Nanny Share Pros/Cons

[Anonymous]

We're considering a nanny-share for our second baby, and curious to know what folks find to be the pros and cons of this set-up vs. daycare center or in-home daycare.

We sent our older daughter to a daycare center starting at 19mos (I was home with her before that) and were very happy with how it worked out. We're considering a nanny-share hosted in our house because the logistics of two different drop-offs and pick-ups seem a little daunting. Some of our questions/concerns are:

- is it stressful being someone's employer?
- are costs split equally between host and non-host families?
- how important is it to have similar parenting "philosophies" as the other family
- what happens when one of the kids is sick?
- where does the other baby sleep if you're hosting in your own home?
- what happens when the host family goes on vacation?
- does each family provide its own food/snacks?

Any pros/cons you can share would be so helpful. Thanks!

[Anonymous]

Please do a search here for nanny shares. Every newbie has similar questions. What county are you in? It may be illegal.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:
- is it stressful being someone's employer? possibly there are too many factors for this to be a yes or no question.
- are costs split equally between host and non-host families? yes
- how important is it to have similar parenting "philosophies" as the other family very
- what happens when one of the kids is sick? fever or vomiting means sick baby stays home with parents. healthy baby gets nanny. sniffles and lesser colds means babies with nanny as usual.
- where does the other baby sleep if you're hosting in your own home? you need to have a room where a pack n play can go. If the nanny has to set it up/put it away every day, that could become very tiresome.
- what happens when the host family goes on vacation? nanny works at the other home if the family needs him/her. nanny is still paid by both families.
- does each family provide its own food/snacks? yes.

Any pros/cons you can share would be so helpful. Thanks!

[Anonymous]

The hiring process can be stressful, depends on the person and the nanny. Use a tax/payroll company to ease the tax issues.

I would do a search - nanny shares can work great but you need the right combination of good nanny, family, and children (RE: *should be same age*).

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:We're considering a nanny-share for our second baby, and curious to know what folks find to be the pros and cons of this set-up vs. daycare center or in-home daycare.

We sent our older daughter to a daycare center starting at 19mos (I was home with her before that) and were very happy with how it worked out. We're considering a nanny-share hosted in our house because the logistics of two different drop-offs and pick-ups seem a little daunting. Some of our questions/concerns are:

- is it stressful being someone's employer?
- are costs split equally between host and non-host families?
- how important is it to have similar parenting "philosophies" as the other family
- what happens when one of the kids is sick?
- where does the other baby sleep if you're hosting in your own home?
- what happens when the host family goes on vacation?
- does each family provide its own food/snacks?

Any pros/cons you can share would be so helpful. Thanks!

Have you considered how crazy your morning is going to be? You'll be getting your older child around and out the door as the nanny and other infant come in. Perhaps you should consider a single family nanny who will be available to care for your older child when there is no school?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:We're considering a nanny-share for our second baby, and curious to know what folks find to be the pros and cons of this set-up vs. daycare center or in-home daycare.

We sent our older daughter to a daycare center starting at 19mos (I was home with her before that) and were very happy with how it worked out. We're considering a nanny-share hosted in our house because the logistics of two different drop-offs and pick-ups seem a little daunting. Some of our questions/concerns are:

- is it stressful being someone's employer?
- are costs split equally between host and non-host families?
- how important is it to have similar parenting "philosophies" as the other family
- what happens when one of the kids is sick?
- where does the other baby sleep if you're hosting in your own home?
- what happens when the host family goes on vacation?
- does each family provide its own food/snacks?

Any pros/cons you can share would be so helpful. Thanks!

Have you considered how crazy your morning is going to be? You'll be getting your older child around and out the door as the nanny and other infant come in. Perhaps you should consider a single family nanny who will be available to care for your older child when there is no school?

Our mornings are already hectic-ish, so we figured having a nanny come to us would be easier than doing two separate drop-offs. Our older DD is 3 and in preschool - she'd go NUTS being at home all day with a nanny. Having a nanny for just our one baby is not feasible for us, financially.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:We're considering a nanny-share for our second baby, and curious to know what folks find to be the pros and cons of this set-up vs. daycare center or in-home daycare.

We sent our older daughter to a daycare center starting at 19mos (I was home with her before that) and were very happy with how it worked out. We're considering a nanny-share hosted in our house because the logistics of two different drop-offs and pick-ups seem a little daunting. Some of our questions/concerns are:

- is it stressful being someone's employer?
For us, it is not. That is because we did a written agreement to be sure everyone was on the same page, and also because our nanny is excellent and doesn't cause us stress. If expectations aren't clearly laid out, or if you have a poor nanny, it can be very stressful.

- are costs split equally between host and non-host families?
If you use the same number of hours, costs are split equally. If one family uses more hours than the other family, they pay more.

- how important is it to have similar parenting "philosophies" as the other family
This is VERY important. For example, if one family isn't strict about napping schedules and is okay with a nanny keeping the kids out all day and letting them nap in the stroller, and the other family wants their child to be in bed at a certain time, you'll have a problem.

