How to Set Boundaries With a Live-In Nanny
When a nanny lives with you, it can be difficult to keep your personal and professional lives separate. It is necessary, however, to prevent as much workplace drama as possible for the sake of your personal lives and for the sake your children. Resentment can lead to the end of the working relationship and cause you to have to look for a new child-care provider.
Instructions
Sit down with your nanny to discuss live-in arrangements before she starts the position. Being very clear about what you expect and listening to what your nanny wants out of the arrangement is important in creating a good professional relationship. Create a nanny-employer agreement that details her duties, your expectations, compensation and other details of the employment relationship. The International Nanny Association also recommends detailing items like how changes can be made to the contract, the length of the contract and the employers' tax obligations. Establishing your expectations up front helps create a solid line of communication with your nanny to deal with problems that may arise later. Discuss your nanny̵7;s time off. When she is at home in the evenings, she should not have to deal with children disturbing her in her room. Nor should she be asked to care for the children while you run out to the grocery store for a few minutes. Additionally, your family̵7;s health depends in part on your time alone. It needs to function without having the nanny present, and she needs time alone, too. Talk with your nanny only about issues that you would discuss with any other co-worker or employee. Your nanny lives in your house, and she may know about some things going on in your life, such as financial problems, but it is not necessary to discuss the nitty-gritty of your problems with her. Likewise, the nanny should maintain a professional reserve concerning her private affairs. Make a list of house rules you expect your nanny to follow. This might include cleaning up after herself when she makes a snack or rules for having guests. When your children see that she has to follow all the same rules they do, there is less likely to be discord between the family and the nanny.
