Nadia and the big boo boo

Nothing upsets a nanny more than an injury. An injury may cost her the job. She will tail a toddler all over the park for hours just to catch him when he falls. She may freeze in fear as blood runs down the face of a three year old who was attacked by a shovel-wielding playmate. Nadia had been with the two boys she babysat for at least two years. The oldest boy was 3. He came over to say hello and show me the big cut on his knee. Nadia helped by pulling down his jeans so I could see the very large colorful bandaid. He demonstrated how it happened—he slipped on the wet sidewalk by the water fountain. I asked Nadia what it was like to tell his mother. She said it was ok, they’re good about that, but she had to write it down in the notebook like she does each day. Both parents work long hours. Three nannies share the childcare duties, two during the week and one on the weekend. Nadia leaves in the afternoon when the other nanny’s shift begins, and before the parents get home, so she must write the events of the day in a spiral notebook. In the best English possible, she scrawls what happened, what they ate for breakfast and lunch, where they went, and who got injured. “I don’t mind,” she confided, “because I get to work on my writing English so I learn.” Two months later, Nadia was replaced. The boy brought his new nanny over to meet me.