Working from Home/keeping Kids Out of Office

I would be livid. The nanny does not set the schedule. You do. I would have the kids in child care myself. A nanny is much more expensive in the long run.

Yes get a Nanny that will do what you ask of her. Keep the children busy from this time until this time. I will have lunch and a visit at this time. If she cannot do this, replace her.

And you're paying the nanny for.... what???? That's your problem, not the kids.

Sounds like a nanny issue to me. You are paying her to watch the children so you can work.

What's the deal about only going outside once a day?

We work from home as well and it is important to be able to focus on the job at hand and not have disruptions.

Find a nanny who will do what you ask... make sure you have your "rules" spelled out before hiring.

Time for a new Nanny.
Actually, the fact that the kids want to linger near you more than hang out with the Nanny tells me the Nanny is not a real good fit for your kids.

Why exactly can she not take them outside twice a day?

The Nanny should be watching them.

Tell all concerned, "The RULE is... Nobody enters Mommy's office. That is Mommy's work area." Do not allow the children in. EVER. You go OUT to see them a few times as a break.

I understand your dilemma! I had a very sick child when I worked from home (I needed to care for her), and ended up having to do a lot of my work at night and on weekends. It was very hard. :-(

I have two thoughts...
1. Get a lock for the door, so the kids can't wander in.
2. The nanny is going to have to find a way to keep the kids out of your hair or she'll need to be replaced. I was a part time nanny for someone who worked from home... he could NOT be interrupted...ever. (Conference calls, important overseas clients, etc.). If she is being reimbursed or given money for trips, she doesn't get to "choose" whether or no she is going to take them out. I would gather resources and find some free and cheap activities the children may enjoy so the Nanny has indoor and outdoor activities to choose from. On days where the kids are especially "needy" she has options of places to go.

Nanny - 1
You - 0

LOL

Sorry I'm just kidding. Your nanny is ridiculous! Get her to take control of the kids!

I've been in this situation and I wouldn't say that this is just a problem with your nanny. It's not realistic to ask a nanny to watch children outside all day. They do have to spend some time in the house. So your house needs to be set up so you have space that is separate from where your kids play.

That means you need a lock on your office door. And a policy that when mom is working, there is no visiting. Plan times during the day that YOU go out to see THEM. That way your office is always off limits. I tried to do like you are doing now, and say that it was OK if my kids came to visit a few times, but only for short times. And that was incredibly hard for my nanny to police. She was always the bad guy dragging the kids out of where they wanted to be. And my kids couldn't understand why they could visit twice a day and not three (or ten). I had to set an actual rule that no one came in my office in order to make it realistic for my nanny and my kids. I had a fantastic nanny so the problem wasn't that my kids didn't like her. It was just exciting to visit mom and really hard for small kids to understand why they couldn't do it all the time.

PS. Edited to add: if your nanny is not fulfilling your requests (and they are realistic requests) then it IS time to find a new nanny.
Good luck!

the problem isn't your kids - it's your nanny. She needs to be more proactive. She's there to care for the kids - if she can't do that - find another one.

I think you need a new nanny....or a real nanny.

I have a friend that nannies for a WAHM and the office is strictly OFF LIMITS, except for certain hours of the day (determined by the WAHM).

Tell your nanny to do her job and keep the kids out of your office. She doesn't necessarily have to take them outside, but she does have to keep them out of the office. If she can't do that, then she can't do her job and you should look for another nanny.

I agree with PPers it's the nannys job to keep them out.

Hi I work from home, no Nanny and no office door to close. To keep my 4 year old away from my papers etc. - I just tell her No. And there are consequneces (loss of favorite toy, no play time with Mommy etc.) if she does not let me work. I also got her her own note books and pens etc. so she could "work" at the same time as me. I have been at this for 4 years now and it works without a hitch. Give your kids time to adjust to the idea that just becuase Mommy is home does not mean they can play with her... once they get used to it it should be fine.

Now you do have a Nanny - and she should not be setting the rules. You employ her and if she can't meet your needs find a new Nanny. That being said, did your change in work circumstance impact her routines with the kids? Has it changed the job description in her mind? You need to have an open discussion with her about the best way to handle this.

Good luck!

Wel, if you have a nanny, I think you need to let her knowexactly what your expectations are, not the other way around. If you want the kids outside both morning and afternoon, then you tell her that they go out for an hour in the morning and an hour in the afternoon. Plain and simple.
I happen to work from home myself. I have no nanny. For me, I'm "on-call" so to speak, all day, but I don't have to spend 8 solid hours in my home office. Do you? If not, then you need to come out, not the other way around (meaning kids coming in). Can you lock the office door? Can you give the kids a walkie-talkie to "call" you while you are in the office? Do they take naps? What I do is I check emails in the morning from my laptop while with the kids in the living room. They play, I work. Then, I always work in the office while the little one naps, usually 2-3 hours in the afternoon. If I need to make a call or something in between those times, I go in my office, and they know they are allowed in there, but if I'm on the phone, no talking. They are 5 and 2, and do pretty ok with this. I also wrap up things after dinner when my husband is home. He can keep them out of my hair for an hour or so.
Working from home is hard, and you have to be super-organized to not feel like you have 2 24/7 jobs! Good luck; I'd give anything to be able to afford a nanny, so you're a step ahead of me there.

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LOCK THE DOOR! Have set up "break" times and spend it with the kids and then make it clear that unless there is an emergency Mommy is at work and she can not be interupted.

Okay, I can understand the nanny not wanting to be outside all day. I used to do some full time babysitting and that would have driven me nuts.

But the nanny SHOULD be able to keep them occupied and out of your office while they're in the house. Maybe you can have a few scheduled visits with them during the day? Or keep a sign on the door that says "do not disturb, mommy is working now" when you really don't want to be interrupted.

You can also just lock your door. If they knock tell them to come back at x time :)