About this Blog
Momfidence! cheers on commonsense parenting and sighs at the rest. How to worry less, wing it more. A.k.a. parenting by the seat of my mid-rise mom jeans.
About Paula SpencerI'm the author of Momfidence! An Oreo Never Killed Anybody and Other Secrets of Happier Parenting, and a mom of four in Chapel Hill, North Carolina (where you can't even buy Oreos at the two wholesome groceries nearest to my home). 
A rare foto in which all six Spencers face the camera! by Charles Harris
Some Kindred Blogs
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How to Set Yourself Up for Messed-Up KidsAugust 28, 2008
Once again I find myself apparently in the minority--this time, scratching my head over a Craigslist ad by a New York mother of four seeking a nanny. It's apparently so "extremely revelatory" that it made the rounds of the NY mom network, enough to be highlighted in a NYT article today.
The gist seems to be how brave and candid this mom is, her ad offering "a participant's critique of a particular strain of moneyed class hyperparenting that dominates in certain reaches of New York, as well as a desperate request for a certain kind of masochist." A masochist? Taking care of four kids (not even little ones: 12, 9, and 6-y-o twins) who are in school from 8:30 to 2:15 while the mom works at home as a "painter and aspiring writer" married to a store owner? And the difficulty is....?? What goes unmentioned: * The mom refers to her kids in this public ad as a pain-in-the-posterior. Gee, thanks Mom, we love you too. * This is the family's "at least" 11th nanny in 12 years. Nice consistency for the kids. * Is this how people hire nannies these days...on Craigslist? I don't live in NY and never hired a nanny, but that sounds scary to me! * Oh, and leaving crumbs on the table is "a dealbreaker." Okay, so the priorities are clear here. |
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