work at home mom
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Anonymous
My maternity leave is over and I'm heading back to work  Our new nanny who seems wonderful is starting next week. I work from home 2 days a week. I know it's probably not easy for the nanny to work while the mom or dad is home. If you are a nanny, or a parent in the same situation, I would love some tips for how to make our new nanny comfortable. Thanks.
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Anonymous
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When you work from home I think it is very important that when you go to work you are at work. It may not matter as much now since the baby is so little, but once they start getting older, it is much more difficult if you are in and out of the room that nanny and your DC is in.
My previous position was with a WAHM, and it could definitely be challenging at times since they lived in a small townhome. She worked in the kitchen, and there was nothing separating her from the room DC and I played in. He was constantly running in, and then would have total meltdowns when I tried to get him to leave mom alone. We ended up spending 3-4 hours of our day at parks and walking around outside just because I felt like I was in her hair. MB then told me that she would like him to be at home more so that she can see him during lunch time, so I told her that it would probably be best if she works from a different room. She ended up working from the bedroom and then coming down for lunch with us. She would leave in the morning when I came and say, "mommy is going to work now. I will see you at lunch!" and do the same thing again after lunch was through. That worked out so much better, and it was a lot less stressful. Overall, people will complain about working for a WAHP, but it really isn't all that bad. I really loved my previous MB, and we still do visits and everything. She is so sweet, but I think we were definitely getting on each other's nerves for a while there. As long as you give her complete autonomy during your working hours things should work out very well! |
Anonymous
Only one person can be in charge when the two of you are at home. If it isn't the nanny then you don't need a nanny for those two days. If it is the nanny then respect her autonomy and don't come running every time the baby cries or laughs. Have a work area that is not close to where nanny and DC will be playing, singing, dancing -- it isn't fair to your child to shush him/her. |
Anonymous
| Thank you for the thoughtful reply! This is very helpful. |
Anonymous
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What is most important in these types of situations is for the parent to let the nanny do her job. Simple.
If she is allowed to do her job w/out feeling as if she is being closely monitored by the parent, then it can go smoothly. I suggest your work space be as far away from her and your child as possible. I also suggest you concentrate 100% on your job and as hard as it is, refrain from interfering with caring for your baby. This is challenging. If for instance, you hear your baby screaming out and the nanny does not seem able to calm him down, it is only natural as a mother to go see what is the matter. However, doing this will start a bad habit for you as you may find yourself doing this more and more. Unless your nanny asks for your help specifically, I would just let her handle everything. Also, let them get outside the house occasionally. Since your baby is so young, I suggest daily stroller walks. It benefits nanny to get some fresh air and exercise while baby gets to feel the motion of the stroller and a change of scenery. Finally, make sure you and the nanny have good chemistry together and are both on the same page as to respecting boundaries and such. Have fun and good luck to all of you! 
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