Employing a nanny and working from home yourself - is it do-able or a disaster? And how much would it cost?

[edam]

Ds's old keyworker from nursery, who he LOVES, is leaving because she can't get any career progression (and is badly paid, like all nursery workers, sadly). She isn't qualified - nursery were supposed to be sponsoring her through NVQs but have run out of funding (ha! at the amount we pay them?!). And can't get promoted without qualifications.

The thing is, if I was still working outside the home, I'd love her to be our nanny - and she'd love to work for us. But now I'm working from home, three days a week (although sometimes still travelling up to town). Can you work from home while you've got your ds/dd in the house? With a nanny? Or is it too distracting? Suspect ds would want to come and find me.... (I'm a freelance journalist and IME you can't look after a toddler while trying to interview people and write. Or have ideas.).

And how much would you pay a live-out nanny? She's currently taking home £700/a month. I'd only want 3 days a week so she'd obviously have to find someone else for other two days. Or we could do a nanny share with a family who want full time... all advice/experience gratefully received!

Hello, am a freelance journalist/editor also - since last year when I used to work in-house. I'm now working from home and it's been a big adjustment in many ways. I'm sure Aloha is much better qualified to advise you but from my, admittedly limited, experience it can work but you have to be very disciplined re where you work in your house - I have an office sort of next door to the house. That sounds rather grand as it's not much more than a shed but the girls know not to interupt me there. also, my nanny is great at entertaining them etc and generally just great. Do feel free to ask any questions. My nanny used to work for another freelance journalist and that worked very well for three years as well.

Excuse awful grammar and spelling - how embarassing. I'll blame the wine.

Thanks Sykes - and don't apologise, my grammar isn't always perfect when I'm posting! I will ask Aloha and MI (although I know MI has a childminder) but was interested to see what anyone else thought. I work in a spare bedroom, right next to the sitting room, so maybe not ideal. Hmmm. If only the garden was big enough...or maybe I could throw everything out of the garage and work in there? (it's part of the house). But do I want to work in the garage? Is all so complicated. I just know that I'm no longer happy with nursery due to rapid turnover of staff and I'd hate to lose this woman - ds's other keyworker who he also loved moved away a couple of months ago.

Re money - need to get back to you as h just home but will post later and quickly not sure it matters about where you are as long as the children eventually understand the limits. I'm working in the dining room at the moment for various reasons and the girls seem to understand that it's a sort of no go area.

Hi edam
I havent done this myself, but 2 friends have/did. For one friend it did not work at all, she found that she ended up being interrupted all the time, in the end she gave it up and put her son into a nursery. However for my other friend it works really well. He is very disciplined about the children going to the nanny for anything whilst he is working. Dont know if the gender difference makes a difference because his wife (who works out the home) says she could not manage it in the way he does and suspect she would get dragged in to things. Maybe you could do a nannyshare with people who work out teh home and then the children could be looked after at their house?

DH and I both work from home. I'm (hopefully) getting a nanny for when I return from mat leave soon. DH has been working from home whilst I've been looking after the kids during mat leave. He's found it really tough being in the house wiht the kids, and so we're converting a shed for us to work in. We hope that with discipline and the shed, the kids / nanny at home combo won't be too bad.

MI thinks it's a v bad idea when I asked this some months ago. But we've been effectively doing this for DH who is home-based. I know some SAHMs with home-based DHs and it works for them OK.

Neither of us is freelance, but DH has some control / flexibility and enjoys having lunch with the family. I don't see the point of having to drag the kids out of the house for childcare when neither they nor we have to leave home.
In an absolutely-need-to-get-head-down crisis, we decamp to work in car / local library / friend's house / company office the other side of the country.

I was SO fed up with DS1's nursery, I wouldn't do that again.

Re salary. To pay her curreny salary would cost you about £50 gross per day (very rough figures, I may be wrong). This is almost certainly less than other nannies get - £50 NET is about the bottom end in this area. You need to consider other costs - which would depend on what you want her to do, but for us added an extra £1500 per year onto the salary cost (e.g. to take your DS to activities, his and her lunch, insure her to drive your car).

You could look into whether you could help her continue with the qualifications?

i`ve worked as a nny in this situation and i admit its a tricky one in tha ti found it didint work as the kids knew mommy was there and kept asking to see her and i felt like the big bad nanny if i said they couldnt go and see mommy as she was working and it felt awkward for me to as i didint feel too comfortable as i wasnt sure how to handle situation and felt that i had to be out of the house more so as to not disturb the mother who was trying to work plus at lunch times the kids would play up the minute mommy arrived to have lunch too... although we really go ton well i felt it diidnt work too well

thanks everyone, that's very helpful.

