Nannies Attend Classes to Fill Information Gap
An increasing number of parents are looking for baby-sitters capable of handling emergencies, discipline problems and life’s minor everyday crises, among other things.
Some Southland nannies, who are predominantly Latinas, spend up to 12 hours a day alone with children, without access to information on child-rearing, healthy diet or recreational activities, according to experts in the field.
To begin meeting the need for practical information, psychologist Laura Gonzalez has offered a five-session technical training course for Spanish-speaking nannies at Mt. St. Mary’s College in Brentwood. The college plans to repeat the noncredit course between Sept. 25 and Oct. 20. (For information, call 744-0641.)
Marnie Roosevelt, coordinator of the $100 course, said that, at a time when many mothers work outside the home, it is fundamental for nannies, or “stand-in mothers,” to be able to understand, discipline and entertain children, to prepare healthy meals for them, and to prevent household accidents.
The classes cover education, nutrition, accident prevention, mouth-to-mouth resuscitation and first aid.
Suzarn Dyer, a mother of two, said she hoped the classes would reinforce much of what is talked about at home, a lot of which is not always clear because of the language barrier between employer and employee.
Marina Sandoval had to learn to communicate in English with the family of her employer, who died of cancer, leaving behind a 20-month-old son, Sammy. Sandoval remembered staying in close contact with a psychologist who guided her collaboration in raising the boy.
Still, her current employer, Krista Wasserman, saw a need to have her take the course, because, she said, Sandoval still has trouble setting limits for Sammy, now 8.
He “has changed a lot, has better manners,” explained Sandoval, who says she speaks Spanish to the child, but he does not make much of an effort to learn.
Sammy and his nanny are very close, and, Wasserman said, there is a very special bond between them.
Others among the 10 nannies shared their anxieties, big and small. Some discussed behavior problems. The instructor recommended giving attention when children behave well, and centering on positive behavior so that it will be repeated.
“Sometimes we have radar-like antennae which pick up only the negative in children . . . sometimes children misbehave just to get attention,” she added.
Among other topics covered in class were cultural differences that surface when employees and employers come from different parts of the world.
Besides understanding instructions, nannies have to be aware of the dangers of drugs and cleaning products within reach of children, Gonzalez said. She added that some sitters had not given any thought to those risks.
Also addressed in the course were children who point to everything and the need not to respond until the child has made an effort to speak; finding strategies to make eating pleasurable; speaking Spanish to help the child become bilingual, and being tolerant and communicative.
For the nannies, the class was the chance for which they had been waiting.
Wasserman, Sandoval’s employer, said, “It is good to listen to different opinions. . . . I wanted Maria to hear what other people in her situation had to say. It’s like any other type of group session. You learn a lot.”
