Work From Home Parent/Nanny Relationship
As a parent, working from home (WFH) can be tough, especially when your nanny and child(ren) are in the house too. Sometimes the dynamic between you and your nanny can be difficult since you are both in the same home trying to get different jobs done. Having been nannies and dealing with this situation ourselves; we wanted to share five ways to make the WFH situation easier for you and your nanny!
Communication
The most important thing is communication. This seems like an obvious one but, we can’t stress this enough. If you and your nanny don’t have transparency it can be very easy to step on each other's toes with no one the wiser. Creating that clear communication will give you both the space you need to say things that are important. If communication has been a problem with you and your nanny it is never too late to start! Make time to speak with your nanny and emphasize that you want to be able to be candid with each other. With both of you in the home it's very important to start with open conversations.
Separate Spaces
Having separate spaces is really important when working from home with your nanny and kids around! You know what you need to have a successful work environment and just as important is understanding what your nanny needs. Making sure you and your nanny both have separate work spaces (aka a playroom for the nanny 😜) is really important. If your nanny has to worry about keeping the children quiet or not getting in your way, that can make it really hard for her to have her own space to take care of the kids to the best of her ability.
Setting Boundaries
Having kids around during your work calls can be a bit of a distraction, similarly, having a parent around when your nanny is trying to be “in charge” can be difficult! Along with having separate work spaces is understanding and respecting boundaries. This may not apply to every situation but, in some cases it could be hard for you not to step-in and help if you hear your child misbehaving or crying etc. Just like your nanny wouldn’t try to step in and do your job, remember that you have hired your nanny to take care of your children and stepping in shows that you don’t trust her to do just that.
Routine
You may also want to schedule some time during the day when you get to spend time with your children and obviously that is ok! Working remotely gives you that flexibility to see your children during the day and that is amazing. Children thrive on routine so make sure to discuss this with your nanny up-front; maybe having lunch with your child or snuggling them before nap time can be a way for you to become a part of their daily routine. Just popping in and surprising your nanny and your child during the day can really throw off their routines and create unneeded chaos for both of them.
Flexibility
Even with great communication and setting/following boundaries there can still be issues that arise. Flexibility is key, from both you and your nanny! Things aren’t always going to go perfectly and it’s all a learning process. The important thing is that you and your nanny are on the same page and are able to understand each other and communicate issues that arise.
It may take some extra time and effort to create a positive WFH environment for you and your nanny but we hope these tips helped!
As always, thanks for reading! Stay tuned for more blog posts and don’t forget to subscribe to our monthly family newsletter here, follow us on Instagram, or like us on Facebook for more content!