Help! How do I transition from working on my own to working with an at-home Mom?

MaryPat doesn’t fly around with a black umbrella, but she does have over 20 years of experience as a Child Development Expert. These posts will answer questions about child development concerns & managing your relationship with your employer or employee.

Dear MaryPat,
I have been working with my family for two years and have been so happy in my job. Thank you for helping me find them! 

For the past two years I have had a great experience caring for Jacob who was just three months old when I started. Mr. and Mrs. J were both working full-time, so I had Jacob all to myself. Last month, Mrs. J. had an adorable baby girl and she has decided to return to work only on a part-time basis. Mrs. J wants to keep me on full-time, despite the fact she will be home much more often than before. I imagine that my job responsibilities will change a lot. Do you have any advice for me?

– Sylvie

Hi Sylvie,
It is so nice to hear that the job has gone well and that you will be staying on full-time with your family. I do expect that your role will change both because Mrs. J will now be at home part-time and because of the new sibling to care for.

I suggest that you start a conversation with Mrs. J now. Ask her how she would like to manage things when she is home part-time. You will probably need to be much more flexible on what your duties are when Mrs. J helps with the children. You may find that Mrs. J wants you to focus on the baby or primarily with Jacob when she’s home or she might find it helpful to have you sometimes help with laundry or grocery shopping and other household jobs. I would also stay in close touch with her about discipline and routines with the children so that, together, you can provide a consistent clear message to the children.

She may be taking a maternity leave now so this is a great opportunity for you to check-in regularly with Mrs. J about what is working and what is not.

Feel free to contact us anytime as you work through this. We are here to help!