https://boards.hellobee.com/ Pregnancy, Baby and Parenting blog, by Hellobee en Fri, 08 May 2026 00:56:05 +0000 https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/boundaries-when-working-from-home-with-childcare-at-home#post-2917021 Mon, 06 Jul 2020 11:42:31 +0000 hellobeeboston 2917021@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@hitchhiker: hmm, this sounds VERY similar.... we are working from home with our 7 &amp; 4 year olds as well. We have a sitter from 9-2 daily (our 4 yo still naps from 2-3:30 or 4) and at 2 my 7yo does an online lesson with his grandmother until 3 or 3:30. ANYWAY, I cannot figure out the boundaries thing. It's getting slightly better, but its been since March, and they are still constantly interrupting us... It was awkward being here with our sitter to start but that got better with time. We just try to say they're not allowed in our office at all during the day, but if we come down to get coffee or a snack or something the kids immediately stop what they're doing and swarm us, so we try to just get everything we need from downstairs before we go up to the office. You just have to make it a rule and stick with it with the sitter. My older son had a Respect Jar with cotton balls that depending on how he behaved, he lost various privileges (lose 2 cotton balls, no TV that evening)... It helped to empower the sitter a bit more for the kids to know there were consequences. Anyway, it's hard. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/boundaries-when-working-from-home-with-childcare-at-home#post-2917020 Mon, 06 Jul 2020 09:57:52 +0000 Mrs. Lion 2917020@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>This may not work for you, but I locked my bedroom door and put up a STOP sign. Plus headphones. I just didn't engage with them. At first they would knock but if I pretended I didn't hear, they would run off. To be fair, my kids were with their dad, so it wasn't a babysitter, but it worked. I told them that was what I would do because I was working and they should pretend I wasn't there. It got better over time. &lt;3 </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/boundaries-when-working-from-home-with-childcare-at-home#post-2916758 Tue, 23 Jun 2020 15:28:41 +0000 wrkbrk 2916758@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@Mommy Finger: I don’t have this particular problem but the Pom Pom jar idea is brilliant. We have a big bag of Pom Poms and now I know what I can do with them!! </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/boundaries-when-working-from-home-with-childcare-at-home#post-2916738 Tue, 23 Jun 2020 08:48:37 +0000 krispi 2916738@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>My 4.5 year old is home with a part-time babysitter, with both of us working from home. We haven't eliminated all distractions, but the babysitter keeps her pretty occupied when she's here, so my daughter rarely comes in. Some things that help are they go outside to play or for a long walk when I have an important meeting, they do baking/cooking/art projects to stay busy, and they also do yoga and dancing videos. Our babysitter is a teacher at our daughter's afterschool care, so she has tons of tricks up her sleeve for keeping kids busy. :) When I absolutely can't be bothered (which is really just a couple of hours a week) I lock the office door. I announce it ahead of time so it's not a surprise, but my daughter doesn't respect the boundary of a closed door, so it's the only way to be sure I won't be interrupted. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/boundaries-when-working-from-home-with-childcare-at-home#post-2916723 Mon, 22 Jun 2020 11:49:07 +0000 mamabolt 2916723@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>My kids are same age and our sitter started last week. We only have childcare half days so it probably helps that they know they get 1:1 mommy time from 12:30-1:30, but we set expectation with them and sitter that mommy and daddy are not to be disturbed. Only issue I have had is the little one getting clingy when I do come out for water or something. We will see if it continues once novelty of the new sitter wears off. Good luck! </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/boundaries-when-working-from-home-with-childcare-at-home#post-2916722 Mon, 22 Jun 2020 11:09:18 +0000 hitchhiker 2916722@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@Mommy Finger: These are all great ideas. I can't believe I didn't think of a sticker chart - we use that very successfully for other things. And I think I'll have them make red/green signs tonight to get some buy in from them. Thank you! </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/boundaries-when-working-from-home-with-childcare-at-home#post-2916721 Mon, 22 Jun 2020 10:59:02 +0000 Mommy Finger 2916721@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>My kids are about the same age as yours and we also have a summer nanny at the house for 6 hours a day. I'm sure you are already doing this but you probably need to have many conversations with your kids about when they can and cannot come talk to you. Can you make a sign for your door that shows red for when you can't be disturbed and green for when they can come in for a quick chat? How about sticker charts for the days/times when they don't disturb you? Or maybe a pom pom jar? We have one of those that we don't use all of the time but they earn for certain things and when the jar is full, they earn a special treat. Lots of commiseration. I'm lucky as my kids don't tend to bother us too much and sometimes my oldest just wants to hang out in the room with me. Sometimes this is ok, and other times it's not. Our nanny is usually really good at trying to keep them downstairs and tells them not to bother us when our doors are closed. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/boundaries-when-working-from-home-with-childcare-at-home#post-2916717 Mon, 22 Jun 2020 10:19:26 +0000 hitchhiker 2916717@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>How do you draw boundaries when you are working from home full time and you also have childcare at home full time? My 7 and 4 year olds are at home with a sitter this summer, and my 7 year old is constantly barging into my office looking for attention, complaining about the sitter, generally whining. I feel like I am going to lose it. After months of trying to balance working and child care, now that we have a sitter, I need to be able to work without interruption. Both for my work productivity and my mental health. Plus, I feel like I am inadvertently undermining the babysitter just by being here. (My husband is here too, but of course, none of this is an issue with or for him.) </p> <p>Does anyone have tips? </p>