about them!”

“Children are the most amazing people. If we could all retain the same imagination, open thinking, curiosity, and zest for living that children have, I think the world would be a lot better,” she adds.

Nannies become an inseparable part of family memories, as Becky Kavanagh (at far right), the 2006 "Nanny of the Year," can attest with this Disney cruise.

Becky notes that nannying can sometimes feel like an isolating job — as you don’t have the constant feedback or office banter from co-workers — but suggests that keeping in touch with other nannies can offset this dynamic.

“Burnout certainly can happen,” she acknowledges. “Nannies who feel they are stuck in a rut or aren’t appreciated by their employers can begin to question their effectiveness or even desire to continue as a nanny. I believe having a network to call upon is a great help. Participating — not just belonging –  to professional organizations that provide networking as well as continuing education is a huge plus.”

Stay tuned to this space as some recent Nanny of the Year award recipients kindly share their candid advice about the profession. Coming Soon: A profile on Marni Kent, the 2002 Nanny of the Year.

Here’s a sneak peek at some of Marni’s advice:

1. Have confidence in yourself.
2. Leave your problems at the door.
3. Form good work habits.
4. Keep yourself happy.
5. Embrace the place where you are.
6. Develop your own life.
7. Deal with a problem’s root issues. Avoid planning for defeat.
8. Develop a habit of smiling on purpose.

 

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Navigating a Culture of Bullying: Nannies help shape our children’s character

Sunday, July 1st, 2012

Internet Empathy -- The generosity of strangers outraged over the abuse of a 68-year-old school bus chaperone raised more than enough money for a retirement fund.

By now, many of you may have heard about the horrific behavior on middle school bus #784 in Greece, New York.  A viral video, “Making the Bus Monitor Cry” opened up viewers’ eyes to what happens when kids are put on the bus, parents wave goodbye and they disappear behind those yellow doors.

The video captures kids mercilessly harassing and taunting bus chaperone Karen Klein, 68, and ultimately breaking her down to tears. The crying doesn’t end the incident — it only motivates the four middle school boys to increase the tormenting.

The boys call Karen fat, ugly, old and sweaty. And those are the nicest things they say, drowned out in a sea of profanity you’d expect to hear from much older boys in a locker room. When she can’t tune the insults out, her tears prompt this gleeful response from the kids: “She probably misses her box of Twinkies!”

When you watch this video, it first comes across as the heartless emotional abuse of an elderly woman. But the irony makes it much worse.  Karen’s job is to keep the bus safe. Karen’s role is to ensure a bully-free environment.

Do these kids represent America’s future?  Why didn’t any other kids on the bus stand up for their chaperone? Surely, you can’t say all these kids don’t know the difference between right and wrong.

This story has a (somewhat) happy ending as an Internet fundraising campaign raised more than a half-million dollars for Karen’s vacation and retirement fund. She will never have to step foot on Bus 784 again.

But the bigger problem isn’t going away.  How did these kids become heartless monsters?  Where are the parents?  According to media reports, none of the offending children have given a face-to-face apology. Yet that wouldn’t resolve the issue either.

There is a clip in the video where Karen attempts to professionally handle the situation by telling the foulmouthed children that if they “don’t have anything nice to say, don’t say it all.”  It’s traditional and worthwhile advice that gets passed down from generation to generation in many families. The children’s response: “Shut the (expletive) up!”

No commentary needed.

Both parents and nannies assume a huge role in our children’s social and moral development.  Every day is a learning opportunity and how children respect their elders, respect authority and express empathy toward others is ultimately a reflection on parents and caregivers alike.

So when you are searching for and screening nanny candidates, finding someone who shares your values is just as important as their experience and knowledge about child care. Parents certainly can’t depend on the schools to make sure their kids are kind and thoughtful “little adults.”  And if they did, by then, it might be too late.

(For more information about preparing for your nanny search, visit the free eNannySource Learning Center).

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Immigrants or not, are some nannies treated like cardboard?

Friday, June 15th, 2012

Artist Ramiro Gomez wants to raise awareness of "invisible" domestic workers in his city through handpainted cardboard cutouts. (Source: Los Angeles Times)

The Los Angeles Times recently showcased an enlightening project by a struggling artist and male nanny who is making public art to draw attention to the value of domestic work.

