Saturday

Input on at-home Parents

opinion 1
To work for a "work at home" parent... or to not work for a "work at home parent"... that is the question. I've received numerous job offers from families where one (or both!) parents work from home. This is uncharted territory for me, and I'm wondering if it's a nightmare in the making or if it could actually be just as easy as working for "out of the home" parents. The main concern I have, is that there are infants involved who are too small to go anywhere yet, so I would be tied to the house for the most part.... which means being with the parent(s) all day.... I would love to hear from nannies who work with parents who are home... and their input/feedback.

48 comments:

Jess said...

Don't do it! I have worked in several homes with one of the parents working from home. It is a NIGHTMARE!

-A lot of parents say they will stay out of your way, but they won't.
-It is so hard on the kids when they know Mommy is home but Nanny won't let them go to her.
-Many parents are unable to stay away if they hear their baby crying, they come rushing out and take over.
-Moms especially get jealous sometimes if they see that their children love the nanny. Even if you do a great job and the kids adore you, she might resent hearing you and the kids laughing and playing while she works.
-You will be under a lot more scrutiny. The parents at home will hear every little thing that you say and do, and can therefore find more things to criticize.
-Often the Nanny will be handling a tantrum, and the mom will come out and give in to the child. The child will have no respect for Nanny, and now Nanny has to 'babysit the parent'and do what will make mom happy, not what is best for the child.

If you find a great family and you think you can overcome these obstacles, go for it. However, in my personal experience, nannying with at at home parent is about twice as difficult. Good luck!

Danielle said...

everything that jess said. don't do it!

NaytheNanny said...

I think it REALLY depends on the parents...because I have worked for families that work out of the home some days and they totally did stay out of "my hair." But I also took my little ones out of the house on day trips for a lot of the day...it is tough to say until you get to know the parents though, I'm sure it can be a real nightmare for some too.

NoSAHDs!! said...

I agree that WAHPs make a nanny's life very difficult. I think sometimes it can work out, but if it's the dad who is at home and the mom leaves, do NOT take the job.
It is not safe for a woman to be alone in a house with a man she barely knows, in a situation where she couldn't get help if she needed it. This sounds drastic, but in this day and age, it is something to consider. Besides,even if he is a completely decent man, he could still develop a crush on the nanny who is so great with his kids. Also,the mom might start wondering what goes on while nanny and hubby are in the house all day long.
I have heard about and experienced too many horror stories about dads at home, and once I had to leave a job with no notice because I found evidence that convinced me I was not safe there.

jacquelinemary said...

I have to say: I work with a WAHM and it's great! I feel really lucky, I was a bit hesitant at first. Mom works in her office downstairs, and baby & I hang out upstairs. She completely trusts me, gives me my space, and doesn't come up if baby's crying. I really enjoy our arrangement! So just to put it out there: it's possible to make it work, as long as the parents are respectful.

Just My Two Cents Just Now said...

I have to say "Don't do it!!" I have had many jobs where I have worked w/parents who telecommute and it is always a nightmare. I have burned many bridges in my career in doing this and I refuse to do it again. The dynamic sucks so bad.

When you work alongside a parent in the home, you are constantly being monitored. Your every move, word, even how often you use the john will be scrutinized. Children act waay different when they know a parent is in the home and you will have the added stress of having to keep the child quiet and out of the parent's way so they can get some work done. The parent will interfere even though they say they won't. You will be instructed how to cut the veggies the correct shape, how warm the milk must be, etc. Until you go absolutely crazy!!!!!

Working a job where the parents are gone is so much better....you get the chance to have complete autonomy as well as keep your sanity.

Student Nanny said...

