How to Split Nanny Share Costs

[jphruk]

Hi, We currently have a nanny watching our 2 sons (5 and 2). My 5 year old will be going to K in Sept (private school: in person with the option of online), so we are considering doing a nanny share with my littlest. Our hours are 8:30 to 5:30, however the other family needs 7:30 - 4:30. The other family's son is also 2 years old. How would you split the cost of the nanny in this situation?

We will be hosting the other child at our house and the other family would like us to provide breakfast, lunch, snacks, milk. How would you recommend estimating a weekly food contribution? How about cost of arts and craft supplies and other incidental expenses? Diaper genie bags, wipes, etc.

Thanks in advance!

[Anonymous]

Since you both want 9 hours, you split the total cost of the nanny down the middle. You have to buy worker’s compensation insurance plus food and supplies. Make an estimate of your additional food/supply costs (Ie stuff you wouldn’t be buying already. Your diaper genie doesn’t count). I’m guessing $50 per week? Add that up, plus half the worker’s compensation expense, and the other family owes you that much.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Since you both want 9 hours, you split the total cost of the nanny down the middle. You have to buy worker’s compensation insurance plus food and supplies. Make an estimate of your additional food/supply costs (Ie stuff you wouldn’t be buying already. Your diaper genie doesn’t count). I’m guessing $50 per week? Add that up, plus half the worker’s compensation expense, and the other family owes you that much.

PP here. Ack, I’m sorry, I misread you. Diaper genie bags. I think you can also include a line item for diapering if you’re going to be sharing wipes and diapers (I wouldn’t break it out beyond that) and you can include bags in your rough calculations. But in my share, each family brought their own wipes and diapers. If that’s the case, I wouldn’t get too nickel and dime-y though, especially since You don’t NEED a diaper genie. You might also consider throwing in a bunch of hand sanitizer/disinfecting wipes.

[Anonymous]

Is your nanny going to come to your house an hour before you need her? And the other child will be there? And your child will not be receiving any care during that hour? But the other child will get picked up at 4:30 and your nanny will stay an extra hour?

It’s a long day for the nanny, especially if she has a commute. Is there any way you could both compromise and do 8-5? Or switch off so some days are 8-5 or you alternate days starting at 7:30 vs 8:30 but both kids are together?

Otherwise I’d say you set a rate for the overlapping hours and then each family pays for the hour their kid is solo with the nanny. Eg $15/hr per family during shared hours and $18/hr per family for the solo hour. It’s just trickier because it’ll always be at your house and you can’t ask the nanny to cover 30 min some mornings if you aren’t paying her.

As for the food, I’d tell the other family they should bring their own food. You aren’t a daycare provider.

[Anonymous]

Keep in mind that if you do a share your nanny cannot watch your older kid on days when he or she can’t get to school or the school is forced to close. I would not do a share for this reason.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Is your nanny going to come to your house an hour before you need her? And the other child will be there? And your child will not be receiving any care during that hour? But the other child will get picked up at 4:30 and your nanny will stay an extra hour?

It’s a long day for the nanny, especially if she has a commute. Is there any way you could both compromise and do 8-5? Or switch off so some days are 8-5 or you alternate days starting at 7:30 vs 8:30 but both kids are together?

Otherwise I’d say you set a rate for the overlapping hours and then each family pays for the hour their kid is solo with the nanny. Eg $15/hr per family during shared hours and $18/hr per family for the solo hour. It’s just trickier because it’ll always be at your house and you can’t ask the nanny to cover 30 min some mornings if you aren’t paying her.

As for the food, I’d tell the other family they should bring their own food. You aren’t a daycare provider.

Yeah this seems like it would be awkward with her arriving at 7:30 and the other family dropping their kid off then? Or will the nanny go to the other family's house at 7:30 and bring him to your house at 8:30?

