Keeping in touch when your job is over ...

[Anonymous]

Parents, do you keep in touch with former Nannies ?
If so, how ? If not, why ?

Nannies, do you keep in touch with former Families ? Maybe just the kids ?

I have worked for several families and a couple of them were never interested in keeping in touch with me.
We weren't super close but I figured we could send an email from time to time.
I expected them to send me some recent pics of the kids to see how they've grown ...
It looks like they paid me for a job and when it was over, so was our relationship ...

With most of my other families, we happily keep in touch. I visit them when I travel to their country (I live abroad now).
They send me pictures, news etc.
My current and very recent families (I own a Home DayCare), we all gather a few times a year. One time at their house, one at mine, one at another parent's house ...
Be it for dinner, a barbecue or coffee/cookies. The kids are very happy to see each other (they were under my care at the same time) ...

I like to believe I have been an important person in their life and I do not get when I'm forgotten as soon as the contract is over ...
I totally got over it now but it's just something I don't get, so I was wondering what you guys thought ?

[Anonymous]

I guess I'm OK either way.

I haven't been good with keeping in touch


With one family I tried for a bit but didn't do much.

I am Facebook friends with all my families but it doesn't go beyond that.

[Anonymous]

OP here. I am friends on FB with most of my former employers as well, it's easier to keep in touch.

[Anonymous]

It's funny how this kind of sweet post never gets the response it should.
People prefer the nanny/db mb wars ... How sad !

[Anonymous]

MB here. I can't answer as our nanny hasn't left us yet, but when she does I absolutely hope it's on terms that allow us to stay in touch.

She's been w/ us for 3+ years and I hope we can continue to afford her, and she continues to want to stay, for at least 3 more years. At that point we'd hopefully transition to not needing childcare but still having her as our primary babysitter or overnight option if we have to go away. She has remained in close contact w/ several of her former families so I know that is what she'd like if it works out that way.

[Anonymous]

MB here. I am terrible about keeping in touch with anyone, including friends and family. If it weren't for FB, I'd probably not know anything about anyone. We move a lot (military), so this comes up regularly.

I've FB friended old nannies, and we Skype with one occasionally, but if it's a relationship of only a year or so, I think it's ok to let it fade over time.

[Anonymous]

MB here, I could have written the 9:53 post. We have moved a lot because of the military and I'm FB friends with all of our previous nannies. They comment on my posts of the kids sometimes and I comment on their posts as well. When we still lived nearby one of them she would periodically come and visit us. If we weren't Facebook friends though I don't know how well we'd keep in touch. Not because I don't want to but because I rarely have time to write emails or call most of my friends and family.

OP, the families you say you've lost touch with, have you emailed them asking for pics of the kids or how they are? If you did and they didn't write back, I'm sorry (despite the fact that I'm busy if someone else initiated an email I'd probably make the time to write back eventually) but otherwise I wouldn't take it personally. It doesn't mean you weren't important to them but more likely it just means a busy life got in the way.

[Anonymous]

OP here. I got over it now.

I am working with several families and 99% of the time the parents are super nice.

I am not looking for new friends or anything, but keeping in touch with the parents of the kids I helped raise is important to me. If some of them don't want to keep in touch, fine, I can't force them. It makes me sad but maybe the kids will be happy to find me when they're older.

Thank you for your input, have a great day!

[Anonymous]

A nanny here. I have occasionally kept in touch with my first. It didnt end that well because I decided to leave for more pay and FT ( never verbally said that). We kept in touch for like a year, on and off but they moved out of state. One family moved to Japan so I only am in contact on FB. My third ( and best) moved for a unexpected job offer. It's only been a few months but they were the one's initiating staying in touch. It's only been a few months but I have was invited to the baby's first Birhday party and we will be meeting up when they are in town for the holiday's. We text periodically and MB sends me photos and talks about issues with finding a new home and they jut told me they are expecting again. We have stayed in touch and I believe we will for a long time. I have even been invited to stay at their place when I'm ever in town. I am in a temp position which has been awful and I have no interest in keeping in touch. I am starting a new position and hope the same attitde will apply with my favorite position so far. I am hopeful.

Good experiences can and have been made. Not all nanny experiences end badly. I think it takes a special connection to continue on and I found that with that particular family. I could see myself being good friends with MB if I were her age. Her mother and db's sister even keep in touch and I'm friends with the whole family on FB. I couldn't be more happy and honored or know them.

[Anonymous]

I only have one former nanny and added her on Facebook after her last day. I wasn't her biggest fan but knew she was going to miss him a lot so I wanted her to be able to see photos.

[Anonymous]

It all depends on how good my chemistry has been w/the parents, not so much w/their kids.

If I have a good relationship overall w/the parents and the job ends on good terms w/no acrimony, then by all means, we usually keep in touch either by being Facebook friends, via e-mail and by text messaging.

And yes, I have been known to stop by + visit (unpaid) just to see how the kiddos are doing.

Another good option is doing some occasional babysitting or date-night babysitting off and on for the family.

There have been some families where I just never felt close to the parents or where things ended on bad terms. While I grew close to the children and had great chemistry w/them, I lost touch w/them due to losing contact w/their parents.

I guess it is all relative.