I'm a full time student, and so most of the families I've worked for have had an at-home parent because their schedule is what usually most matches my own. Though it can be a bit trickier, I personally don't think it needs to be a deal breaker. It's certainly a lot easier if the parent has a specific designated office space, because then you can just tell the kids "Nope, Mommy's in her office and you know we're not allowed to play there." Barring that, I just pay much closer attention to the parents' personalities during the interview if I know they'll be at home while I'm there. That way I'll have a better idea of whether I'll be able to handle being around these people all day :)

MissDee said...

I worked for a WAHM on two occasions:

#1 was A-N-A-L. She jumped when the baby cried, dressed her preschooler, didn't believe in schedules, and thought "How The Grinch Stole Christmas" was too scary for the children in terms of how I read the book. She made a comment about how her preschooler was falling asleep at midnight because he napped at 12p. She allowed him to nap between 4-5p when she was home. Duuuh! That's why he went to sleep at 12a, because she let him sleep at 4-5p.

What I learned: Her rules, her schedule. Didn't trust me, and I felt I couldn't communicate with her about anything.

#2 was an attorney who worked from home, and was gone part of the day for court. Sometimes she was gone from the moment I got there. When she was home, I felt relaxed and confident, something I didn't feel with the first WAHM.

What I learned: more activities according to age and outings, if permitted, make for a stress-free day.

I am currently a student and searching for a position with a WAHM to accomodate my school schedule. These relationships can be difficult, but they can also work.

It depends... said...

I worked for a family where the father was a WAHD, bit the problems I had were all with the mother!

She worked about five minutes from home and came home for lunch EVERY SINGLE DAY. Without fail. I dreaded it every day because she and I were complete opposites and had nothing in common. She was the most self-involved person I've ever known and would prattle on and on and on to me about stuff I couldn't care less about and found either extremely boring or obnoxious. It was excruciating and I counted down the minutes every day until she would return to work and I could nanny in peace again.

The WAHD? I never had a single problem with him, he worked out of an upstairs office and literally only ever came downstairs to prepare his lunch and took it back up to his office to eat it.

If it hadn't been for the obnoxious mother, I wouldn't have had a single complaint about working for a WAHD.

Holding it! said...

2 cents you hit on another great point! I hate hate hate when the parents can hear me pee! EW. Or if they walk past after #2....

Also, if you are working with a baby, how do you ever get to go to the bathroom?
Scenario 1, you leave the baby in a safe place and go into the bathroom. Baby starts screaming, mom runs in and sees her precious baby all alone! How dare the nanny leave her to pee!
Scenario 2, you take the baby into the bathroom with you so he can't get hurt while you are in there. Mom sees nanny come out of a closed bathroom door with her baby...that looks even worse!

I know most moms will realize that nannies human and need to use the facilities, but my point is, her first impression of either situation is going to be bad.

Holding it! said...

nannies *are* human, i meant

Nannycaroline said...

I work for a WAHM and it is a challenge. I work with an 11 month old boy. She won't let me drive him anywhere, so we are trapped in the living room cage most of the time. She is very nice and does trust me, but they have a small house, so she can hear every sound. She lets me put him in the playpen for a pee (I do not poop at work unless she is on errands or a trip, just my personal choice haha). She gets worried when he cries or we are "too silent". So I chatter at him a lot. "Oh did the book not open? Let's turn it around and try again." Also his playroom is their living room, so there are a lot of non-toys he wants to touch and mess with. I love my job, the parents are nice, and I love the baby, but it is a challenge for sure. So long story short, if you are up for the challenge and they seem like a nice family, go for it.

huh? said...

How can you choose not to poop at work? When you gotta go, you gotta go.

Nannycaroline said...

I go in the morning before I leave for work, and go in the evening when I get home (if I have to). It works for me somehow. :-D

justthenanny said...

I have worked for a family with a WAHD for the past 4 years. At first, it was a little awkward because we didn't know each other. As the years have passed - we get along well and I have no issue. I am married - they have met my husband on a number of occasions. I only see the WAHD perhaps 2-3 times a day anyway. I think it really would depend on the person and how you obviously if you get along or not. I am very fortunate to work for a great family who respects me and appreciates what I do!

