Having a Nanny When You Work From Home: Tips on How to Make It Work

Working from home as a parent may seem like an optimal situation until your kiddo barges in mid-interview or you lose concentration from a meltdown happening in the other room. Here’s how to make working from home with a nanny work—for you, your nanny and your kiddo.

Having a nanny when you work from home might sound like the dream. Your child is close by, you skip the commute, and you can sneak in a hug (or maybe a nursing session) between meetings. The reality is a little less rosy than what you imagine. Many parents who work from home struggle with blurred boundaries to unexpected interruptions.

The good news is that working from home with a nanny is doable, provided you have a realistic game plan that you and your nanny agree on, which is based on clear communication and trust. Whether you’re a newly remote parent or looking for tips for working from home with kids (and a nanny), this guide will walk you through how to create a respectful, productive dynamic for everyone involved: your nanny, your child, and you.

Are you actively hiring, but struggling to find quality candidates? Our Job Advertisement Service will help you tap into our extensive network of experienced candidates to find support that fits your needs. List your job with us today. 

Tips for Working From Home with Kids and a Nanny

1. Create a routine

Routines are safe and reliable, and children thrive on them. Nannying when parents are home can be a challenging task, especially when there are no set expectations or guardrails in place. But creating a consistent routine is really helpful and will help everyone succeed. Often, parents already have routines with their children like specific times they get up each morning and eat breakfast, take their naps, eat lunch and more. They may play outside in the morning and read books in the afternoon.

Parents and nannies should work together to create a routine that works best for everyone. The best place to start is to piggyback off of the routine the family already has in place and then go from there. As the parent, if you always take calls at a certain time in the day and need peace and quiet, consider having your nanny take the kids outside, to the library, or to a playdate at that time each day.

Including certain times in the routine to see your children each day is a good idea, too. This way, everyone knows what to expect on a daily basis and the day’s general structure isn’t changing on everyone every day.

Related: 11 Standard Nanny Benefits You Didn’t Know

2. Set boundaries and establish guidelines

As a work-from-home parent, it’s easy for the lines to get blurred on responsibilities and boundaries. For instance, is your child is having a tough time and you hear it from the other room, do you think it might be easier for you to intervene. Or, you know it’s lunchtime—do you as the parent pop in to have lunch with your child and nanny? The reality is that the right answer to these scenarios depends on each family and the boundaries you and your nanny set when you’re working from home.

Nannying when parents are home is a difficult task when parents don’t respect the guidelines in place. There must be clear rules defining what’s expected of the parents and the nanny. As a work-from-home parent ask yourself:

Do you need quiet to do your job? 

Do you have set hours each day? 

Do you need the kids to stay out of your office? 

Do you want the kids running to you every time they get hurt or to show you their newest creation?

Your preferences must be clearly outlined and communicated to your caretaker. 

As a nanny, there must be boundaries, as well. In order to do their job effectively, your nanny has to know you’re not going to pop in unexpectedly every few minutes. While some children are excited to see their parents, others may have a meltdown every time they see you and then have to say goodbye again. This interrupts the flow of the day and makes your nanny’s job much harder.

Your nanny must know what to expect from you. 

Do they need to keep the kids in a certain part of the house? 

Will they receive a text from you before you come to see the kids? 

Should they text you if a child is inconsolable? 

Are you going to join them for lunch each day? 

Guidelines that work for the parents and nanny must be discussed beforehand. It’s also a good idea to include them in a work agreement with periodic check-ins to see if this boundaries are working or if they need to be adapted.

If in the hiring phase for a nanny, you should discuss what’s expected during the interview. Some nannies may not be comfortable in a situation with work-from-home parents. 

Related: Nanny Responsibilities: A Comprehensive Overview for Parents

3. Designate a working area

Nannying when parents are home goes a lot smoother when parents work in a designated, private area, ideally, with a door that closes.  

Imagine working at the kitchen table while your nanny tends to your children. You’re trying to focus and your kids are being noisy. Your nanny feels the stress of trying to keep them quiet, and feels pressure to come up with all sorts of activities to keep them occupied and out of your way.

It’s even worse if you’re working from home with a baby. Every time they see you, they cry and reach for you. Your nanny has to console them over and over again, and try to keep them distracted and away from you.

Can you see how difficult this scenario is for your nanny? 

Having a private space for your work is imperative for everyone involved. If you don’t have an office space in your home, maybe you can work in a bedroom or the basement. Wherever your “office” is, make sure it’s a place where the door can be shut and your children don’t have free access to it.

