MB doesn’t want me to be friends with moms?
I’ve been with this family for years, two kids. This summer NK2 will attend preschool. Since I have been working for this family so long, I have come to get to know many families in the neighborhood, particularly those with kids the same age. There are a few moms that I have been coordinating play dates with at local parks as their kids will be in the same class as my NK. Those families have very part time nannies and occasional babysitters but not a full time nanny like myself.
Today, MB asked that I not text them directly and ask them to coordinate with her if they would like to set up a play date. She said it is fine for me to directly coordinate play dates with their nannies or babysitters but she doesn’t want to “make it weird with her friends because they’ll see each other a lot this summer”. She said she wanted to establish a boundary because she could see it possible that I feel responsible for the other children or like the other moms dictate what I do with NK. I told her I don’t feel that way and it has been very casual, usually along the lines of “we’re going to x park, want to meet up?” but she still seemed unsure. I told her I wouldn’t want to do anything to make her uncomfortable but I can’t help but feel hurt. It feels like I and the other nannies are being put into a separate and lower category of human. I also enjoy these moms and don’t want them to think I am the one that isn’t comfortable with them reaching out or that I am closed off to friendship.
Where do I go from here? What do I say to MB if anything? Do i say anything to the other moms?