St. Davids, PA. July 6, 2009. Approximately 11:30 am. Granted, I have seen much worse on this site, but I still feel I must report what I saw yesterday. The child was a caucasian male - around two or two and a half. He had light brown, short hair. The nanny was African-American and around 35-40. She was about 5'6 and a tad overweight. She had short-medium hair (dreads) with faint red highlights. I was shopping when I heard a sudden, very loud cry - like when a child is hurt. It startled me, so I looked to my left and saw the little boy sitting in the cart. He was wailing, the poor thing - and the nanny didn't even look his direction. He continued to cry for a little, with his little head down and then it changed to more of a whimper. She pushed him up another aisle as I followed and she never looked at him or said a word. I watched this for about five minutes and periodically saw them throughout the store - the nanny never looking at him or speaking to him. Personally, I thought it was heartbreaking. I can't help but think that any parent would want to know this. Maybe the nanny was having a bad day - I don't know - but she seemed so aloof with him. And maybe it was a tantrum (which I don't think it was), but still a gentle word would've been appropriate.
Tuesday
St. Davids, PA.
Received Tuesday, July 7, 2009
St. Davids, PA. July 6, 2009. Approximately 11:30 am. Granted, I have seen much worse on this site, but I still feel I must report what I saw yesterday. The child was a caucasian male - around two or two and a half. He had light brown, short hair. The nanny was African-American and around 35-40. She was about 5'6 and a tad overweight. She had short-medium hair (dreads) with faint red highlights. I was shopping when I heard a sudden, very loud cry - like when a child is hurt. It startled me, so I looked to my left and saw the little boy sitting in the cart. He was wailing, the poor thing - and the nanny didn't even look his direction. He continued to cry for a little, with his little head down and then it changed to more of a whimper. She pushed him up another aisle as I followed and she never looked at him or said a word. I watched this for about five minutes and periodically saw them throughout the store - the nanny never looking at him or speaking to him. Personally, I thought it was heartbreaking. I can't help but think that any parent would want to know this. Maybe the nanny was having a bad day - I don't know - but she seemed so aloof with him. And maybe it was a tantrum (which I don't think it was), but still a gentle word would've been appropriate.
St. Davids, PA. July 6, 2009. Approximately 11:30 am. Granted, I have seen much worse on this site, but I still feel I must report what I saw yesterday. The child was a caucasian male - around two or two and a half. He had light brown, short hair. The nanny was African-American and around 35-40. She was about 5'6 and a tad overweight. She had short-medium hair (dreads) with faint red highlights. I was shopping when I heard a sudden, very loud cry - like when a child is hurt. It startled me, so I looked to my left and saw the little boy sitting in the cart. He was wailing, the poor thing - and the nanny didn't even look his direction. He continued to cry for a little, with his little head down and then it changed to more of a whimper. She pushed him up another aisle as I followed and she never looked at him or said a word. I watched this for about five minutes and periodically saw them throughout the store - the nanny never looking at him or speaking to him. Personally, I thought it was heartbreaking. I can't help but think that any parent would want to know this. Maybe the nanny was having a bad day - I don't know - but she seemed so aloof with him. And maybe it was a tantrum (which I don't think it was), but still a gentle word would've been appropriate.
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4 comments:
... it could have been a tantrum. maybe the child had misbehaved before you were on the scene and the nanny was ignoring his antics.
even if it wasn't, sometimes you just have to let them cry - they are feeling their emotions, it's good for them.
Hard to know if this was a tantrum and maybe she spoke to him earlier and was only now letting him pout it out.
I saw the cutest sight yesterday as I left the library. There was an adorable little blonde boy, probably just shy of two years old, sitting on the sidewalk outside the library, his legs outstretched in front of him and a huge pout on his chubby little face.
Standing above him, silently and patiently, but not coaxing or engaging him in any way, were an older man and woman...clearly the gransparents. I couldn't help but ask, "Waiting him out there?" They chuckled and said, "Yeah. What else can we do?" I said, "That brings back some sweet memories for me. He'll get bored in a little bit...especially since the sidewalk is really hot." Then, as I got into my car I saw a few other people stop and remark about the little guy...which made him appear a little self conscious, which made him forget to pout and turned his face into a more contemplative expression...and he looked like he was thinking about getting up by the time I drove off.
OP here. Well, I just didn't get the feeling that it was a tantrum from how he was crying. I was previously a nanny and I just can't imagine letting a little one cry without even a word.
I would understand if the child were having a real tantrum -screaming and kicking - to ignore the behavior. But, he was motionless with his head down and crying. It was just a sad sight. I wanted to pick him up - poor little guy!
A little late to the party here, but I just have to share my experience with something that happened recently.
I had my 21mo old granddaughter at the market a few weeks ago. She protested that I was strapping her into the cart. At first it was a quiet protest telling me "no, no". Then out of nowhere she let out a blood curdling scream. At first I checked to make sure the seat wasn't pinching her, it wasn't. She continued to struggle, trying to stand up.
I told her she needed to be strapped in to be safe and the more I spoke with her trying to calm her down, the more she cried. By this point people were giving me the hairy-eye.
At a loss for what to do, I ignored her. Yeppers, indeed I did! I also made no eye contact with her either. She finally calmed down and when she did, I looked down at her, smiled and told her she was sitting nicely, like such a big girl.
I'm sure to all the other shoppers it looked like I was being an inattentive mean woman without knowing the whole story.
I've had to take this approach a few times since, but her protest are getting less and less.
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