Because of the coronavirus pandemic, many families are still sheltering in place. That means many parents are working from home, while also juggling homeschooling and caring for their kids full-time. Are you one of them?
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A nanny can help lighten the workload for work-from-home parents if you\u2019re lucky enough to have one, but having both a nanny and parents present can become confusing for everyone involved! That\u2019s why we\u2019ve put together some tips on how you can work alongside your nanny while you\u2019re working from home.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Being a good employer in any industry involves honest communication. The same goes for employing your nanny! Honest, regular communication is even more important now when your family\u2019s lives \u2014 and your nanny\u2019s \u2014 have been changed by COVID-19.
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Schedule a sit-down meeting with your nanny when the kids won\u2019t be nearby, during naptime or after they\u2019ve gone to bed, for example. Set an agenda for the meeting so you remember to cover all your bases.
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You might talk about:
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Following that sit-down meeting, set up quick daily check-ins for when your nanny arrives, or for a particular time if they are sheltering in place with you. You can share your expectations for the day and what you and your kids have planned. You may also want to schedule a few minutes to connect with your nanny before they leave for the day, too. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
When you and your nanny are both present in your home, your children can easily become confused. They may not know who\u2019s in charge, when it\u2019s okay to interrupt you while you\u2019re working, who they should ask permission to do something, and so on. That\u2019s why it\u2019s so important to work with your nanny to reestablish authority and set boundaries.
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Remind your kids that while you\u2019re working and the nanny is there, they\u2019re in charge! If your children get an answer that they don\u2019t like from the nanny, they may come to you and ask again. It can be tempting to give in to your kids, but support your nanny and act as a united front. Back their decision so that your nanny\u2019s authority is reaffirmed with the kids. It\u2019ll make your nanny\u2019s job easier, and your kids will understand in time that they need to listen.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Your kids may better grasp the idea that you\u2019re working, even though you\u2019re at home, if you set up separate spaces for their activities and your work. Work with your nanny and kids to create a system for talking to you during the workday.
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You might hang up a \u201cdo not disturb\u201d sign on your office door during important meetings or calls. Or, you may let your kids and nanny know that you\u2019ll spend breaks and lunch time with them, but shouldn\u2019t be interrupted while you\u2019re in your office.
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If your kids are distance learning, make sure you work with your nanny to designate spaces for their schooling and playtime, too. Maybe they can do their homework and virtual chat with their teacher at a desk or at the kitchen table, and the living room or family room can be their after-school play space. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
Remember: everyone is adapting to the changes brought on by COVID-19. You may not be used to working from home, and your children aren\u2019t used to homeschooling or not seeing their friends. Likewise, your nanny may not be prepared to help your child with distance learning, nor are they used to caring for the kids when you\u2019re there, too. Things won\u2019t go perfectly, and there will be times when adapting becomes overwhelming and stressful.
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Show your nanny appreciation and gratitude, whether that\u2019s through small gifts or verbal expressions of thanks. Remind your nanny that you\u2019re there to work with them as a team, and you trust and respect their decisions. If you sense something isn\u2019t working out, or you\u2019d like to change something you\u2019ve previously discussed, talk to your nanny! You can work together to make things easier for everyone.
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If you\u2019re searching for the perfect nanny for your family in Dallas, Denver, or Phoenix, reach out to A Perfect Fit! Our professional nanny placement process is customized to each nanny and family. Learn more about our screening and matching process<\/a> today.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" Because of the coronavirus pandemic, many families are still sheltering in place. That means many parents are working from home, while also juggling homeschooling and caring for their kids full-time. Are you one of them? A nanny can help lighten the workload for work-from-home parents if you\u2019re lucky enough to […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":370,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":[],"categories":[34],"tags":[47,48,50],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/perfectfitnanny.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/369"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/perfectfitnanny.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/perfectfitnanny.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/perfectfitnanny.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/perfectfitnanny.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=369"}],"version-history":[{"count":2,"href":"https:\/\/perfectfitnanny.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/369\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":374,"href":"https:\/\/perfectfitnanny.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/369\/revisions\/374"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/perfectfitnanny.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/370"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/perfectfitnanny.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=369"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/perfectfitnanny.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=369"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/perfectfitnanny.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=369"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}