Scene: Beautiful fall day at the bus stop outside Marronier restaurant
Characters: A Nigerian nanny and her charge, Ludmilla, a little blond of no more than three.
(The little girl is peeking through the bushes at the diners in the restaurant. The nanny tries to move her away, and she puts her hands behind her back. The nanny gently leads her to the bus stop, sits down and angles the child in front of her.)
The conversation was in French, but this is a translation.
Ludmilla: I want to watch them eat.
Nanny: No.
Ludmilla: But I want to. I want to.
Nanny: (softly but firmly) It isn't you that decides, it's me that decides.
Ludmilla: But I want to.
Nanny: I know you do, but we need to respect people's privacy.
Ludmilla: (pouting climbs up on the bench)
Nanny: (hands her a phone to play with--pouting stops)
The bus comes and the nanny and little girl get on the bus. The child is all smiles and they chat about where they are going. I loved the firm limits, delivered in a soft voice, the recognition of what the child wanted, and the reason she couldn't have it.
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1 comment:
I see so little of that firm hand anymore. It's like a breath of fresh air. All kiddies need parameters to guide them. Otherwise they'll all be like the ones we see in the news, those children not doing so well in life.
Nice to see Ludmilla's Nanny giving her some guidelines that will serve her well in life - the art of being courteous. And learning that one does not always get ones way! Thanks.
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