Thanks for the thread, I'm an MB in a share and I've wondered about the same thing.

In my share, each family provides food, and the nanny shares it with both babies. Our nanny said that works well because whatever one baby has, the other wants. I plan on bringing my food that the babies can both eat as they get bigger. Fortunately the other family doesn't have any severe food restrictions or allergies.

[quote=Anonymous]I've done several shares and each family always provided their own food. I often shared random stuff I brought as well (beans and steamed beets being the most popular.)[/quote]

As a nanny, who's never done a share-so what do I know, that sound far too complicated. It also seems very limiting and I personally like to try my best to expand the kids' palettes. I would want my NFs to provide foods that can be shared.

I've done several shares and each family always provided their own food. I often shared random stuff I brought as well (beans and steamed beets being the most popular.)

I would either a). Simply provide individual food for each child. Or b). If the nanny prefers, split food co$ts down the middle.

1. Each family provides food for solely their child. Nanny makes sure that each child eats only their food. This is most common when there's an allergy (or possibility of an allergy) and/or major dietary difference (one family is vegetarian).

2. Nanny shops for and makes all food for the share, parents provide equal amounts of money either up front as petty cash or loaded on a card, or nanny volunteers to be reimbursed. This is easiest for the parents. Some nannies wouldn't want to take two infants or toddlers shopping, while others would have fun with the kids while doing it.

3. Parents do the share shopping from nanny's list, and nanny makes all share food. This is easier for the nanny than taking kids shopping, and parents don't have to worry about whether the nanny has enough money for the food. Parents can switch weeks providing food, one set can reimburse half of the total, some families buy four weeks then switch. There's tons of ways to work it out.

4. Parents shop and make all share food, nanny is only responsible for heating it up. This is very uncommon.

I have no idea what people do, but I have some ideas. You could bring foods that your child likes, enough to share, and nanny can incorporate those into the foods at the hosting house. Keep up with the nanny Tobruk sure that you are providing at least half of the food, as no one wants to feel taken advantage of. You could have nanny do the shopping out of petty cash that both families provide. Lastly, you could allow host family to supply the food and you pay them a stipend every week/month.

I did and didn't find any helpful results.

Do a search, op.

Our 7 month old DS is in a nanny share with another child of the same age and we are both just getting into solid food. For those who had a nanny share at this age, how did you handle providing food? Did each family provide their own (which seems like a lot of work for the nanny)? If you shared, how did you split costs? They host most of the time, so it can't be that we just alternate based on who is hosting.