Word power

Most days when we reach home, the kids come with complaints. 'Aunty pinched me', accuses my daughter pointing a finger at the maid. "Aunty whacked me," complains my son. The aunty gives a sheepish grin when we look at her suspiciously or says that "Oh, I just threatened him with dire consequences" etc.
We dont know what to make of it - we dont have an option right away. Ash's complaint could be genuine. Mira uses the word beat/thrash in a very loose sense of the word. It could just mean that she didnt get what she wanted or it could actually mean what she says.
Maids can be pretty mean with lil kids. The agony of the parents increases when it involves a kid who cant speak yet or express it well in words. Sometimes I worry if maid 'handling' has affected my son's behavior. Nannies who ill-treat babies in their care or eat up the food meant for them. My mom always tell me to feed the kids well before we leave for work so that even if they dont get much to eat until our return, they wont be tired.
I am always reminded of the Matthew Eapen case in the US, where the au pair went scotfree after accidentally (??) causing her ward's death. The case might have had a different turn if one of the kid's parents had not been an Indian, a Malayali - the race factor also went in her favour.
I have thought about installing a surveillance system to monitor the maid's attitude to the kids, but it turns out to be an expensive proposition (Rs.15,000 last year) since it is internet-linked - you get to see what is happening back home on your mobile phone screen. Video capture should be less difficult but I havent a clue how to go about it.

p.s. I have launched another blog Misspelt Word of the Day, but it is not too regular. You could check it out once in a while if it catches your fancy.