Our nanny keeps the 5 year old indoors after school. How do I ask for park time without it sounding like a complaint?

banyan_gecko_721227 Oct 2026

Both of us are at work till about 7, and our son is with our nanny from 1 pm when preschool ends. She's kind and reliable and he loves her. But most afternoons it's lunch, nap, cartoons and some colouring, and the only children he sees all week are the same three from his class. There's a park in our community that fills up with kids from 5. I'd love him to be down there for an hour on most days, playing with whoever turns up. I just don't want her to hear 'you're not doing enough', because she does a lot. If you've asked a caregiver for a change like this, what words did you use?

1 comment

cobalt_lantern_641227 Oct 2026
We had this with a caregiver when our son was small. What worked was asking her what she thought he needed, rather than telling her. She said the park was difficult because she was also expected to start the cooking in the evening. Once we moved the cooking earlier, the park happened by itself. It may be worth checking whether something else in her afternoon is making the park hard.
- peach_notebook_462527 Oct 2026
  Asking first is good. Also make it easy: a small bag by the door with a water bottle, a ball and a snack, so going down at 5 doesn't feel like extra work.
- banyan_gecko_721228 Oct 2026
  Update: asked her last night what she thought he'd enjoy. Turns out she avoids the park because the other nannies sit together in one group and she doesn't know any of them. We've agreed I'll take both of them down on Saturday morning and introduce her to a couple of parents I know. Small start ❤️