Nanny share- advice on how/whether to search for one?

[Anonymous]

Hi folks,

First time parents here considering a nanny share and wondering how do folks assess whether it’s a good / safe fit for your kid?

The other family would host, and we don’t know the family personally. What questions would you ask? How would you assess if it’s a safe environment given that there may be other people coming thru the home besides the nanny? Do people just sort of role the dice or are we foolish to consider such an arrangement? 🎲😅

[Anonymous]

It beats daycare.

[Anonymous]

The visiting baby always has a really hard time going to sleep for naps, so please don’t put two babies with one caregiver.

[Anonymous]

We always had our own nanny, but you always roll the dice when you initially hire someone to care for your kids.

In our case, our nanny used to work for people we know which made us feel better. It would have been much harder to leave infants with someone without recommendations.

[Anonymous]

Do you know the Nanny or other family?
I wouldn’t do this if both are complete strangers unless referred by good friends or family that I trusted.

[Anonymous]

Does the family have the house properly babyproofed? (And will they keep it up as babies grow.) Guns in home? Smoke detector? Pets? What is policy on other adults in the house when your child is there? What will you and they do on baby monitors? Where will child sleep?
Totally reasonable to ask a ton of questions before agreeing to this. It’s not regulated like day care so you have to do it. If they get squirmish, not the right fit.

[Anonymous]

I live in dc and nanny shares are now more common than one family nannying.

I would get set on your schedules (8-6? 9-5?); kids’ schedules (how old is the other kid? Do they nap? When do they eat?); pay & benefits & expectations of a nanny (most important); length of arrangement. Do you or they have a nanny yet?

[Anonymous]

You really need to find someone you know- neighbor, friend, co worker otherwise I've seen so many disasters fall apart