Anonymous wrote:OP here. Of the families we interviewed, the nanny prefers the family that lives in Maryland. The family will be bringing their child to our house exclusively. The arrangement gives me pause because I fear that the family may realize that commuting with an infant is a pain and find a different arrangement closer to their home.

We had a similar arrangement when our older child was in a share and actually specifically sought out child care near work. We both had long commutes and did not want our son that far away in an emergency, so care near home wasn't a good option. I won't say commuting with a baby was fun, but we would make the same choice again. (Younger child went to a share close to home but only because one parent working from home by then.)

If one parent works in MD and the other near you, I might be concerned that they'll reconsider. If they both work in the District I wouldn't give it a second thought. It's also totally fair to ask them directly about it, too.

OP here. Of the families we interviewed, the nanny prefers the family that lives in Maryland. The family will be bringing their child to our house exclusively. The arrangement gives me pause because I fear that the family may realize that commuting with an infant is a pain and find a different arrangement closer to their home.

Anonymous wrote:Why does the Nanny care where the family lives if they are coming to Capital Hill anyway?
or do you mean out of the families you guys have interviewed this is the specific family she likes?

OP worded it strangely, but I think she meant the latter.

Why does the Nanny care where the family lives if they are coming to Capital Hill anyway?
or do you mean out of the families you guys have interviewed this is the specific family she likes?

Are you trading hosting? That might be a concern. If you're planning to host, I wouldn't worry too much one way or the other about it. They might change jobs, sure--but it's equally possible that a neighborhood family might move. You can't really predict that unless you have some reason to believe their current jobs are unstable. (If they both work in Capitol Hill, I'd be even less concerned.) A big upside to a family working nearby is that they're less likely to be late for pickup than someone working elsewhere and coming back home for pickup.

Just put together a contract mandating a reasonable notice for everyone involved to put your mind at ease--we did 60 days in ours.

The biggest factors in success/failure in our experience are the dynamics of the two families (parenting styles, communication styles, etc.) and the ages of the kids (both same age and different age shares can work, but different age shares are more likely to end in one child going to preschool before the other is ready).

Our nanny share partner is starting school and we are starting a new share in September. It will be our first time hosting.

We live in Capitol Hill. Our nanny has a strong preference for a family that lives in Maryland but currently work in the neighborhood. Has anyone done a share with a family who lived so far away? Are there are issues that arose specific to the distance, or is the prospect of success (or failure) no different than a share with a family nearby?

I am concerned that the other family may change jobs, tire of the commute, and leave on short notice. Has anyone done a long-distance nanny share and have any words of wisdom to share?