How early to start contacting/interviewing for a nanny share?

[Anonymous]

Hey all! We’re expecting twins in September and are looking at options for care beginning in January 2021 after my wife’s maternity leave is over. Even with a $3.5k per month budget we can’t find any daycare facilities we could afford so we’re looking at nanny shares instead. Given that COVID has thrown everything out of whack, how early should we be contacting/interviewing nanny shares to try and find a fit?

[Anonymous]

About 3 months before start. Where are you located?

[Anonymous]

I would think you could hire a nanny to watch only your children. You’re saying that you can afford about $900/week. I wouldn’t do a nanny share, that would mean that the nanny would most likely be watching 3 children under the age of 1. I find it odd that with a budget of $3500 a month that you can’t find a childcare center.

[Anonymous]

OP here, we live in the Navy Yard and all the places like Bright Horizons/Kindercare have given us estimates of $2.7k+ per kid per month so we’ve started looking at nannies. We’re both from small town Florida so we’re not very familiar with the process. We’re looking for a nanny share as my wife works from home and would like to keep the house quiet during the day.

[Anonymous]

A nanny share with three babies is a terrible idea, and I'm a big advocate for nanny shares.

[Anonymous]

Um, your wife is going to have to suck it up and be open to the idea of having the nanny and your children in your home. No nanny or family in their right minds would agree to be a part of a nanny share with three infants. Nor should you want your infants in that situation.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:OP here, we live in the Navy Yard and all the places like Bright Horizons/Kindercare have given us estimates of $2.7k+ per kid per month so we’ve started looking at nannies. We’re both from small town Florida so we’re not very familiar with the process. We’re looking for a nanny share as my wife works from home and would like to keep the house quiet during the day.

Your wife needs to look into setting up an office in a specific part of the house. And she needs to be open to noise or invest in earplugs/noise-cancelling headphones.

[Anonymous]

And that's very true. No nannie or Familie are looking for a Nanny share with 3 kids? This doesn't make sense. Usually a Nanny share is only with 2 kids. When 1 of the family is about to give her second child it's common sense that it's time for both Families break up the Sharing and find their own nanny only to watch for their kids. And about if your wife is thinking to work at Home with Only with your twins; start thinking in set an office with Door closed; or working on the basement with Door closed so the nanny has a very very separate space with the mom. If not for sure Your nanny will quit soon. It's so so hard take a nanny Job with parents working from home. Honestly I would not take one; even if the Pay is $25/30 p/H only for 1 child.

[Anonymous]

Thanks all, lots to think about but all advice is appreciated

[Anonymous]

Finding even a decent nanny share is going to be hard with 3 kids. Your rate isn’t ideal for any nanny with actual experience with multiples. An excellent nanny is more expensive than daycares. Honestly, look into home daycares.

[Anonymous]

If you are absolutely set on a nanny share, you may find another family willing to do it with your twins if you pay $18-20/hour and they pay $9-10 (half of whatever you pay). Because it would be higher than most other shares, you might be able to find a good nanny for that rate.

[Anonymous]

Some nannies take care of 3 kids .

[Anonymous]

Some nannies might take care of three kids, but generally they aren’t all the same age.

[Anonymous]

Agree. Nannies take Share positions; when babies are same age and a typical with 2 babies. And or couse lot of nannies take care more kids 2,3, and 4 Multiple kids usually when they are siblings and different ages. So i think for you guys will be a challenge to find a nanny who wants to take care 3 Newborns, Same age and even if you find one with good experience with multiples; being in care of 3 newborns at the same time it wouldn't be the right thing to do as the 3 babies Will never ever have the same attention that they really deserve and they really need.

[Anonymous]

One of the benefits of working from home with a nanny is you can spend extra time with your kids. Spend your lunch break with them and give the nanny a break, nurse between meetings or during conference calls. I pushed hard to be able to work from home 2x/week and would have loved full-time like your wife. It’s weird that she wants a nanny-share specifically to get her as-yet-unborn kids out of the house. Does she really want to be a mother?