Ramiro Gomez Jr. creates vibrant 5-foot-tall cardboard cutouts of nannies, gardeners, housekeepers, valets and other service workers out of large television boxes he finds behind his local Best Buy.  The free-standing figures are placed in the swankiest, richest neighborhoods in Beverly Hills, Hollywood Hills and other highly desirable real estate markets.

“We see the beautiful homes. The hedges are trimmed, the gardens are perfect, the children are cared for,” Gomez tells the Times. “We’ve come to expect it to be this way. But who maintains all this? Who looks after it? And do we treat the workers with the dignity they deserve? Do we stop and notice them?”

The artist regularly photographs his cardboard creations in action poses at his Happy Hills blog.

Tough To Ignore: Artist Ramiro Gomez is calling for Los Angeles nannies and other domestic help to be treated with dignity. (Source: Los Angeles Times)

It can be heartbreaking for Gomez to watch what happens to his paintings. There are no velvet ropes like at a museum. It’s not uncommon for his sculptures to get trampled, thrown in a nearby trash bin or destroyed by animals or weather. The U.S. Secret Service recently ordered him to remove some gardener figures from the street when President Obama was in the city for a fundraiser.

The cardboard cutouts, which have attracted the attention of local art galleries and curators at UCLA, are obviously silent.

And what they’re not talking about is the open secret that paying undocumented workers (or nannies of any background) under the table is not just a tax evasion problem. It’s a formula for potential mistreatment and neglect.

Nannying is a profession, a career. Not some kind of odd job or series of chores you can find someone to do on Craigslist.

Having a written Nanny/Employer Work Agreement firmly establishes the job responsibilities, expectations and fair compensation/benefits for both sides.  While it must be tempting to avoid the paperwork and take home more money in cash, being paid legally makes sense in the long term.

Having proof of employment is essential for establishing credit and securing loans for cars, homes and more. If you want to be able to utilize Social Security, Medicare, and even in some cases unemployment or disability insurance, you must be paid on the books.

The eNannySource Learning Center provides valuable guidance for both hiring families and those seeking employment about how to verify a nanny candidate’s legal status, industry guidelines for salary and benefits, and how to make sure the nanny tax is appropriately handled.

Hiring employees the proper way is not just about the money, it’s about respect as well. No one, regardless of where they are from, deserves to be treated like a piece of cardboard.

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Cardboard Creativity: Nannies can be their children’s inspirational muse

Wednesday, May 23rd, 2012
Caine Monroy, 9, built a dream arcade out of cardboard boxes that inspired tens of thousands of strangers!

Every once in a while there’s a story on the Internet that makes every parent, teacher or caregiver cry.  The happy kind of cry.

In case you missed it, Caine Monroy is a gregarious 9-year-old boy who spends much of his time after school hanging out at his dad’s used auto parts store in East Los Angeles. Caine, a budding entrepreneur, designed and built an elaborate collection of arcade games and machines using only cardboard boxes and packing tape.

Most of the amusements are classics you’d find at any carnival midway, including one of those crank claw/crane machines that challenge you to scoop up stuffed animals. He selflessly used his own toys as prizes. Customers could play the games four times for $1 or get a “Fun Pass” good for 500 plays at a bargain price of $2.

Just one problem… Caine’s father’s auto shop is a virtual ghost town with barely any random foot traffic. Most customers are generally in a rush and don’t have the time to humor the boy.

Waiting for customers who may never arrive.... or will they?

Filmmaker Nirvan Mullick is the exception. He not only buys a Fun Pass, but takes the time to play each cardboard game and get to know Caine.

He’s so impressed with the kid’s spirit, that he does a bit of impromptu marketing and turns Caine’s Arcade into a busy, standing-room-only attraction.

How did one kid's fantasy project capture the imagination of an entire city? (Click to enlarge image)

I’m not going to tell you how that happens — let’s save the surprise ending for when you get a chance to watch Mullick’s short film below — but it’s a heartwarming  example of how adults can make a tremendous difference in a child’s life just by making a tiny effort.

Contrary to popular belief, a nanny isn’t an hourly babysitter or someone to just make sure the kids don’t run out in the middle of the street. A professional nanny sees herself as a substitute parent, just as concerned with a child’s emotional, social and intellectual development as she is about bedtimes and making sure all the vegetables get eaten.

