Small Town With Past Charges

[Anonymous]

Hi All,
For 15 months I worked for a family caring for a 1 year old and a three year old. I left this family around New Year's due to it becoming a bad situation (with the parents, I loved those kids!). I left to work for the family I'm currently with, which is a wonderful family to work for (caring for a 2 year old) and I'm really so happy and relieved I made the switch! My situation is that I'm still working in the same, relatively small, suburban area. This family doesn't have much of a yard or outdoor space that is kid friendly so as the weather begins to warm up, I would like to take my current charge to the big state park nearby. It's an awesome park to take my charge and the family dog on long walks, play on the playground, have a picnic, etc. However, it also happens to be across the street from the last family I worked for. They have a new nanny now and I know that, odds are, they will also be visiting the park often. When I worked for the family, the WOH MB encouraged me to take them to the park (which I gladly did). I'm a bit conflicted, since my first reaction is to avoid running into my past charges since I don't want to make my current charge, my past charges or their new nanny feel uncomfortable. However, I also don't feel it's fair to avoid the park since it's really an awesome place to take my new charge and I don't want to deprive him of that because of my awkward situation.

Have any of you ever been in a similar situation? How have you handled it? Any thoughts / input would be great, thanks!

[Anonymous]

Go where to you want to go. When you see the former family, say hello to the new nanny, and give the children big hugs.

[Anonymous]

The PP gave great advice.

I've been in your shoes. I worked for 3 different families in the same, small gated community within a very small town (population-wise). Thankfully only the the second situation ended badly. It was awkward to run into my former charge from that family and the revolving door of nannies, but I usually just smiled and said hello. I never changed where I went with my charges. It wouldn't have been fair to my new charges to allow a past situation to interfere with activities.

The first few times will be awkward, but it will get easier as time goes by.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Go where to you want to go. When you see the former family, say hello to the new nanny, and give the children big hugs.

But tell the nanny first who you are. I'd be concerned if a stranger ran up to my charges and gave them hugs.

[Anonymous]

OP here: Thanks! What you both said is pretty much what I've been thinking, but since I've never been in the situation before I wanted to make sure that others thought it was ok as well! Thanks for your responses!

[Anonymous]

OP gain: Good thought about introducing myself to new Nanny, luckily I have already met her as I went to relieve her once while parents were on vaca right after I switched jobs. She's really nice so I'm not too worried, just didn't want to make things weird for her or the kids. But I'm a bit more reassured, thanks again!

[Anonymous]

The kids are 1 & 3, they have probably forgotten you by now.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:The kids are 1 & 3, they have probably forgotten you by now.

Hey thanks for the helpful and nice response. I have babysat for them once since I left about a month ago and they had far from forgotten me. I'm not an idiot and understand that the little one may soon forget me, but when I saw them, they both were very excited to see me. And I highly doubt that after seeing them on an almost daily basis that the 3 1/2 year old will have forgotten me already. But thanks, that was helpful!

[Anonymous]

I would probably gauge it by how the kids tract. If they seem to notice you or see you but don't act like they recognize you then I'd do the same. If they tan up to me excited to see me, I'd respond in kind. If they seemed to see me but felt shy about it then I'd say hi and mice on must likely.