Since the global pandemic, many nannies have found themselves working jobs they didn’t sign up for. This includes working with work from home parents. For any nanny and family, there’s an onboarding phase when everyone builds trust, gets to know each other’s routine, and settles in. With work at home parents, it’s almost like that phase doesn’t end. It can be tricky when the child makes a noise and the parents come into the room to soothe him; it makes it hard to build trust and bond with the child and makes it challenging for the child to handle numerous transitions throughout the day. It’s also difficult to know when you are in charge or when the parents are in charge, when everyone’s in the room together. One of the best ways to navigate working in the same space is to ask about the expectations. When you come through the room are you just walking through or should I prepare Sam to spend time with you? How can we tell if you are available to your child or working? How can we minimize the transitions for Sam so that I can engage him and help him learn to come to me for comfort while you are working? Asking these questions can help you and the parents develop strategies so that you can work in the same space effectively.