ELam said...

I did nanny for 2 years where the mom was a stay-at-home mom. So it was a nanny/mother's helper situation. She was amazing though and we got along really well, it just worked somehow. But I don't think I would ever do it again, I've worked for a couple families since then (not work from home situations) and they were crazy, I can't imagine if they had been home all day.

Not to make a sweeping generalization, but I feel like the majority of families I come across lately who are looking for a "nanny" (I use the term loosely as most seem to want a slave) are manipulative and not wanting to pay what a nanny is worth. It's very discouraging. And working with those kind of people all day would make me miserable. So a big THANK YOU to the families who treat their nannies fairly. I know you're out there =)

m said...

I would never do it.

Annoyed said...

I totally respect both working moms and stay at home moms, what bothers me is so many moms these days think they can do both. You can work part time and be a part time SAHM, or you can do either full time. You cannot be a full time mom and a full time worker. Pick one or the other!

Many moms want a nanny there do deal with whatever she doesnt feel like doing, but mom wants to come in and bug the nanny 18 times a day so she can still call herself a SAHM.

If you want to work from home, then actually WORK from home. You are not on mom-duty while the nanny is there, so you should either lock yourself in another part of the house or actually get in the car and DRIVE to work like the rest of us!

Sorry for the rant, I've encountered this type of mom too many times and it drives me nuts! I would definitely advise against taking a position with parents at home.

seeareuh said...

I currently work for a SAHM & it's a nightmare (I recently posted a day in the life, I work with a six year old & four year old triplets). She constantly micromanages me, gets frustrated when I don't have time to finish things when she screws up the kids schedule (feeding them an hour late therefore I have barely any time to do dishes, help the kids clean up, piano practice with the older one, brush teeth, & read to the kids). She locks herself in her office doing god knows what (she doesn't work) and comes out when the kids throw tantrums and I'm trying to discipline and gives in to them. It's absurd. The kids also don't respect my authority because they know if I tell them to do something they don't want to do they can run to their mother who won't make them do it. I hate it and am quitting soon after six months.

StrawberryShortKakes said...

I worked for a work at home mom for a bit and it wasn't too bad. The child was an infant. The mom would generally keep to herself and work downstairs in her office. This child was particularly fussy and the parents were trying desperately to solve the problem so it was actually nice to have the mom around from time to time to help out if the baby was having a rough day- they were well aware that she was quite the challenge. Anyway, she would check in from time to time but I did feel a little weird. I have to admit that I just felt better and more relaxed when the mom worked outside the home, although I really didn't do anything different.

At one point I nannied full time for a 7 year old boy whose mom worked from home, and the dad sometimes did too. IT WAS A NIGHTMARE! I was constantly in a struggle with the boy about bothering his parent(s). Although he was tough to discipline and it felt weird doing it around his parents. Luckily they always backed me up on those things. I just hated the feeling that I was being watched the entire day. It is definitely not something I would do, unless the parents keep their distance.

MissMannah said...

I work for a WAHM and I absolutely love it! My charge is 2 mo so I could get very bored all day with no one to talk to but MB and I have similar personalities so we really get along well. Also when she is on work calls, I take the baby upstairs to the nursery and she never interferes, even if she hears the baby crying, which she's admitted is very hard on her. The key is finding a relationship of mutual trust and respect...which is key in any nanny situation.

Nanny Meg said...

I once worked for a woman who worked upstairs in her home office. She supposedly was working, but whenever I would tell her something that her son did or said, she would smirk and say to me, "I know this already...I heard him." Geez....then she would instruct me on what to say to him whenever he did this or that.

The deal breaker was the time I had to pee. I told the boy to sit on a chair outside the bathroom while I peed....it was like a minute max. His mother was on a conference call and instead of obeying me, as soon as I was out of sight, he ran upstairs and started bothering his mother. She came downstairs and screamed at me for this..right in front of whoever was on the phone w/her. I told her I told her son to sit and wait for me, he disobeyed so it was not my fault. She said it was and fired me. That was a great day.....