4. Trust and respect your nanny to do their job

As a work-from-home parent, you end up hearing everything happening in your home. You hear if your child isn’t listening, if they fall and get hurt, or if your kids are fighting and won’t calm down. It’s tempting to want to intervene.

Yet, you’ve hired a nanny for a reason. And as a professional, your nanny knows how to do their job. They can handle any of the above scenarios. When you choose to intervene, you’re undermining the authority you’ve given to your nanny. You aren’t allowing them to perform the duties you’ve hired them for.

Not only is this disrespectful and frustrating for your nanny, but it’s also doing a disservice to your children. Every time you step in, your kids see that your nanny isn’t an authority. It also makes it harder for your nanny to bond with your children. 

Even though you hear your baby fall and bump their head, resist the urge to run and comfort them. If you don’t allow your nanny to console them, they won’t ever form the bond with your nanny that is imperative to a successful working relationship.

Respect your nanny’s role and trust them to do the job they’ve been hired to do. You’ll avoid putting extra stress and frustration on your nanny, and they will appreciate you holding to this boundary. 

5. Communicate consistently

Parents and nannies need to be in consistent communication about how things are going. Nannies need the opportunity to discuss what may not be working, and parents need the chance to calm any fears or anxiety. 

Nannies and parents can make a plan to meet weekly or monthly to discuss the arrangement. During this chat, your nanny may need to address the number of times you’re popping in unannounced. You might need to mention how noisy the kids are during your work day.

Your nanny needs to feel like they can come to you about anything. They need to know that if there’s an issue, you’re open to hearing about it. 

Related: Nanny Contracts: Everything You Need to Know 

Having a Nanny When You Work From Home: Yes, It’s Doable But You Need a Plan

Hiring a nanny isn’t just a childcare decision. It’s a decision about how your household functions, how your children are supported, and how much capacity you have left at the end of the day for the things that matter most. The families who get the most out of this arrangement are the ones who approach it with intention — clear expectations, open communication, a written agreement, and genuine respect for the professional they’ve brought into their home.

When that foundation is in place, the relationship that develops is one of the most valuable a family can have. Not just for the logistical relief it provides, but for the consistency, the trust, and the stability it gives children during the years when those things matter most.

If you’re ready to find that person—or just trying to figure out where to start—Hello Nanny! is here to help.

FAQs

What are the biggest benefits of hiring a nanny over daycare?

The most significant differences come down to consistency, flexibility, and personalization. A nanny provides one-on-one attention tailored to your child’s specific developmental needs, schedule, and personality, which is something a group setting may not be able to replicate. When your child is sick, sending them to daycare is a big no-no. But when you have a nanny, you worry less about these scenarios. Plus, there’s no drop-off, waitlist or packing a day’s worth of lunches/snacks/milk. And, for families with irregular hours, multiple children, or a child with specific needs, a nanny is often the more practical option. For more in-depth benefits of having a nanny, head over to our blog post.

I work from home. Do I still need a nanny?

We’ll start by saying that every individual is different, and you know what’s best for your family and mental health; however, many parents who assume they can just work from home without any support are often left stressed and overwhelmed, and feeling like they aren’t doing a great job at work or at home. Because working from home doesn’t mean you’re available to parent at the same time. A child who can see you but can’t have your attention is often harder to manage than one whose parent is physically elsewhere. A nanny allows you to be fully present in your work during work hours and fully present with your child when work is done.

Is a nanny only worth it for dual-income families?

Not at all. Many stay-at-home parents hire a nanny for part of the day (in fact, Hello Nanny!’s Founder and CEO did—read about her story here). Many SAHMs hire support because consistent, dedicated help allows them to be more present and less depleted when they are “on”. Whether it’s a few hours for focused work, personal time, or simply breathing room, a nanny benefits the whole family — not just the parents who work outside the home.

At what age should I hire a nanny?

There’s no wrong or right age to hire a nanny, but many families find the transition easiest when it’s done before a major life change rather than during one. Newborn care specialists are available from day one for families navigating the fourth trimester. For toddlers and older children, the earlier a consistent caregiver is introduced, the easier the adjustment tends to be. The best time to hire is when your family needs support — not after you’ve already hit a breaking point.

What’s the difference between a nanny and a family assistant?

Well, both roles operate out of the home, a nanny’s primary focus is the children, which includes their care, development, routines, and activities. A family assistant blends childcare with broader household responsibilities: scheduling, errands, household coordination, and personal assistant duties for the parents. If your household needs extend beyond direct childcare, a family assistant is often the more efficient hire. Learn more about the difference here.