Establish
a good report with your employer. This is
critical. If a parent will be home during the day, the parent and the caregiver
must have a comfortable, yet professional, relationship. Both adults must enjoy
one another's company. And it is important to know how to complement each other
when dealing with the children.
Know
expectations of role. Is the nanny there
to assist the at-home parent or is she there to take charge as the primary
caregiver during the day?
Set
boundaries. Prior to starting the
position, speak with the parent to find out where the parent will be working.
It's great for the nanny to understand what areas of the house are off limits
so the parent can concentrate.
Plan
outside of the living space. When parents
are home, children may want to flock to them and become upset if they know the
parent is close but they cannot be with them. It's good practice to plan the
day as if the parent is not in the home. Go to work, spend a few minutes going
over the daily routine with the parent and child present, and then have the child
say their goodbyes to the parents just as if they were going to work. Plan
activities outside of the home or in areas of the home where parents cannot be
seen. This will help the children from becoming distracted by a parent.
Communicate
professionally. When working with an
at-home parent, it is easy to become overly comfortable and share more personal
information than you would if the parent was less present. It's important to be
friendly, but remain profssional. Personal information stays at home!
