Ms Roughley told the court she and other members of staff would often engage with children by singing rhymes to them.
But Ms Roughley was then asked by the prosecution: “What rhymes with ‘whinger’ or ‘diva’, or other such remarks you have made to her?”
She replied: “I would not say diva is malicious.
“It’s just when children are showing their personality off.
“Genevieve would not have been the only child I would have called a diva.
“Often we would say to children ‘stop whingeing’.
“This was not shouted at the children or said in any malicious way.
“They were just passing comments through the working day.”
When asked if she believed Genevieve’s death was avoidable, Ms Roughley said if she checked on her a “couple of seconds or minutes earlier it may have been different”.
But she added the baby girl was sleeping on the beanbag “like many children had done before”.
She told the court she felt responsible for Genevieve being in her care that day but added: “I don’t feel my actions were the reason for the death.”
The trial continues.
