When to tell 4 year old nanny is leaving?

[Gigondas]

Sorry if long but will put details down. Our nanny is leaving in 3 weeks as is going home for family reasons (father very unwell). We have a replacement who dd 4 knows (I also have a baby dd 6 months).

We have two nannies as I am currently have health issues so need extra help (have been in/out of hospital which although dd copes well with gives a bit of an uncertain background of late). So dd1 does know and like replacement (although has been some playing off with outgoing nanny which is to be expected).

Nanny will be leaving as dd goes on holiday too so will be a gap before not seeing her daily. We do plan keeping in touch.

When is best Time to tell her - was thinking a week or so before ? And also do it in a matter of fact way (we are talking about nanny going home to look after her pets as rightly/wrongly don't want to put any worry into her head about "sick parents" given how I have been).

Sorry for such a long post but being bit pub (me being ill, arrival of her baby sis, starting reception in sept and this is lots for dd to take on board so want to support her).

I would tell her now, and say it as "X will won't be with us any more when you go on holiday as she is going home to her family. After the holiday Z will be your nanny, but we can still write to X"

I left a child of that age when nannying and the family told her when I told them - about 4 months before. She was fine about it, and we are still in touch now.

Thanks- will do

Can you do something with your daughter like

"We must make a card for Nanny X to say goodbye ... what do you think she would like on her card"

or "should we buy a cake to have when Nanny X leaves, what cake do you think she would like"

I find with my DD that if I thread in this information, linked to something else it started to settle, and it was given over in a non threatening manner, if that makes sense!!! (So not about someone leaving, but more about what we are doing nice around that ....)

Good luck