Tuesday, September 26, 2006 Approx 2 PM
I was on my lunch hour and sitting at table at the Food Court at the Galleria Mall. A nanny came and sat two tables away from me. She had a little girl with her who was about 2. She was pushing a mall stroller and all of her bags seemed to be brimming with kid stuff. She struggled with the stroller. Got the child all set up to eat her food first. Only after the child was set up did the nanny unwrap her straw and take a drink of her soda. She talked to the child the whole time. I really wasn't paying anymore attention to her than I was anyone else. Although when I did observe the nanny and the kid she had with her, I did think "how sweet". The child called the nanny "Lolly". I don't think that was her name, the two year old was not that verbal. But here comes the problem. The child wasn't eating what she had before her. The nanny looked around, looked at me (I think she assessed me to be safe) and then she got up and went and got the child a frozen yogurt. She didn't ask me to watch the child, but was away from the table for about four minutes. True, the lunch crowd had mostly dissipated. But why did this nanny who I had just assessed to be so great think it was okay to leave the child? If you are not familiar with the Food Court, it is almost a circular area around a bunch of table. The table the child was left at was one of the furthest from the place where the nanny got the frozen yogurt. So rather, than post this as a nanny behaving badly- I would like to say, please remind your nannies and yourselves never to leave their children unattended anywhere. She should have asked me to watch out for the child, I would have. (My attire clearly identified me as an employee of one of the mall stores). Anything can happen.
I agree she should've taken the child with her to get the yogurt. But leaving the child in your care? Given that she doesn't know you, that wouldn't be any better than leaving the child alone. Btw, I'm sure you're fine with kids and not a threat, but she has no way of knowing that. Being employed by a store at the mall is no guarantee. It's not the type of screening teachers, etc. go through.
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