Claire said...

NoSAHMdads, you bring up a really good point. My sister took a nanny job with a dad who worked from home. He became obsessed with her, she ended up having to take out a restraining order on him. We women have to look out for this kind of thing. Sure, it is unlikely that something will go badly with the dad, but why take the chance?

Luc said...

I'd take a close look at the situation.

My last family was a work-at-home dad. At first he worked in an office off the garage and it was easy to keep the kids away except for the occasional poking the head into to say 'hi' as we entered or exited the house.

After a year of working for them they moved, and Dad's office was now in an extra bedroom right next to the kids bedrooms. I ended up having to keep the kids barricaded downstairs because they would either try to get into dad's office or just annoy him by making noise while they played. It created a lot more stress that was necessary, and definitely contributed to my moving on.

run don't walk said...

It depends. If your WAHM is 'hands on' run away!!!!! She's only going to make it hellish to work.
If she's actually going to allow you to do your job- then give it a chance.
Other than that- DON'T DO IT
I work for someone who works from home on Fridays, and believe me IT'S HELL!!!

Sarah said...

Annoyed, I love your post. I wish we could get all nannies to refuse to work for parents who work at home. I would be delighted if suddenly all the WAHMs had to get off their asses and go to work!

Sarah said...

No SAHDs said:

"if it's the dad who is at home and the mom leaves, do NOT take the job.
It is not safe for a woman to be alone in a house with a man she barely knows, in a situation where she couldn't get help if she needed it."

AGREE AGREE AGREE!! We women have to think like this, even if people call us sexist or paranoid.

Village said...

If you have a submissive personality, and don't mind being constantly told what to do, with often contradictory requests, and you can roll with the flow with no need to assert yourself, then this will work out well.

Otherwise, run like (*)(*).

Truth Seeker said...

Do not take this job!!!!!!!

I have had enough jobs where the parent is around and it is pure HE double hockey stick I tell ya.

Sure, you will hear one or two Nannies claim they love their jobs working alongside their bosses, but they will be in the minority, I promise you.

Imagine working in an office all day where your boss is sitting right next to you, telling you what to do. The boss is telling you when you can eat lunch and use the restroom, etc. You can feel his breath on the back of your neck all day and you really get no breaks from him. Yep, that is how it is like to work from a parent who stays home.

RBTC said...

i am thinking of the time i cut some american cheese pieces in the shape of my charge's name for him to eat

during the time it took me to cut the pieces his SAHM told me to throw the cheese away as it had developed bacteria from the air

that is only one example - i liked his mom, but my stomach hurt all the time because i knew at any moment a critcism was on the way

K said...

Holding it!, I have such a terrible problem with this at work! LOL. Every morning, DB leaves at around 8:45, and I let my little monkey sit in his high chair and watch SpongeBob (he is allowed to watch SpingeBob occasionally) while I #1. Sometimes I can't wait until DB leaves. My body has it's schedule and I can't do anything about it.

the other day, DB left and I proceeded with setting Monkey down and doing my business. As I'm washing my hands, I hear the door unlock, and monkey start laughing. DB then walked past the bathroom door and into his room, I'm assuming to use his bathroom.

It was embarrassing. I can only imagine what he thought, coming into his house and seeing his kid alone watching T.V. while nanny was nowhere in site!

Holding it! said...

K, I am SO glad I'm not the only one!! When I explain the bathroom problem to my non-nanny friends, they don't get it at all!

anon nanny said...

