Dear Jewish Fairy Godmother:
My son is almost two. He’s had the same nanny twenty-five hours a
week since he has been three months old. Unfortunately, she’s about
to move away to begin a graduate program. Her younger sister, whom
he also adores, is too busy with school to take over for her, so I am
going to have to find a new nanny. But I realized that I want to give
my old nanny a present. I don’t like giving money or gift certificates,
and I cannot think of something that’ll show her how much I care
about her. There’s also a chance that she’d become a nanny to my
younger son when she moves back here to write her dissertation.
Creatively Bereft

 
Dear Bereft:
I don’t know if you’ve taken pictures of your son with his nanny, but
generally a memento gift, with or without an accompanying gift
certificate, demonstrates both gratitude and affection. Among the best
things about living in the era of jpgs and mpv files, is that it is
relatively easy to cut and paste a very modern memento “book” onto a
cd/dvd combo pack. You can include all pictures you have of the two of
them together, as well as the many pictures I am sure you have of
your son and the rest of the family. You can organize it chronologically
9the most typical method) or by activity or event. Be sure to include
any pictures of the two sisters with the two boys, everything you can
think of to reinforce the bonding between the two families.

 
As for maintaining contact, in the world of social media, it is easier and
easier. Ask to link to one another on Facebook (or an equivalent site).
Then upload pictures of the boys regularly and be sure to read what
the sisters are doing. Write personal notes to them regularly. Treat
them like cousins and maybe they’ll stay part of the family.