- what happens when one of the kids is sick?
This should be agreed upon in advance. Our agreement is that a child does not need to stay home for colds without a fever. If a child has a fever or a stomach bug, s/he needs to stay home with a parent. The nanny can care for the non-sick child that day.

- where does the other baby sleep if you're hosting in your own home?
Pack-and-play in an extra bedroom.

- what happens when the host family goes on vacation?
In our case, the other family hosts. When they are on vacation the nanny comes to our home.

- does each family provide its own food/snacks?
We send lunch each day and snacks for the kids to share (they always want whatever the other kid has).

Any pros/cons you can share would be so helpful. Thanks!

Other cons: we would be even more generous with our nanny if the other family was on board with this. For example, we would give her an additional week of vacation, etc., just because that is in line with our principles.

Little things can pop up such as one family being okay with the nanny driving the kids, and the other not being okay with it.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:We're considering a nanny-share for our second baby, and curious to know what folks find to be the pros and cons of this set-up vs. daycare center or in-home daycare.

We sent our older daughter to a daycare center starting at 19mos (I was home with her before that) and were very happy with how it worked out. We're considering a nanny-share hosted in our house because the logistics of two different drop-offs and pick-ups seem a little daunting. Some of our questions/concerns are:

- is it stressful being someone's employer?
No, I don't think it is stressful. I think part of the reason its not stressful is I fairly obsessively read DCUM and see a lot of the things nannies complain about, so I kind of avoided that by treating her as a true employee - she gets paid overtime, has sick/vacation days, etc. I also try to show my appreciation as much as possible.

- are costs split equally between host and non-host families?
We actually split hosting - a few days at our house and a few days at their house. The other family we share with is incredibly nice, so we honestly don't even think about costs - they buy what is necessary for their house (ex: gates for the stairs, an extra pack n play) and we buy what is necessary for ours. We do, however, bring bottles and food for our kid when she is at their house.

- how important is it to have similar parenting "philosophies" as the other family
I personally don't think so, but we haven't run into a philosophy problem and our kids are just turning toddler age. I am sure their are things you can butt heads about, but you both love your children and want the best for them, and if all of the parents are kind people, it "should" work out.

- what happens when one of the kids is sick?
The sick kid does not go to the nanny that day.

- where does the other baby sleep if you're hosting in your own home?
The other baby sleeps in a pack n play.

- what happens when the host family goes on vacation?

- does each family provide its own food/snacks?
Yes.

Any pros/cons you can share would be so helpful. Thanks!

I wish I could have hosted full time. It is SO much easier to get ready in the morning when you are hosting. I thought the increased mess would drive me nuts, but there isnt actually an increased mess - just a few more bottles lying around in my kitchen. Also, its important to find a family that you really get along with and that lives close by for easy pick up and drop offs. Finally, I really like that the kids are about the same age so they can nap at the same time, and they learn from eachother.

[Anonymous]

Really it all works well if you have a good family partner. Other things will fall into place...

[Anonymous]

You should just join an existing share looking for a family - could cut down on some of your worries!

[Anonymous]

Good Day MB,

I am a nanny taking care of two 10 month old babies as part of a nanny share - my responses to your questions below:

- is it stressful being someone's employer? N/A (to me)

- are costs split equally between host and non-host families? Typically that is the case, the cost would differ only if one family requires more hours of childcare

- how important is it to have similar parenting "philosophies" as the other family. It is helpful but not mandatory. All major areas - nap times, feedings, discipline, etc are to be discussed and agreed upon at the onset.

- what happens when one of the kids is sick? Sick kid stays home with parent(s), nanny stays with healthy kid. Also to be discussed is how sick kid needs to be to remain with parents.

- where does the other baby sleep if you're hosting in your own home? Pack n Play set up in separate room works quite well.

- what happens when the host family goes on vacation? Nanny stays with other child at their home

- does each family provide its own food/snacks? Yes, but it would be helpful if children can share some foods eg. snacks while on outings


From my experience, the nanny share option can work quite well with the right caregiver. Please ensure that the nanny selected has good communication skills. It can also be helpful to have scheduled meetings every month or two, at least in the initial stages in addition to your daily or weekly quick updates.

Good Luck!

[Anonymous]

Hi,

Royce here from Pareday.com. The pros/cons of a nanny share depend on several factors.

The pros:

- costs (depends on if you live in area where day care is expensive)

- flexibility (nanny comes to you or family near you)

- no waitlists, especially at day cares with great caregivers.

- caregiver-to-child ratio is lower than at a day care.

- less illnesses since your kid will be around one or two other kids.

- control, you can find a nanny of your preference.

The url below has great info on benefits of nanny share:

http://www.parkslopeparents.com/Nanny-101/the-psp-step-by-step-guide-to-a-successful-nanny-share.html

Take care,

Royce
Pareday.com

[Anonymous]

The cons:

- coordinating schedule

- parenting styles

- handling sick days or vacations