Can someone explain the allure of working-from-home one day a week?

[Anonymous]

I work from home on Fridays and the benefits, as far as I'm concerned are: getting to sleep in since I'm saving on commute time, staying in yoga pants & make-up-less all day, eating healthier since I'm home, getting to think through a task without interruption, being able to schedule a Dr's appt without having to think about what others are hearing, and being able to run an errand on my lunch break - like drop something off at the post office, or just do a load of my laundry.

But the issues you describe are common and can disrupt the day for everyone, so here's what I do to try to minimize that. I lock myself up in my home office. I try to limit my trips down to the kitchen to when it sounds like the baby is already done for a nap, and I try to stay out of sight, and keep quiet, so the kids can basically forget that I'm there. If they ask me for things while I'm working, I tell them that so & so is in charge, so it's up to her and then I get out of sight. I don't interfere when I hear crying or when there's a time out. The only time I've run downstairs to see what's happening is when the fire alarm went off.

[Anonymous]

Did she choose this? My brother's company recently changed policies and now everyone is requirEd to work from home once every other week.

[Anonymous]

I work from home on Fridays. No commute! No interrupting coworkers! I get to look at my childrens' beautiful faces when they're not sleepy from either just waking up or getting ready to fall asleep! No formal clothes!

[Anonymous]

OP you sound very judgmental and passive aggressive yourself. Of course it is more comfortable for some people to work from home and there are others who don't like it. As PP's have said, it saves on commute time, let's you be more casual and I would also add lets you get some housekeeping things done like throwing in a load of laundry or tidying up that someone obviously can't do while at the office. The fact is it's her home and she can come and go as she likes. If she's doing something that's disrupting your day, then you need to be direct about it and let her know rather than posting on a board wondering to strangers why someone would do something that's perfectly normal. It's not like she's walking around the house naked or doing something SO crazy by being home. Yes, I get that it's annoying and you should address it but can you really not see the appeal of being in your own house with your child??

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:OP you sound very judgmental and passive aggressive yourself. Of course it is more comfortable for some people to work from home and there are others who don't like it. As PP's have said, it saves on commute time, let's you be more casual and I would also add lets you get some housekeeping things done like throwing in a load of laundry or tidying up that someone obviously can't do while at the office. The fact is it's her home and she can come and go as she likes. If she's doing something that's disrupting your day, then you need to be direct about it and let her know rather than posting on a board wondering to strangers why someone would do something that's perfectly normal. It's not like she's walking around the house naked or doing something SO crazy by being home. Yes, I get that it's annoying and you should address it but can you really not see the appeal of being in your own house with your child??

OP here. My MB doesn't have a commute as I stated, of course it is her home and she can (and does) come and go as she pleases, and she does no housekeeping chores while she is home. No, I cannot see the appeal of staying home with your child when as I stated she makes the her child unhappy (which I also already stated).

I agree with the allure of spending the day in yoga pants. So far that is the only answer to my question on why anyone would want to work from home.

Please reread my post. I an asking WHY -- that is all.

And to PP, no - MB doesn't have to work from home -- she choses to.


Again, I was asking the question of WHY -- nothing more.

[Anonymous]

OP if you know she is home every other Friday then plan on being out a lot on those days. Do breakfast and whatever else you need to do and then dont come back until nap time. After nap go for a walk outside.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:To see her child?
To be in her own home, in comfy clothes?
To not have to be bothered with whoever/whatever in the office?
To get better uninterrupted time to concentrate on work than may be possible in an office setting?

If it isn't working well (which it sounds like it isn't) then you need to sit down w/ your employer and talk about that and ways to better manage things when she's in the house.

Avoid a long commute.
Get some personal errands done.
See child.

[Anonymous]

Just ask your MB.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:This is the reality OP. Talk to your boss and try to find solutions, or decide this job isn't for you.

It is inappropriate for you to judge her choice to work from home.

What a load of crap. Of course the nanny should recognize a situation that's having a negative effect on her charge. That's one of the ways you know the difference between a nanny and a sitter.

