Make sure that your nanny knows the
difference. Some nannies will discipline a child because they feel that if the
child doesn’t eat a meal then you will hold them accountable. Other times
nannies will discipline a child for not sleeping at naptime or bedtime because
the nanny needs the free time or rest time that comes when the child is
sleeping.
Remind your nanny that sometimes
children get cranky and don’t want to eat or sleep or play because they don’t
feel well. This malaise can come from teething, growing pains (yes, they are
real), growth spurts or right before a child gets sick
and displays more clinical symptoms. Other times a child can get cranky or act
out because they are hungry, but they don’t realize it. Some children are on
chronic medication or cold medication that can make them moody and give them
secondary symptoms like stomach cramps or headaches – either as a regular side
effect, or a side effect that comes from their having missed a regular dose of
the medicine.
If a child doesn’t want to play
with a particular child or children, it isn’t necessarily because they are
being “bad,” but it may be because they just don’t like the child or children.
Imagine what it would be like if you were forced to play with someone you
didn’t like!
Children have likes and dislikes and whether or not you agree with
them, or respect them you have to acknowledge them in order to have a good
relationship with the child.
During the time that children are actively teething, their
immune systems are often compromised, and they are more prone to contagious
illnesses that they come in contact with. The problem for many parents and
nannies is that many children spend weeks with green, runny noses, and some
form of a cold while they are teething. Be clear on how you feel about your
child interacting with other kids, and how closely, while your own child has a
green, runny nose, a low-grade fever, or vomiting. If it sounds like a crazy
suggestion, understand that not every parent or nanny feels the same way about
illness. Some people feel that all kids get sick, and you can’t keep them in a
glass cage -- you have to go on with your lives whether they’re sick or not.
Other people feel that illness should be taken seriously in all forms and that
rest and relaxation are first and foremost. Surprisingly, even pediatricians
have varying views on whether a child should go to school with a fever – some
doctors feel that unless the fever is over 100 degrees, the child may go to
school, camp or the playground.
