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[quote=Anonymous]
1.) How important is it to have both families with the EXACT same hours? 
The core hours should be the same. In some cases a family may need more overtime than the other family, and that needs to be a discussion with the other family, the nanny, and fully documented in the contract so expectations are clear for everyone.

2.) How important is it to have kids with similar ages in a share (i.e. how close in age is ideal?)? 
It's easier to get kids on the same schedule when they are the same age. Infants nap more than older babies, and the difference increases as the children age. It might be challenging to have kids that are more than a few months apart if the baby needs to nap but the older kid wants to go to the park or their parents want them to go to an enrichment class, etc. That being said, it could probably be handled if both families and nanny are aware and OK. But it could lead to resentments among families if one family feels one child's needs are getting prioritized over the other child's.

3.) How important is an experienced nanny vs. a 'new' nanny when it comes to a share structure? Is it easier or more difficult than a one family structure? What should we look for in a nanny?
I'm not sure. Our nanny had worked in a share before, so that was nice. I think communication - between families and nanny's might overcome experience deficits. Personally I preferred an experienced nanny because I knew they would understand what the workload was before they committed to care for 2 kids at once. 
 
4.) How important is it to get along with the other family and have similar ideologies? Or does it matter less because you don't interact as much as you do with the nanny?

Uh, pretty important! You needn't be identical, but if you dislike the other family, working together might be challenging. A lot depends on how rigid either family is in their beliefs. Is your family vegetarian? No problem. Does your family want to prohibit the other kid from bringing chicken for lunch? That could be a problem. Is one family into guns and the other is not? Huge problem.  I personally believe that values matter, and I would want someone whose values aligned with my own core values of treating others with respect and dignity (which to me means paying a living wage, legally, taxes, providing health care coverage, etc.). If my share partner didn't have the same feelings, it probably wouldn't work out because we wouldn't be able to agree on basics like payment, benefits, etc. I also don't want to work with another family that's going to treat the nanny poorly either.

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