I agree just split down the middle- normally I think a single child vs double child rate can work but since you both need the same number of hours

I also agree that is it odd they want you to provide food- are you OK with this? I don't think that is normal for a nanny share. If they don't want to pack a lunch each day they should be able to bring food for the week at the start of each week but asking you to buy food fro them seems a bit much.

For wipes, diapers, diaper genie bags- figure out how many you go through in a week or month and ask them to provide the same amount. Or keep the wipes and diapers separate for each kid. For the diaper genie bags could also just switch off buying them when they are getting low.

[Anonymous]

IMO you being the host (as long as you provide a specific room/bathroom for the daycare needs) and providing food means costs should be split 60/40 in your favor instead of 50/50.

So if you're paying the nanny $4,000/mo collectively - then you need to be paying $1,600/mo and the other family should be paying $2,400/mo.

Just my thoughts. That also means you just suck it up that the nanny + baby arrive at 7:30AM and you insure there's food and toys in the house enough for both infants. Diapers too.

[Anonymous]

You don’t want to do this, not with that schedule.

Let’s start with the nanny’s salary:
Assume 1 child rate is $22, share is $25.
Core hours are 8.30-4.30 for both families. That’s 40 hours at $12.50 per family per hour, which is $500 for the base hours. Then each family also has 5 hours at the single child rate, BUT it’s OT, so instead of paying $100 you’re now paying $150. Your total just jumped from $500 to $650 with only FIVE additional hours. No, you can just pay the nanny for 9 hours each at just the share rate, she’s not going to accept share rate for the single child OT hours.

Now, if you can finagle both schedules to 8-5, both families will pay $500 base plus 5 OT hours on the share rate, which is $93.75. Over the long run, that will save you a bunch!

On to the other issues:

In some shares have food brought with the non-hosting child. In others, the families trade off buying food every week or two. In others, one family always buys, and they just split the grocery bill.

I’ve never heard of families sharing wipes and diapers. Because different brands can cause rashes or don’t fit every body type, it’s just better to each keep your own supplies. Same thing happens with formula and bottles.

The family should provide a high chair, pack n play. You’ll probably buy a double stroller together unless one of the families already has one.

[jphruk]

Thanks everyone for your suggestions. I agree that it'll be easier if the hours are the same. I will have to see if the other family can shift from 8-5. That's easier than having to figure out who pays the nanny for the extra hour for a single child in the morning and the afternoon at the single child rate, which is more costly.

I also think it might be simpler to have the other family pack lunch. Their son eats veggies, ours doesn't, so to buy veggies just for the other child is a hassle. It's just a pain to have the nanny prepare broccoli for one kid and something else for the other.

If this doesn't work out with this family, then we'll need to find another family that is a better fit schedule-wise. Again, Thank you!

[Anonymous]

jphruk wrote:Thanks everyone for your suggestions. I agree that it'll be easier if the hours are the same. I will have to see if the other family can shift from 8-5. That's easier than having to figure out who pays the nanny for the extra hour for a single child in the morning and the afternoon at the single child rate, which is more costly.

I also think it might be simpler to have the other family pack lunch. Their son eats veggies, ours doesn't, so to buy veggies just for the other child is a hassle. It's just a pain to have the nanny prepare broccoli for one kid and something else for the other.

If this doesn't work out with this family, then we'll need to find another family that is a better fit schedule-wise. Again, Thank you!

Glad to help!

Btw, did you discuss switching to a share with the nanny?

[jphruk]

Yes, I've been keeping the nanny in the conversation to make sure she is comfortable with the arrangement.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:IMO you being the host (as long as you provide a specific room/bathroom for the daycare needs) and providing food means costs should be split 60/40 in your favor instead of 50/50.

So if you're paying the nanny $4,000/mo collectively - then you need to be paying $1,600/mo and the other family should be paying $2,400/mo.

Just my thoughts. That also means you just suck it up that the nanny + baby arrive at 7:30AM and you insure there's food and toys in the house enough for both infants. Diapers too.