Not every kid’s idea will be as cute or as clever as Caine’s Arcade — and certainly very few will have these kind of miraculous results (again, you MUST watch the video). But encouraging children to dream, work hard and enjoy the limitless boundaries of their imaginations should be part of any full-time nanny’s job description. Most of the challenge simply comes down to patiently listening, and making the effort to engage with a child’s interests instead of trying to squeeze in one more text or an extra TV show.

At eNannySource, we urge every parent to run a Nanny Background Check on prospective candidates, but the screening shouldn’t end there. You’re not hiring a bodyguard or Secret Service Agent. Personality matters — a lot!

Searching for a nanny should include a personality screening, a set of interview questions that make it clear if she will be an ideal match for your family and parenting style. Only you know what’s most important for your needs, but here are “9 Questions for the Nanny Interview That Make the Difference” to get you started.

Feel free to mix it up a bit and see how she feels about this video!

Perhaps the most inspiring part of the whole story is how the filmmaker’s kindness will keep on giving. Mullick has set up a Caine’s Arcade Scholarship Fund to help Caine and other kids from disadvantaged backgrounds go to college.

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Want “America’s Supernanny” to take over your home?

Friday, April 13th, 2012

Interested in having your home become a "Supernanny" laboratory for the whole world to see? Click the pic for more details!

Oh yes, potential fame is ringing your doorbell!

The producers of “America’s Supernanny” on Lifetime Television are now having an open casting call for Florida and Georgia families eager to host reality TV star and nanny guru Deborah Tillman.

The Supernanny got her start in the early 1990s when she was looking to hire nannies for her infant son and just couldn’t find quality help. According to her TV bio, she went through SEVEN childcare providers before deciding she was best qualified for the job herself. Tillman quit her day job as an accountant and opened a home-based school and daycare center where she could guarantee her child wouldn’t have a warehouse-like experience.

Her daycare facility rapidly expanded and she now runs three centers in Virginia. She is also the author of “Stepping Out on Faith,” a how-to manual on opening up a child care facility like hers.

On the Lifetime series, Tillman is known for her no-nonsense style in advising families how to handle picky eaters, spoiled brats, hyperactive children and overall bad behavior. She’s not an actress plucked from a pile of pretty headshots. This Supernanny has a Master’s Degree in Early Childhood Special Education from George Washington University.

So, you want her in YOUR home?

The producers are looking to connect with parents dealing with “extraordinary circumstances” and who are “desperate for help.”

Here’s a sneak peek at some of their screening questions:

  • Do your children exhibit extreme physical behavior? (i.e. hitting, scratching, choking, spitting)
  • Do your children throw fits or tantrums?
  • Are there any conflicts involving your kids in the neighborhood? Does the parenting philosophy/set of rules (or lack thereof) of other parents in the neighborhood affect your own kids’ behavior?
  • Do your kids engage in behavior that destroys the house/toys/car? (e.g. drawing on walls, smashing toys)
  • Do they talk back to you or your partner (swearing/tantrums/outbursts)? What provokes it? Which bad words do they use?

Wow. It can get stressful even reading those questions!  Even if you are not from Florida or Georgia, it makes sense to fill out the survey because the TV show is recruiting families nationwide.

Supernanny Deborah Tillman

Reality shows tend to focus on extreme cases, because hey, that’s what creates the drama. But the reality is that most of us have children who misbehave sometimes — just not in the public eye.

If you’re looking for the right Supernanny for your home, one available for hire (Tillman presumably won’t stay at your home when the camera crews leave), then you’ve come to right place.

We’re proven matchmakers, having connected more than 450,000 nannies and families over the past decade. eNannySource is the affordable alternative to expensive nanny agencies, offering you extensive nanny background checks, and guiding you through every step of the screening and hiring process at our free Learning Center.

But if you want some Hollywood inspiration for the personality traits you want or don’t want in your honorary new family member, check out this clip of the Supernanny taking on the challenge of “zombie” children being babysat by TV and video games 24/7:

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Feeding Time: What do you think of Alicia Silverstone’s ‘Mommy Bird’ method?

Monday, April 2nd, 2012

Actress Alicia Silverstone first got a lot of attention for her unusual taste in baby names.