(re-post for) Anonymous said...
I've worked for several families where the mother or the father worked at home at least part of the time. Most had their home office in another part of the house with doors closed. Most of the families had good boundaries concerning keeping their work separate from my work. It was enjoyable having lunch together on occasion, having them 'pop in' to say hello to their little one and play a few minutes before getting on to their next phone call or project. As long as there are boundaries, trust, great communication and compatibility with personalities, it can be a positive experience. I have also had a rare negative experience with a parent working at home. I can relate to some of the cases mentioned already, but I have had more positive experiences by far.

I do NOT like being micro-managed and I do NOT like being distrusted or undermined. I feel that if the parent cannot let a nanny do the nanny's job even when the parent is home, then why is the nanny there... that is when it's time to move on. Unless you can communicate to the parent their need to trust you and they do it, then on to a better family. It's far easier to do this when you have a local nanny agency. I used to live in a large city where I had plenty of opportunity and support from the agency and other nannies. Where I live now in a small town with no agency for miles, it's much more challenging to find a good nanny position both in pay and in families.

Feb 26, 2012 3:13:00 PM

MissMannah said...

You guys are kind of weird about the bathroom thing. Do you really think your bosses care that much? Or that they think you should hold it all day long? That's why we have swings/bouncers/pack'n'plays/etc...for when nature calls. My last job was for a toddler who hated being left alone but you know, sometimes I just had to. I would reassure him that I was just in the bathroom and would be out in a minute. He would usually cry right outside the door. One time his mom came home for lunch, right when he was crying alone. I came out of the bathroom and told her I was using it and she laughed and said "Oh yeah he does that to me every time too." Things are only a big deal if you make them one!

RaisingMonkeys said...

When I started work as a nanny 10 years ago I would have said absolutely no, no, no to working for stay at home parents. However the family I currently work for I absolutely adore. Dad works from home when he's not traveling but he is in his office or out of the house during work hours. He'll pop down once in a while if he's running out and say hello ask if we need anything, etc. but it's never an issue in terms of setting the kids off into a downward spiral. Mom works part time and does so from home, also in a home office. She can be in and out numerous times throughout the day but once again it doesn't affect the kiddos. We probably went through a one week period when the babies were having some separation issues but that one week was it in the two years I've worked for these guys. Mom comes down and has lunch with us a few times a week, she takes some of the kids while I have others. It's actually turned out to be an awesome work environment.

I think it just depends on the family, the relationship between you and the parents and what the work day is like. If it's a new job and it might be a SAH parent then request a 1-2 week paid trial to see if it works!

Holding it! said...

MissMannah said,

"You guys are kind of weird about the bathroom thing. Do you really think your bosses care that much?"

also, on the same subject,

"Things are only a big deal if you make them one!"

Actually, with WAHPs, thisg are as big a deal as the parent makes it. I have had parents glare at me for leaving their kid to go pee. A lot of parents expect their nanny to be super human.

Holding it! said...

*things*

Nannycaroline said...

Yeah, I agree that some parents want us to be superhuman. I had a terrible job where one of the million problems was that they made me feel like I shouldn't have to eat, pee, sit down, or anything. I would drink Ensure so I wouldn't feel faint.

NannyK said...

OMGoodness! DO NOT EVER under ANY circumstances work for a WAHM. I am not sure if any of you remember me, but I am the nanny who posted a few weeks ago about being a full time nanny to a 14 month old boy with two moms. (wasn't eating solids, only breastmilk, mom wouldn't let us be gone for more than an hour a day on outings, watched ever move I made, wanted baby to nap in my arms etc.)

I wanted to let you know that I finally reached my breaking point, when I went into work one Monday and mom told me that we were no longer allowed to go on outings AT ALL, other than walks around the neighborhood, because the baby had caught a mild cold over the weekend, and she was convinced he got it from being out and about with me the prior week. I held my tongue, but inside was thinking that she is absolutely ridiculous. I tried to one up with a solution that would be suitable for both of us (taking the baby to places where he wouldn't have any interaction with other babies-walk to the Japanese gardens, nature walks etc) but mom would NOT agree to that either.