This is complicated, and if I was the family who wasn't hosting, I would find the ~$200/week extra unfair. You have the benefit that you don't have to drop off or pick up your kid or buy "extras" of items needed at nanny share, and you may get the benefit of the nanny taking care of "light housework" related to the baby (baby's laundry, etc.)

Most shares work that everyone provides their own diapers. Wipes might be shared and you just each take turns buying them. A good food compromise is to offer them fridge space / cabinet space that they stock weekly or similar, assuming they want the nanny to cook/prep meals (which is a usual nanny job). I would be annoyed to join a share where I had to prepare my kids lunch and the nanny prepared lunch for the other kid. I'd be happy to provide ingredients as needed.

In our share, we sometimes allowed a sibling to also be cared for when needed. The nanny got paid more and we got a discounted rate for those days. Something to consider with your nanny and the other family.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:IMO you being the host (as long as you provide a specific room/bathroom for the daycare needs) and providing food means costs should be split 60/40 in your favor instead of 50/50.

So if you're paying the nanny $4,000/mo collectively - then you need to be paying $1,600/mo and the other family should be paying $2,400/mo.

Just my thoughts. That also means you just suck it up that the nanny + baby arrive at 7:30AM and you insure there's food and toys in the house enough for both infants. Diapers too.

This is complicated, and if I was the family who wasn't hosting, I would find the ~$200/week extra unfair. You have the benefit that you don't have to drop off or pick up your kid or buy "extras" of items needed at nanny share, and you may get the benefit of the nanny taking care of "light housework" related to the baby (baby's laundry, etc.)

Most shares work that everyone provides their own diapers. Wipes might be shared and you just each take turns buying them. A good food compromise is to offer them fridge space / cabinet space that they stock weekly or similar, assuming they want the nanny to cook/prep meals (which is a usual nanny job). I would be annoyed to join a share where I had to prepare my kids lunch and the nanny prepared lunch for the other kid. I'd be happy to provide ingredients as needed.

In our share, we sometimes allowed a sibling to also be cared for when needed. The nanny got paid more and we got a discounted rate for those days. Something to consider with your nanny and the other family.

Cooking two different lunches is a no go. Assembling different sandwiches is fine.

No housekeeping other than just cleaning up after themselves. No laundry.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:IMO you being the host (as long as you provide a specific room/bathroom for the daycare needs) and providing food means costs should be split 60/40 in your favor instead of 50/50.

So if you're paying the nanny $4,000/mo collectively - then you need to be paying $1,600/mo and the other family should be paying $2,400/mo.

Just my thoughts. That also means you just suck it up that the nanny + baby arrive at 7:30AM and you insure there's food and toys in the house enough for both infants. Diapers too.

This is complicated, and if I was the family who wasn't hosting, I would find the ~$200/week extra unfair. You have the benefit that you don't have to drop off or pick up your kid or buy "extras" of items needed at nanny share, and you may get the benefit of the nanny taking care of "light housework" related to the baby (baby's laundry, etc.)

Most shares work that everyone provides their own diapers. Wipes might be shared and you just each take turns buying them. A good food compromise is to offer them fridge space / cabinet space that they stock weekly or similar, assuming they want the nanny to cook/prep meals (which is a usual nanny job). I would be annoyed to join a share where I had to prepare my kids lunch and the nanny prepared lunch for the other kid. I'd be happy to provide ingredients as needed.

In our share, we sometimes allowed a sibling to also be cared for when needed. The nanny got paid more and we got a discounted rate for those days. Something to consider with your nanny and the other family.

I agree- there are both costs and benefits to hosting and I think it evens out (although maybe less so with people working from home- when everyone commuted it was nice to host because you didn't have to worry about drop-off but now it is more of a burden maybe to have other people in your house)

[Anonymous]

They can’t split 9 hours down the middle because at the end of the week they only need 45 hours each but the Nanny is working 50 hours a week. I say you split the 40 hours you both need equally. They should pay there 5 separately and you pay your 5 separately. Is your 5 yo home any of the time?