Best known for her movie roles in “Clueless” (Cher) and “Batman” (Batgirl), actress Alicia Silverstone is now feeding an endless amount of watercooler chatter surrounding her parenting philosophy.

On her blog, “The Kind Life,” the actress recently posted this silent home video of herself feeding her baby son, Bear Blu, by first chewing the food and then regurgitating it into his mouth like a bird.

Writes Silverstone:

“I just had a delicious breakfast of miso soup, collards and radish steamed and drizzled with flax oil, cast iron mochi with nori wrapped outside, and some grated daikon. Yum! I fed Bear the mochi and a tiny bit of veggies from the soup…from my mouth to his. It’s his favorite…and mine. He literally crawls across the room to attack my mouth if I’m eating. This video was taken about a month or 2 ago when he was a bit wobbly. Now he is grabbing my mouth to get the food!”

The pop culture icon, well known for her public endorsement of the vegan lifestyle, certainly has eclectic tastes.  No Gerber squash or peas for little Baby Bear!

Baby Bear or Baby Bird? (Source: TheKindLife.com)

Pre-masticating or pre-chewing food for babies, also known as “kiss feeding,” is a practice that spans across cultures. One recent study reported that 63 percent of Chinese university students were fed this way when they were infants.

Regardless of how widely accepted the method is, Alicia Silverstone’s video was instantly met with wide ridicule.

The irreverent women’s blog Jezebel chastised the Hollywood star for “making out” with her son.

Comedian and late-night talk show host Jimmy Kimmel suggested parents everywhere get a laugh by pretending to adopt the technique for their older children. His YouTube Challenge is called “Hey Jimmy Kimmel, I Silverstone My Kid.”

What do you think: Can humans learn from the birds?

Here’s how the NY Daily News reported on Kimmel’s offbeat challenge, or should we say, dare:

“You can use any food. And tell your kids a doctor named Alicia Silverstone said it is healthy for parents to chew the food first. And explain this is how eating is going to work in the house from now on,” Kimmel said, while holding a plate of pre-chewed pizza, in a video uploaded to YouTube.

Kimmel tells parents to avoid actually chewing the food in what he calls, “one more step towards a real life hunger games.

“I don’t want you to spit food into your kid’s mouth, even I have limits.”

Kimmel amassed a series of hilarious videos during past challenges including “I told My Kids I ate All Their Halloween Candy” and “Unplug the TV During Super Bowl!”

And comedian Joan Rivers took it one step further by taking a bite out of her sandwich on the TV show “Fashion Police” and passing the food to the lips of her co-host, Kelly Osbourne.

On a more serious note, the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) and Prevention warn that the premastication technique NOT be used by caregivers who have the HIV virus because of potential spread of the disease through saliva.

If that issue is not a concern, then how you feed your baby really comes down to personal preference. There are many different parenting styles out there and the challenge of finding the perfect nanny is matching up with one who naturally shares your childcare philosophy.

At eNannySource.com, we’re proud to have connected more than 450,000 nannies and families over the past decade. Our Safe Nanny Hiring Kits, Nanny Background Checks and Nanny Learning Center make us the logical and affordable alternative to pricey nanny agencies.

Whether you prefer to pulverize solid food in a blender or seek alternative methods for your infant, no one knows your parenting preferences better than you — and you should be at the forefront of choosing your nanny!

That being said, what do YOU think about feeding your child pre-chewed food?

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Avoiding Chicken Nugget Syndrome: How to hire a nanny who matches your parenting philosophy

Wednesday, February 15th, 2012

British teenager Stacey Irvine has become a global tabloid sensation for her unusual eating habits. (Source: The Daily Mail)

This story really shouldn’t be that surprising to any parent or nanny who’s ever battled with a fussy toddler at the dinner table: a 17-year-old British girl has grown up eating a daily diet consisting primarily of fried chicken nuggets and French fries, or as the Brits call them, “chips.”

According to The Daily Mail, young Stacey Irvine was recently hospitalized as a result of breathing problems and anemia related to her extremely unbalanced nutritional intake. The girl, who is now being treated with injections of vitamins, told the media that she has never eaten or even tasted a single vegetable in her entire life.

How that contrasts with my own upbringing of not being able to leave the dinner table before finishing my broccoli!

