If you are a stay-at-home parent who is working from home, you understand just how difficult it can be. Hiring a Nanny can solve a lot of working-from-home challenges. These expert tips will ensure that everyone enjoys working when parents are home during the day.

Hiring Help

Hiring in-home child care is very common for work from home/stay at home parents. A Nanny’s job is to provide complete care for your children so that you can remain focused.

It’s been well-documented that when work from home parents don’t have to divide their attention, their performance and productivity improve dramatically. That means that you’ll accomplish more while you’re working and be a more relaxed and present parent when the work day is done.

Create a Work Space

Note that “space to work” doesn’t mean at the kitchen table or in the living room. Your home workspace should be located in a place away from where your children and Nanny will be. For example, if your home has a playroom in the basement, your ideal office space will be somewhere upstairs.

Expert idea: Having a home office door allows you to communicate your availability. When closed, you are not to be disturbed. When open, you are available for check-ins. Consider also posting a “do not disturb” sign to amplify this message.

Of course, the reality may not always be so clear, especially in the beginning when your children are still transitioning to this new routine. Patience and perseverance will help to get you through.

Be Clear and Realistic About Your Needs

Whether you already have a Nanny working in your home or will soon be hiring one, clarity is of the utmost importance. Converse with your current Nanny about your specific needs.

For instance, you may need all or part of your work day to be completely quiet so that you can make calls or attend meetings. Or, you may welcome the odd distraction at certain times.  Having a discussion about what you expect during your workday will eliminate a lot of stress and guesswork for both of you.

If you’re a work from home mom who is yet to hire a Nanny, be sure to include all the details about your expectations, both in your job description and during your initial meeting.

Expert advice: It’s as important to be realistic as it is to be clear. Understand that there will be times when your children will be more energetic or emotional than usual, and that the Nanny may not always have the capability to ensure children are quiet.

Speak to Your Children

It’s important to speak with your children about what will be happening during your work days at home. If they are younger, you can help them understand that working from home doesn’t mean that you’re forgetting about them.

Expert idea: Let your children know about ways they can help you, which include listening to the Nanny and being on their best behavior while you’re at work.

Again, the reality may be different for a while until your children get used to the fact that you will be working at home.

Create and Stick to a Routine

Not creating a routine or not sticking with an established one can blur previously set boundaries, causing confusion with your children and your Nanny.

Children who are already used to being separated from you at certain times of the day are more likely to continue respecting your boundaries if you are adhering to them yourself.

In addition to sticking to your own routine, remember that your Nanny will have theirs too. There will be days when it seems okay for a parent to pop in to help the Nanny with the children. However, this can have the opposite result.

Expert advice: Nannies are childcare professionals who know how to handle everything from bathing to sibling rivalry. Allowing them to deal with these situations on their own will support their authority instead of undermining it.

Leave the Lines of Communication Open

If you know what your day or week is going to look like, a quick morning meeting with your Nanny will go a long way to clarifying the plan. Supply them with some suggestions for scheduling and activities for the day, and welcome their ideas.

Expert tip: Having regular daily or weekly meetings can help the both of you to ensure that things will continue to go smoothly with the children and one another.

Remember That Your Home Is Also A Nannies Workspace

You have a dedicated space at home for working. When your Nanny is at your home, this is their workspace. Therefore, their needs should also be respected. For example, your Nanny may not appreciate mom or dad taking a business call on the patio where they are interacting with the kids.

Expert tip: During working hours, it’s a good idea to treat your entire home as a workplace, complete with all of the professional boundaries you’d encounter and respect at the office. A simple rule: If you wouldn’t do it in your office during working hours, then don’t do it in your Nannies workspace.

Other Great Tips and Ideas

Here are some other ways to ensure that you, your Nanny, and your children can all enjoy the time spent at home:

• During your first meeting, map out areas that are “off limits” for you during the day.

• Ensure that your Nannies workspace is clean and organized when they arrive for their shift.

• As much as possible, end your work days on time so that your Nannies day can end on time also.

Individualized, Professional Child Care

Having a Nannies support when you’re a work-at-home parent can be priceless. Staffing at Tiffianie’s has been matching Nannies with households for over two decades. Call 866-484-5550 or visit us to learn more about our thorough process.