OP, share your observations with the clueless parent, and see if she wants to start practicing some healthy boundaries. If not, you have two children to work with.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:To see her child?
To be in her own home, in comfy clothes?
To not have to be bothered with whoever/whatever in the office?
To get better uninterrupted time to concentrate on work than may be possible in an office setting?

If it isn't working well (which it sounds like it isn't) then you need to sit down w/ your employer and talk about that and ways to better manage things when she's in the house.

Avoid a long commute.
Get some personal errands done.
See child.

Not OP but OP already wrote that her MB had no commute to work, never left the house and made her child upset by either clinging to the nanny or wanting the mother.

Seriously, if you have nothing to add, you really do not have to post.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:When I accepted this job, MB never mentioned that she would be working-from-home every other Friday. My employers and charge live in a small house and now that my charge is 1.5 years-old, it is impossible for me to keep her quiet inside the house. MB interrupts us and comes into the room anytime her DD is laughing or whining which is very hard on both my charge and me. Either the baby will cling to me when she sees her mother or want her mother - neither is fun. I also never know when MB is playing with the baby during the day if I can leave the room and do other things or if I am expected to stay with them. MB also likes to work on her laptop in the living room which means I can only keep the baby in her bedroom.

It has nothing to do with anything nefarious or lazy I may/may not be doing during the day as I am on Nanny Cam all of the time when they are at work.

It might be easier to accept if I could understand WHY my employer would want to stay home to work and not go to her beautiful office just a 1/2 mile from their home.

TIA

I have no clue why your MB wants to work from home, OP, aside from not having to get dressed. It also seems very unfair of MB to work in the living room so the child has to play only in her room.

Does MB even notice that her kid is unhappy?

[Anonymous]

I agree with you on this OP.

She should have mentioned she would be doing this upon hire, but perhaps in all fairness to her, she didn't know or plan on it at the time.

It's so tough working in a home while the parent is there all day. Your experience is not unique. Many of us nannies who have worked in a home where the parent telecommutes have gone through the same hell...err...challenges you just mentioned.

The child always acts differently when they know the parents are home. And the extra strain on the nanny to keep the child quiet so the parent can do their work is a pain.

Plus, when the parent comes and goes whenever he/she wants just is annoying because you never know if you are being watched and listened all the time.

Why don't parents GET IT....??!
Are they really that stupid..???

If I were you OP, this every other Friday thing would be a deal-breaker for me.

Unless you are being paid a very pretty penny for your job, it just isn't worth the added stress.

[Anonymous]

Mothers can win on this board. They get shredded for having the temerity to work outside the home. They get shredded for having the temerity to work inside the home.

OP, it's none of your business WHY she wants to work at home, nor is that a question strangers can answer.

If you want an actual answer - ask her.

If you want to address the problems her being home is causing, talk to her.

If you just want to complain and judge then you've found your home, and kindred spirits clearly.

[Anonymous]

Ugh, CAN'T win - obviously.

Also - if you don't like the gig - quit. It's a free country.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:When I accepted this job, MB never mentioned that she would be working-from-home every other Friday. My employers and charge live in a small house and now that my charge is 1.5 years-old, it is impossible for me to keep her quiet inside the house. MB interrupts us and comes into the room anytime her DD is laughing or whining which is very hard on both my charge and me. Either the baby will cling to me when she sees her mother or want her mother - neither is fun. I also never know when MB is playing with the baby during the day if I can leave the room and do other things or if I am expected to stay with them. MB also likes to work on her laptop in the living room which means I can only keep the baby in her bedroom.

It has nothing to do with anything nefarious or lazy I may/may not be doing during the day as I am on Nanny Cam all of the time when they are at work.

It might be easier to accept if I could understand WHY my employer would want to stay home to work and not go to her beautiful office just a 1/2 mile from their home.

TIA

You have to talk to your MB about NOT interrupting you and the child. I would also talk to her about restricting a toddler to her bedroom and the need to be quiet. Your concerns are about the child in your care, OP, and are all justified.

Quite frankly, I don't understand the desire to work from home in your MB's situation either. If she had a long commute I could understand it but putting on work clothes and a little make-up takes a few minutes and is not worth disrupting your child's routine for, IMO.