In a rather ridiculous subtext to the malnutrition story, the Daily Mail asserts that the teenager “struggles” to find space for the Happy Meal toys she has accumulated over the years.

The byproduct of a chicken nugget habit is an avalanche of fast food toys! (Source: The Daily Mail)

Sensationalism aside, the chicken nugget story raises some basic questions about the role of parenting and nannying in general.  This girl would not have had experienced these kind of nutritional deficiencies if she had been guided by responsible caretakers.  Someone enabled this kind of behavior and allowed it to continue for years before it spun out of control.

Someone was being a horrible role model.

No one wants their child to grow up with avoidable health problems. Let’s say you are a responsible parent who fully realizes that parenting is a 24/7 commitment that never takes a break. And let’s say that you are searching for the perfect nanny or au pair who will support your values and enforce your wishes.

How do you find suitable candidates and know who you should hire?

Luckily, you’re not alone.  If you’re reading this, you’ve already found the most affordable alternative to a pricey nanny agency and one that doesn’t sacrifice the quality of your candidate pool.

Our Safe Nanny Hiring Kit, included in all our memberships, is the best way to ensure that you hire another you!

In addition to providing you with a nanny application, a thorough background check and a contract form approved by the International Nanny Association, we guide you through the initial phone interview screening process, the in-person interviews, and the hiring process.

It’s probably safe to say that you wouldn’t want to hire the Chicken Nugget Girl, although she probably would be fantastic in getting your kids to put their toys away!

 

 

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China’s “Octomom” spurs nanny hiring boom

Tuesday, January 24th, 2012

These Chinese octuplets, born with the help of in vitro fertilization and three different mothers, have raised ethical questions in a country known for its strict One Child policy for population control.

So you already know the challenges of hiring a nanny for your busy family.  Imagine all the background checks and job interviews you’d need to hire 11 perfect candidates!

In Guangzhou, China, an unidentified wealthy couple has just sent shockwaves throughout the country for engineering the birth of octuplets in a blatant defiance of the Chinese “One Child” policy. According to the Associated Press, the couple was discovered by the media after bringing their children to a local photo studio for a series of cutesy costumed poses.

From the AP report:

“… many Chinese were amazed to learn that a couple had spent nearly 1 million yuan ($160,000) and illegally enlisted two surrogate mothers to help have the four boys and four girls.

The incident has highlighted both the use of birth surrogates, a violation of Chinese law, and how wealthy Chinese do as they please, with scant regard for the rules that constrain others. The most-common reaction, though, has been simple disbelief.

… Chinese media are calling the mother babaotai muqin, or Octomom, a reference to the American woman who gave birth to octuplets using in vitro fertilization.”

The biological mother is believed to have given birth to two of her children, while two surrogate mothers gave birth to three children each.

The babies were born last October. The Guangzhou Daily, a government-run newspaper, reported that the mystery couple hired 11 nannies to handle the stress of being first-time parents with 8 newborns.  The paper also said that the couple and the babies are now “in hiding” to shield themselves from public resentment.

Hopefully, these babies won't be negatively impacted by the legal circumstances they obviously had nothing to do with.

The Chinese media’s “Octomom” reference, of course, is to tabloid darling Nadya Suleman, the single mom who notoriously had herself implanted with 12 embryos despite already having six children. It’s estimated that raising 14 kids at once costs $78,336, a figure that’s easy to understand once you’ve purchased your first case of diapers and baby formula.

Perhaps fueled by anger that her personal costs need to be subsidized by government assistance, Ms. Suleman recently had the dubious distinction of being voted near the top of America’s Most Hated List.  She recently told the TODAY Show that she feels like she is being scapegoated because she is an unemployed single mother.

“If I had a mate, that would have defused a lot of the animosity,” she told the NBC show.

Meanwhile, a recent survey of 1,200 mothers for TheBump.com and Forbes Woman concluded that 92 percent of working moms and 89 percent of stay-at-home moms feel overwhelmed by the stresses of everyday child care.

Sound like someone needs to search for a nanny ASAP.

And whether you need “only” one nanny or au pair to meet your family needs or 11 (!), check out our Safe Nanny Hiring Kit and our cost-effective monthly membership plans, which offer unlimited candidate searches and screenings!

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