Nanny Grandma Over stepping! HELP
Hey everyone, I could really use some advice from other nannies.
I’ve been nannying for about five years, I have a college major in education, and I was a 3rd grade teacher who took kids on field trips and was with them alone all day. I’m very comfortable with safety, taking kids swimming, going to parks, and managing behavior. I truly love the family I work for and I adore the kids.
But the grandma lives in the home and is there all the time, and it’s starting to really stress me out. I feel like I’m being monitored 24/7, like she’s constantly watching me or stepping in. Constantly critiquing me:/ It makes it really hard for the kids to listen to me because they know she’s right there, and it honestly feels undermining. It also gives me this sinking feeling that they don’t fully trust me, even though I’m highly qualified and experienced.
Another layer to this is that I’m a huge people pleaser. I don’t want to cause any issues or make anyone uncomfortable, and I really want a good reference from this family eventually. I care about maintaining a positive relationship with them, but this dynamic is making the job way more stressful than it should be.
Has anyone dealt with a situation like this? How did you handle it or set boundaries without damaging the relationship?