Picture this: Your Nanny walks through the door in the morning with her cup of coffee and a new library book. Your little munchkin runs right past you as your’e moving towards the door, and throws himself into her arms.
She laughs and scoops him up and they start breakfast. He doesn’t even bother to say goodby to you. Sound familiar? Outside of your immediate family, your caregiver is probably the most important person in your network, and nearly one-third of Moms say they have felt jealous of their Nanny.
How do you cope? First, realize you’ve found the right person for your child. Your child’s strong bonds with others will never diminish his love for you. Having good relationships with caregivers actually acelerates other healthy relationships in his life. Your Nanny is one more person who loves your child.
Secondly, create daily rituals between you and your child, like breakfast, bathtime, reading at bedtime, playing with duplos, or going out for a family breakfast on Saturday mornings.
Knowing there’s something special that just the two of you do will help you get through those moments when you feel replaced.
One Mom frequently came home with a new toy because she felt shaky about her child’s affections. Her Nanny was able to reassure her that no one could ever take her place in his life, and homecomings became much calmer.
You are irreplaceable in his life, and always will be.