I called the nanny agency that afternoon, and then when I left work, I said to mom "also, I want let you know that I will unfortunately be giving you my notice starting today. However, I will stay until either you find a new nanny or I find a new position." I agreed to stay even though according to our contract I was not required to give her any notice at all during the trial period.

What ended up happening completely shocked me. She ended up calling me the same night saying that we would just consider that day my last day. This was a shock, because one week prior during my review, she gave me a glowing evaluation letter, saying how wonderful they thought I was.

Anyway, I am not collecting unemployment and doing some side babysitting jobs to get by, but have a few interviews lined up, and hope to having something full time within the next month or so.

Point is- again, please do not accept a job with a WAHM-I don't care what anyone says...it is NEVER the ideal situation.

Nanny S said...

The only "at home parents" I have or would ever work for is parents I know well because I've babysat for them or nannied for them while they were away and get a good feel of their general personality and what they expect of childcare. If it works well, it is GREAT, as in, I know beforehand they will not micromanage me or expect a bunch of extras or hell, even care if I watch TV while they're working in their office and their child is asleep. If I'm not sure of this, I probably wouldn't take it. If I was still considering it for some reason, I'd be really upfront with them and pose questions like, "Would you mind if I napped for 45 minutes while your infant slept as well?" or "What would you think if I watched TV while the baby was taking a nap?" I make sure to let them know that kid time is kid time, but if they have an infant that is sleeping then being "childcare only" means that kid sleeping time is my free time even if I am on the clock. In short, I wouldn't do it. I hate being watched by a parent (and they watch), unless I know they are the sort of parents that don't. A big hint is whether or not they let their kids watch TV. There are four parents I would ever agree to work for while they work from home and NONE of them are anti-TV. The parents who are all uppity and have weird rules about only organic food and soy milk and not listening to the news in the car while I drive their 11 month old to music class, I run fast from. These are typically parents with 3-4 kids. Sorry my post is really rambling and scattered, these are just consistent patterns I've noticed. In general I could not be happy working 40 hours a week for an at-home parent. I tried this twice and I quit after 1-2 weeks from both becuase the parents would micromanage me and I felt tense as if whenever I sat down the parent resented paying me for my time.

NO!!!! said...

NO NO NO Just don't do it. Never ever take a job with a parent at home. Everyone else has already said it, but OMG DON"T DO IT!

Sarah said...

This is probably not what parents want to hear or believe but the bottom line is that being a Nanny at a home where the parents work from home all day is very anxiety provoking and uncomfortable situation for a Nanny to say the least. People may think that a Nanny who isn't comfortable working with the parents around all day is "trying to hide something" but that is not the case it all- I find that it has little to do with trying to hide any behavior from the parents and everything to do with feeling as though you are being monitored and micromanaged- which for Anyone- in any job setting, professional or otherwise is just not performance enhancing. No one likes a boss that hovers- it makes employees nervous- not to mention the fact that the Nanny isn't there to be hypervigilant about her job all day- and working around a parent is exactly that. When I did this I found it deteriorated the relationship I had between the parents- mainly because I was on display for them and needed to be "on" all the time, which is nerve wrecking and takes the professionalism out of the relationship. Having to make "small talk" with parents at the end of the working day is one thing- having to play "friends" with them day-in and day out of the entire week is just plain ridiculous- not to mention that to keep things professional you should keep what you have to say about yourself to a parent at least because it will most likely be used against you- to a bare minimum. Of course most parents will only bother you a few times a day to "check in," but in truth they are noticing and keeping tabs on everything you do and are most likely judging you along the way. Who the hell wants to work like that? Especially for what many of these jobs are paying- usually between $10 and $15 an hour, if that- it's definitely not enough money to keep someone around dealing with that amount of mental stress all week. And then people wonder why their Nannies quit after 6 months when the "promised" a year. Well, lets count the reason....

SLM100 said...

