S10.E08: The Gema Dilemma

[SunnyBeBe]

1 hour ago, stitcher73 said:

I worry about the baby.  How many nannies has the poor little baby started to bond with and then BAM nanny is gone and a stranger is in her place.  That could really screw with an already difficult baby.

Excellent point.  I had a regular daytime sitter for awhile when I was young.  We never called her a nanny, but, she was.  I really loved that lady.  I was very fond of her and missed her when we moved and didn't need her anymore. My mom stopped working out of the home.  Of course, Monroe is still quite young, but, still....I can't help but hope that she has a stable female figure in her daily life. 

[Willowsmom]

I believe every word Gema said about Zoila. I don't think that was the only problem, but Zoila is Jeff in drag.

[RedheadZombie]

On ‎10‎/‎6‎/‎2017 at 8:26 AM, ghoulina said:

I'm not sure I believe Gemma 100% when it comes to the Zoila accusations. I'm not saying SOME of it is true, but I don't know that all the claims are true. I'll wait and see how it plays out. The reason I say this is because Gemma seems a bit shifty herself.

I think the nanny problem they've been having is a combination of MANY things. For one, I think Monroe is just a super difficult baby. She's got colic. My daughter didn't have colic, but she is on the spectrum and has been high maintenance from day one. She cried and cried and cried as a baby. Oh it was rough. Sounds, certain materials, people other than me....everything set her off. So I think it would be hard for ANY parents to find a nanny who can handle that. 

But, on top of that, I think she likely felt too micromanaged. Gage seems to have a SUPER hard time easing off and letting the nannies do their job. I get the point of a nanny cam, but it's like he's watching that thing constantly and jumping in there at every little thing. We've seen from his texts that he can be overbearing and nasty himself. He looks nicer in comparison to Jeff, but he isn't all peaches and cream. 

And I think Zoila is likely breathing down her neck as well. They can write it off as over-protective, and I'm not saying that's not part of it, but Zoila has a way of acting superior to the other staff and feeling like it's her place to tell them all what to do. So I can absolutely see her interfering with Gemma's job. But outright sabotaging things between her and Gage? I don't know. 

Because, the 4th problem here is Gemma herself. As I said, she is shifty. To start, there was her inappropriate comments about Gage in the beginning. Which, yes I know - that whole fucking office is a pile of inappropriateness. But something about working with the BABY and then sexually harassing her father really struck me as skeevy. And then there's her weird story about the baby causing her to pull a back muscle. I was instantly on alert when Jeff relayed that tidbit. I wondered if she was going to try and go for some worker's comp deal. And, of course, covering/blocking the camera. Not okay. 

So I don't know that I fully trust her word. I think she may be looking to pass the blame. But I do know that ALL of these people need to chill the fuck out. Oddly, in THIS situation, Jeff is probably the most chill out of all of them. But they need to hire a nanny who has experience with difficult babies, and then leave her to do her damn job. Gage absolutely needs to get out of the house more. 

I am brand new to this show - marathoned last weekend, from about four episodes before Monroe was born until now.  I don't know enough about Zoila to have an opinion on her complicity, but I've seen enough of Gema.  She's all kinds of inappropriate.  Her initial behavior towards Gage is classic manipulation.  Flattery and extreme affection is how a lot of below par workers manipulate their bosses into keeping their job.  She saw he had most authority over the baby's needs, and sucked up hard to compensate for sloppy and lazy behavior.  Just starting with sleeping while the baby sleeps - I'm an RN, and there is NO sleeping on the job.  I'm talking you can't use your meal break for a nap.  That's grounds for immediate dismissal.  

Then there's the blocking of the camera.  The very kindest interpretation is the camera makes her uncomfortable, which is absolutely not to be stopped per her whims.  More sinister motivations are neglect and then abuse.  Regardless of her reasoning, after she was corrected once, she was flagrantly defying the rules.  And when we saw her wake up that very colicy, contentedly sleeping baby - I was convinced she's incompetent, if not flat out cruel.  But what better way to get a raise?  Block the camera, disturb the baby so she doesn't sleep well, deliberately awaken her so she screams a few more hours.  Then call her the most difficult baby you've ever seen, claim she pulled out your back, and then request simultaneous reduced hours and a raise. 

[RedheadZombie]

On ‎10‎/‎6‎/‎2017 at 9:27 AM, bichonblitz said:

So Jeff has a nanny and a night nurse? Must be nice. Is Jeff hands on at all? Gage is so obsessed with the baby, it's becoming a bit creepy the way he is on his phone 24/7 watching every move any nanny is making. They will never find a nanny that will stay. I'm beginning to think there is something weird about Gage. Having said that, Zoila is a nasty bitch, always has been, always will be. Why can't Jeff see it?

