Help! I have had an upsetting experience with my toddler and Nanny and need some advice. Being on maternity leave, for the first timed I have started going on outings with her during the day. Going to a birthday party last week, I felt unhappy when she took our nearly 2 1/2 year old out of the car and instructed him to stand on the pavement while she got the rest of the things out of the car with her back to him. As it was a quiet road, I didn't say anything. But yesterday, when we went to drop him at Nursery, she did the same thing but this time on a busy road. I was carrying the baby and chatting to another mother when as we were approaching the road, our son ran straight out on to it - mercifully he didn't come to any harm.
When I am out with him, I hold his hand at all times near traffic and when I am unpacking the car, he is the very last thing I remove from the car. I feel at his age he is far too young to be simply told to be careful of cars and instead needs to be physically restrained at all times (either in his pushchair, holding his hand or by reins) to prevent him potentially running out.
After the incident at Nursery, our Nanny could see I was very upset and I made a point of telling her that I think she should have been holding his hand. She didn't apologise and simply said it was the first time he had ever run off. It has left me feeling very upset and given that she will soon have two small children with her I feel we should have a serious word as to what we expect where road safety is concerned. Do you think it is too heavy handed to put a set of rules in writing?. She does not take criticism (real or implied) AT ALL well but to me this is such a serious issue that I want to be crystal clear on it. Do others take a similar view to road safety with toddlers?