As summer comes to an end, many parents have faced the challenge of finding childcare. Some sent their kids to day camps or with grandparents, while others hired nannies. Kamila, who just graduated from high school and was looking forward to a long break, encountered an unexpected issue.
I became a nanny without choosing to be one. The situation is really awkward, and I don’t know how to handle it. I’m hoping that once September comes, things will settle down
- she writes in a letter to the editor.
"Neighbor's Kids Regularly Knock on My Door"
Kamila lives in an apartment block with her parents, and upstairs lives a family with two children.
My mom is friends with the neighbor. They’re not super close, but they visit each other occasionally for coffee. One day, the neighbor brought her daughters, 8-year-old Amelka and 10-year-old Klara. The girls were lively, as kids are. They first threw a toy for my cat, then played with dolls on the carpet. I thought they were cute, and at the time, their company didn’t bother me. But by the end of June, the problem started
- Kamila explains.
The girls' parents work shifts, and when their schedules overlap, the grandmother would come to watch the girls.
When the girls asked if they could visit me and the cat, their grandmother agreed. That’s how my problem began. When they came over the first time, I gave them chocolate and let them play in the living room. Their grandmother came to pick them up after two hours
- Kamila shares. Amelka and Klara started visiting Kamila almost daily, and eventually, it became overwhelming.
It’s not that I don’t like kids, but I have my own things to do. I also need privacy, and these unannounced visits became tiring. Even the cat had enough. As soon as he hears their voices in the hallway, he hides under the coffee table. This isn’t how it should be
- she adds.
"I Pretend I’m Not Home"
Initially, Kamila thought the problem would resolve itself once the girls' parents found out. But that didn’t happen.
There were times when their mom or dad, instead of the grandmother, would come to pick them up and say how much their daughters liked me. Great, but I’m not a nanny. I didn’t want to be rude, so I never told them that their visits were exhausting. Eventually, it got to the point where I’m pretending not to be home
- Kamila admits. Now, when the doorbell rings, Kamila turns off the TV and stays still until the uninvited guests leave. She discussed the situation with her mom, but her mom also doesn’t know how to discreetly explain the issue to the neighbor. "Am I a bad person? I don’t want to hide from the kids, but their company is just tiring for me right now. Honestly, I’m longing for September. I can’t wait for the girls to go back to school so I can enjoy one more month of vacation" - she concludes.