Both my DH and I work from home although I only work part time. DH works in an upstairs, lockable room and that works quite well - most of the time the kids don't realise he's there (and DS1 is at school). However when I'm working, DS2 is at nursery. There's no way I could do it if he could see me, and I work in a very accessible room. However, if I could be hidden away, that might be different.

I reckon it could work (given the above proviso) and it does have its benefits - ie lunchtimes all together, a cuddle when you feel like it, always on hand if crises occur, but it might be quite inhibiting for the nanny - she might be wary about being noisy or having other kids around to play because they might disturb you, etc etc.

That's interesting Wordsmith - hadn't thought about noise/having other kids to play. Hmmm.

to be honest yes it works. im a full time mum and also work as a mothershelp while the mum is in. i look after 2 wee girls and also take my daughter with me. part of my job is to keep the children away from the mum and keep them entertaind. i get paid £80 a week work 16 hours but thats cos i dont have childcare costs myself. it would be twice that if i was solely looking after her children

Thanks Starshaker, worth thinking about then.

i nannied for two kids in wimbledon,their mum ran her business from upstairs,she also hired another ladyto help her .It was a very small house but i looked after her two kids downstairs,it worked fine i sat down with the mother to set quidelines.she wanted me to discipline even if she was in the room .She came down for lunch somedays too.we got on very well.

i nannied for two kids in wimbledon,their mum ran her business from upstairs,she also hired another ladyto help her .It was a very small house but i looked after her two kids downstairs,it worked fine i sat down with the mother to set quidelines.she wanted me to discipline even if she was in the room .She came down for lunch somedays too.we got on very well.

Edam,
What about a nanny share where you could whisk nanny and kids off to the other families house some of the time. Say if you knew you had an important phone call / interview on a WEdnesday afternoon then they could head out at that time. My DH works from home 1 or 2 days a week and on those days nanny and kids are meant to stay downstairs or go out and he works upstairs. He has to put up with some noise, but it's workable.

Thanks for all the advice, that's really helping. You know the really stupid thing? I'm definitely addicted to MN - the first thing I did in this unexpected situation was post here, rather than ask RL people to help. I actually forgot that my sister used to be a nanny so the sensible thing to do is ask her! Have spoken to her now, and together with all the advice here have a plan of action, so thank you.

I work for WAH parents. They run their own business. I work a full day with boh of them at home most of the time, popping in and out. Their office is upstairs right next door to the playroom which can be a bit of a pain, but they are renovating to add an office (and an art stdio YAY!) downstairs. I enjoy it a lot. I know when they are going to have meetings and generally the people coming for th meetings are aware that there is a toddler around and will just pu up with any noise, although we do try and keep out of the way as much as possible. T sometimes cries for mom and dad but w are doing well (he is 16 months and I have been working here since he was born)
Mom usually eats lunch with us and dad often pops in to play during the day.

We have a good relationship and T usually understand that mom and dad are workin and it is time for nanny and him to play together.

Having friends over does not usually bother mom and dad and we regularly have playdates as well as going out for activities etc.

It can work if everything is clear from the beginning. The parents need to support the nanny's decisions during her 'duty hours'
(obviously within reason).

HTH
Sarah

I agree with SAnanny

it can work IF the parents LET IT!!!!

By letting it... that means not over ruling the nanny!, not coming in announced every now and then, not coming in when the child is crying cause thay acnt have what they want etc!

I have worked for parents at home in the past... and it has been fine! (saying that now i would only ever work sole charge!)

I think if you as the parent are around as well its EVEN MORE important that you and the nanny get on REALLY well,

The first few days / weeks will be the hardest, but it really is SOOO important that you 'back up' the nanny, and dont give into your child wanting YOU (which im sure IS very hard!)

If all are consistent it wont be long before the child realises that when you are working nanny is boss so to speak!

Make it very clear to the nanny what will be happening.... will you join in for lunch everyday / occasionaly etc, if so who is it to decide how much child eats before pudding etc!

So in sum it can work.... but i REALLY think its critcal to let nanny take sole charge... or else she will just get irritaed and probably leave after a few months for sole charge work!

This is a good thread for me as when i get a f/t job we're both likely to work at home some days - or have time of in lieu.
We have a study at the back of the house and a large 12x16ft) nursery/playroom - my idea is for littleun to spend alot of his time in his playroom with nanny so if one of us is at home we can use living room for meeting etc.

I think the point about lunch etc is good - I think I'd make sure i took my lunch early or in another room - we also have a big kitchen with Bfast table in so nanny and baby could eat in there and I'd take my lunch into the living room/ garden.

It would have to be absolutly clear though that this was time when me/dh were not to be disturbed. I did have someone coming in 3 hrs twice a week when he was small and the idea was for me to get some rest - unfortunatly the carer used to think I had nothing else to do but sit and talk to her.