*This is the third in our How To Series, check out the rest of the posts here*
It goes without saying that 2020 changed the game for childcare. Nannies have been hustling ever since! One area that really hasn’t been discussed too much is how a nanny is to manage doing her job while a parent is trying to do their’s in the same space.
For a nanny, her nanny family’s home is her work space. Yes, it’s first and foremost a home but it’s also a nanny’s office. When a nanny’s office becomes the parent’s office as well, sticky situations can arise!
However, with some clear boundary and expectation setting, work from home parents who have a nanny can be a wonderful workable solution.
For a little context, my current family has one work from home parent, dad boss. He has been working home for over a year with no plans of going back to the office. We have since figured out, what I consider, a beautiful arrangement! My mom boss happens to be a night nurse who sleeps while I am with the kids. Needless to say, having two parents at home during the day was not something I originally had signed on for! We’ve made it work because we set clear expectations from the beginning.
Set Clear Boundaries with Children
Be very up front with the children you are caring for. Using phrases like: “Daddy is at work, he is not able to come out of the office right now.” “Mommy is on a very important call, we’ll ask her at lunch time to see the painting you made.” help children to know that yes, even though mom or dad is home, they are working. If mom or dad has an office door that can be closed or locked helps set the boundary even more clearly.
Set clear boundaries with Parents
As the nanny, you need to decide what level of parental involvement you can handle during the day. Some nannies like to have mom or dad step in when a baby can’t be soothed or a fight needs to be broken up. Others, like myself, enjoy complete autonomy during the day. My dad boss stays in his office and makes zero comments on how I run our day. Knowing your own boundaries in your childcare giving will help improve your nanny/parent relationship. Resentment grows when you have unclear boundaries that continue to get crossed.
Discuss Work Habits
I love listening to music during the day with my charges. We dance and sing a lot. I’m also a pretty loud talker. I’m just a loud person!! I was very clear with my dad boss about this right from the beginning. The room we spend most of our day in is right next to his office. I wanted to make sure that he was okay with much louder noises. He assured me that he wears noise cancelling headphones when things get too loud! He also tries to plan really important video or phone calls during nap time. The ideal situation would include a home office with a door for your dad or mom boss to work from, if that’s not the case having a clear work space that the kids know if off limits might be helpful.
Create parent visits throughout the day
If you find yourself with a parent who wants to be a little more hands on during the day, find times when he or she can come visit the children. A great opportunity would be having lunch together. Maybe mom would like to nurse the baby right after nap. Maybe dad enjoys reading a book before nap time. Setting up these special times during the day can go a long way to create a sense of teamwork between parents and nanny. Your charges don’t feel like mom or dad are ignoring them during the day while parents can ease a little of their working parent guilt by feeling connected.
Set up consistent routines
My charges know that when I walk in the door each day, dad will talk to me, take out the dogs, and then say goodbye to them. Some days we walk him to his office where one of the kids will close the door. When their mom comes home from work and needs to take a nap it’s nearly the same routine. We don’t make a fuss or a big deal out of saying goodbye. Just a simple hug and kiss seems to work! This all signals to the kids that Rachel is in charge now, our day of fun can begin. They know dad will come out to grab lunch and say hi while we are eating lunch.
If you have kids who struggle with transitions like this, having a routine is so helpful. Kids like to be able to anticipate what is happening next. Knowing what to expect can make the parent/nanny switch easier.
My number one piece of advice is never be afraid to ask for a sit down discussion with your nanny bosses. They are not mind readers! They will never know how you’re feeling if you don’t share with them.
I hope you were able to get a little bit of encouragement from these tips. I’d love to hear your work from home parent stories and maybe help solve some communication problems you might have! Share at theteachingnannyblog@gmail.com or on Instagram @theteachingnannyblog!
The Teaching Nanny 