I did it once and would NEVER do it again.
I was with a family who had a WAHD. He didn't work from home at all - in fact he sat in the lounge watching TV most of the time and in a small house there was only one place I could be with the baby - the lounge.
He questioned most things I did including after a 2 hour walk with the baby asked where I had been for so long.
He was unfriendly and arrogant and I felt as if I was being watched the whole time. The Mother was just as bad although she worked away from home.
She was unfriendly and after being there for over a month I knew everything about her, her family, likes, dislikes, what they did at the weekend, etc and all she knew about me was literally my name.
I really tried to not let it get to me but I broke down several times at work (not in front of WAHD though).
I started taking time off sick as I couldn't face going in.
My understanding is that they had had several Nannies before me - the baby was only 5 months old.
Subsequently I left with no other job to go to, not my usual approach but I simply couldn't face it any longer.

Unknown said...

I believe nanny are best option for the working parents. But some of the parents become so habitual to nanny that they don't even care about their kids.

locksmith service in richmond va said...

Holding it!, I have such a terrible problem with this at work! LOL. Every morning, DB leaves at around 8:45, and I let my little monkey sit in his high chair and watch SpongeBob (he is allowed to watch SpingeBob occasionally) while I #1. Sometimes I can't wait until DB leaves. My body has it's schedule and I can't do anything about it.

the other day, DB left and I proceeded with setting Monkey down and doing my business. As I'm washing my hands, I hear the door unlock, and monkey start laughing. DB then walked past the bathroom door and into his room, I'm assuming to use his bathroom.

Anonymous said...

I started working for a family a few weeks ago and its been the worst few weeks of my life. I nanny for a 2 year old girl and she is a handful as it is. The moms office is on the main level floor and the dads is on the top floor, leaving us only the basement to hide away. The mom listens to every single word I say and comes yelling and scolding about how I am doing my job. I do not yell, I do not say anything inappropriate, I honestly do nothing wrong but she is listening in on EVERY SINGLE THING I SAY AND ITS HORRIBLE! Their house is huge and empty and every single noise echos throughout the house. SO if I have to pee, well what do you know everyone knows i just went pee. I have noticed that when the parents are gone, the daughter and I get a long so much better and she listens so well. The parents do not leave me and her alone and are constantly judging and putting in what I have done wrong. (and its the littlest things) They both have type A personalities and they are older like late 40's and its just hell. I feel as though I do nothing right, and I am always having someone breathing down my back!!!!!!!!!! Any tips please??? HELP ME!!!!

Anonymous said...

It is the worst. I started this job over a year ago. Everything's great when they're not here, there's the usual mother jealousy, but it's bareable... But when the father's home,its completely terrible. He undermines me constantly, treats me as a useless slave. I count down the days until he's back at work.
I would never do it again. And don't see myself doing this much longer

Anonymous said...

I say don't do it. I am working for a WAHM that was to only be 2 days a week and the other days at work. She is home almost every day and yes micromanages a lot of the time. Her 4 year old is taking the attitude Mom rules and she can talk to me like I am nothing. I will say if Mom hears that she will correct it. Now the 2 year old throws temper tantrums all the time. I try to ignore it but Mom can't hear on the phone. Well then GI TO THE OFFICE. Mom will come on and reward her with something just to quiet her. Then Mim asks me how to deal with it??? The days she is working at home most of the. Day she is doing whatever she wants not work at 5:00 when I should be leaving she gets on the phone and I am stuck till she gets off. No extra pay.
I am never informed about days they will be away and I don't hZve to work. I can never make appointments because Mom 's work is too important yet most of the day she is flitting around doing her fun stuff.
Most days I take the girls out of the house.
No they would not like having their boss watch their every move.
They are a very nice family and that is why I have stayed. Fortunately her job is requiring more travel ,so I am getting more free days.
The day's nobody is home goes so much better. The kids are better behaved.