It seems to me that part of the problem is what is shockingly common with affluent people - trying to get childcare on the cheap.  First of all, I doubt the night nurses were actually "nurses".  I hear this term used a lot when it actually means childcare on the night shift.  And then you have the rich people who use au pairs, who are absolutely NOT nannies.  Why don't they simply get a real, professional nanny, from an actual nanny agency.  These are women who have been professionally trained in depth, know CPR and safety, environmental enrichment, nutritional needs of babies, developmental stages, etc.  They take their job seriously, and aren't simply glorified babysitters.  A professional nanny knows how to take charge in the nursery, stake her territory without being intimidated by overbearing parents (or offending the parents), and knows not to ignore full on screaming babies, or waking a comfortably sleeping colicky baby.  She doesn't sleep on the job, ignore her employers, or spend her day on the phone.

I think the true solution, after finally getting a trusted nanny, is to separate the baby more effectively from the office.  Gage cannot concentrate when he hears his baby distressed, and it wouldn't seem so strange to some if this were a mother fretting.  Frankly, I couldn't concentrate on work if one of my cats or dog were sounding distressed.  Monroe is also going to be old enough soon to manipulate Gage into running to the rescue if she doesn't like being corrected by her nanny.  I also think it's a good idea, as suggested above, for Gage to take a few months off work and really focus on the baby and her schedule.  I think his stress is more from the parental guilt, and feeling torn, that simply having a colicky baby.  One thing that stands out is the fact that I've never once seen that baby burped.  She may have aged out of that stage, but she needs all the help she can get to rid herself of that gas.  It also seems like they use her feeding to soothe her into sleeping, and even though she's propped up, sitting upright is much more efficient with reflux.  Especially with a nanny whose one and only job is baby, keeping Monroe upright, even if snuggled on the nanny's shoulder, for a half hour would help reduce the reflux.

10 hours ago, stitcher73 said:

I worry about the baby.  How many nannies has the poor little baby started to bond with and then BAM nanny is gone and a stranger is in her place.  That could really screw with an already difficult baby.

That reminds me of Mariah Carey, who famously fired her nannies every time she got jealous of how close her twins were to her.  Combine that with the fact that Mariah was pretty hands off with her children, and I can't imagine how those kids bonded to anyone.

[dleighg]

3 hours ago, RedheadZombie said:

It also seems like they use her feeding to soothe her into sleeping, and even though she's propped up, sitting upright is much more efficient with reflux. 

I noticed in the last episode Jeff (I think) feeding her a bottle as she's in a little seat as she's drifting off to sleep. That seemed a little odd to me, as shouldn't she be going to sleep in her bed? Maybe it's what you just suggested, but it did seem that feed-to-go-to-sleep without teaching any sleep-in-bed-hygeine is a dangerous precedent. 

Edited October 10, 2017 by dleighg

[Juliegirlj]

Babies should be held while being fed. If being upright afterwards eases her reflux then put her the carrier or swing after she is done with the bottle. 

Does Jeff seem like he may have Asperger's to anyone else? 

[Jsage]

Quote

Zoila is a shit stirer and I fully believe she isn’t helping.

I loved Zoila the first two seasons. I thought she was funny and I think she really took care of Jeff when he was going through the betrayal by Jenni's first husband. But after that her jokes fell flat and the little language misunderstandings just weren't funny. And once Gage came, her treatment of him was just appalling.

[humbleopinion]

Zoila has becomes increasingly intolerable since Gage started appearing on the show.

She and Jeff had a nicer relationship in the early seasons but it is well past time for Zoila to exit the show.

Bravo paychecks and Monroe kept her on the show longer than what was practical.

Earlier in the show she was gifted a mini Cooper to run errands and now drives off into the sunset in a BMW SUV that is probably a lease and will go back to the dealer sooner than later.

Edited October 16, 2017 by humbleopinion

[Sprockets]

1 hour ago, stewedsquash said:

 

 

1 hour ago, stewedsquash said:

I like Jeane and I have a potty mouth but she is just a smidge beyond organic potty mouth and onto cringing potty mouth, if that makes sense

Jean is doing it for effect, and it comes out as forced.  She thinks she is being cool, but she's just being a brat.  Only real women can swear organically.  You and I may be the last ones.  I've found it goes over well in the midwest.  Well, no.  

1 hour ago, stewedsquash said:

I am in the minority in that while I think Gage is overly involved, I don't fault him for being that way or for being abrupt with the people who work for them

Gage is conducting business, whereas the others - including Jeff - are jerking off most of the time.  I'm Team Gage all the way.  

Edited October 16, 2017 by Sprockets
oops

[Mom2twoNonna2-3]

I assure you I organically swear and it drives dh nuts.

[SuprSuprElevated]

On 10/15/2017 at 8:01 PM, Sprockets said:

You and I may be the last ones.  I've found it goes over well in the midwest.  Well, no.  

I am a midwestern potty mouth.  It doesn't always go over, and I don't always judge my audience properly, but it is who I am and those close to me aren't even affected by it any more.  Some say it is a sign of poor education or lack of vocabulary.  I can say with confidence that neither is true in my case.  I'm actually a word snob.  Go f**king figure.

[Sprockets]

3 minutes ago, SuprSuprElevated said:

I can say with confidence that neither is true in my case.  I'm actually a word snob.

Sister!  

[SuprSuprElevated]

1 minute ago, Sprockets said:

Sister!  

<coffee spit>  Haha!  This, without question, is going in the archive!

Edited November 4, 2017 by SuprSuprElevated