https://boards.hellobee.com/ Pregnancy, Baby and Parenting blog, by Hellobee en Wed, 08 Apr 2026 12:07:17 +0000 https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/anyone-whos-part-of-a-nanny-share-want-to-give-insight#post-2013764 Wed, 07 Jan 2015 13:50:46 +0000 Ms.Badger 2013764@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@Grace: Thank you, definitely went through the posts</p> <p>@hummusgirl: Thanks for the reply, that was how I was thinking would work most easily. As the one most likely hosting, I don't think I'd like extra boxes of diapers and wipes to keep track of (nor would I like to be the nanny that has to remember, which diapers belong to which baby).</p> <p>@Torchwood: I really hope that I can make the situation for our future nanny easier and more considerate than you seemed to have in the past </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/anyone-whos-part-of-a-nanny-share-want-to-give-insight#post-2013759 Wed, 07 Jan 2015 13:49:02 +0000 mrs.shinerbock 2013759@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@Ms.Badger: We drop off a box (maybe 3-gallon size plastic box?) each week that has enough diapers and wipes for the week, extra clothes, season-appropriate things that might be needed (swimsuit or jacket) and a few snacks and pouches if they are needed. Even though the girls are so close in age, they wear different size diapers, so we couldn't really share, but it's not a big box, so it's not a big deal to store it. The host family also stores an extra carseat for us so the nanny can take the girls to story time.</p> <p>I also pack breakfast and lunch each day, but I'm pretty sure the girls share food (which we are ok with and there are no allergies.) </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/anyone-whos-part-of-a-nanny-share-want-to-give-insight#post-2013732 Wed, 07 Jan 2015 13:32:44 +0000 Torchwood 2013732@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@Ms.Badger: They didn't take out taxes or anything, and I wound up making so little for the year that it wasn't a big deal to report it. I didn't have to go into any detail that I recall. I was paid separately (I don't really know how they would have worked it otherwise. It seems like a lot of work just to save me having to deposite a second check) and had no issues. I never had any form of paid vacation, and generally wasn't compensated if I wasn't needed for some reason with any of my nanny jobs, so just getting the one kid rate if one family was out of town was no different. I would have liked to have had something more, but in the area I was living at the time, it wasn't generally offered. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/anyone-whos-part-of-a-nanny-share-want-to-give-insight#post-2013696 Wed, 07 Jan 2015 13:13:22 +0000 hummusgirl 2013696@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@Ms.Badger: I know this wasn't directed at me, but I just ordered all diapers/wipes from Amazon and had the other family pay for about 1/3 (since we hosted full-time, I figured we were using more because of nights/weekends). Our nanny also cooked food for the kids, so usually we would buy the ingredients and also the nanny's food. At first I tried to keep strict track of what we were spending but that got overwhelming so the other family just ended up paying me about $40 every week or two for those incidentals. </p> <p>We also had a petty cash envelope that we would each contribute to every so often for outings (admission to the zoo or playspace, snack for the nanny if she took them to a coffee shop or something). </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/anyone-whos-part-of-a-nanny-share-want-to-give-insight#post-2013680 Wed, 07 Jan 2015 13:06:45 +0000 Grace 2013680@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>Mrs Hopscotch did a series on her nanny share. <a href="http://www.hellobee.com/2012/07/06/the-nanny-share/" rel="nofollow">http://www.hellobee.com/2012/07/06/the-nanny-share/</a> (There's 3 or 4 posts altogether - you'll find them if you search "nanny share"). </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/anyone-whos-part-of-a-nanny-share-want-to-give-insight#post-2013657 Wed, 07 Jan 2015 12:53:38 +0000 Ms.Badger 2013657@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@hummusgirl: Thanks so much, that link was helpful and just knowing how you made it work.<br /> @mrs.shinerbock: This sounds great. How do you work out diapers, wipes, etc? Does the non-host family just pay the host family an approximate figure? Or does the host family store the other family's stuff? </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/anyone-whos-part-of-a-nanny-share-want-to-give-insight#post-2012915 Tue, 06 Jan 2015 21:48:24 +0000 mrs.shinerbock 2012915@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>We do a nanny share with a family in our neighborhood and we are very happy with the arrangement.</p> <p>- Both families have the same hours (10 hrs, 4 days per week) and we set a 2-child rate and a 1-child rate. To make things easier on us though (and so the nanny has a steady income), we each pay her the 2-child rate for 40 hrs each week, regardless if we don't use all 40 hrs. (Both families usually use all 40 hrs, but sometimes one or the other will pick up their LO early for a Dr appt or something.) The only times we use the 1-child rate is if 1 family needs an evening or weekend. Each family is also entitled to 1 week of vacation where they don't pay and the other family pays the 1-child rate.</p> <p>- We stick to 1 house. We talked about switching every week or a few days a week at each, but then we would have needed to have extra gear at both houses or transfer it each week. I ended up buying a double stroller and a small high chair, the other family provided a PnP. We talked about having a different rate for the host family, but we figure it evens out - they have higher utility bills, but also get the convenience of having it at their house and don't have to do any drop-off/pick-up.</p> <p>- The LOs are close to the same age - only 6 weeks apart which is really great because they make good playmates and they have really been developing together - crawled and walked within days of each other.</p> <p>- We did not know the couple before the nanny share, but we spent time getting to know them and made sure to talk about what was expected of the nanny, what was allowable for the LOs, parenting styles, etc. Luckily we are pretty similar and get along well. (IMO - this is probably the biggest factor is making the arrangements work.) We also have a written contract that details pay rates, vacation for us, paid holidays for the nanny, daily expectations.</p> <p>- I also really, really recommend using one of the tax-services like Breedlove to handle taxes. It is super easy to adjust the pay rate and generate paystubs when needed. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/anyone-whos-part-of-a-nanny-share-want-to-give-insight#post-2012874 Tue, 06 Jan 2015 21:20:36 +0000 hummusgirl 2012874@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>We did a nanny share really successfully for a year and a half until we moved away. We miss our nanny and the other family so much! We followed the Park Slope Parents guide pretty much to the letter: <a href="http://www.parkslopeparents.com/docs/THE%20PSP%20GUIDE%20TO%20A%20Nanny%20Share.FINAL%282%29.pdf" rel="nofollow">http://www.parkslopeparents.com/docs/THE%20PSP%20GUIDE%20TO%20A%20Nanny%20Share.FINAL%282%29.pdf</a> </p> <p>I'd say it worked out because both families were laid back (though not in a jump-on-the-bed and eat waffles sort of way like @torchwood's!), didn't pinch pennies, and needed roughly the same number of hours. We also had the best nanny on the planet, and wanted to do everything we could to keep her happy and supported, so we were pretty flexible when she needed time off or made requests. </p> <p>We paid the same amount each week regardless of how many hours we needed (i.e. random vacation day, pediatrician's appointment, etc.). I think if you try to calculate an hour here or an hour there to save a few bucks, it could be more trouble than it's worth, plus it probably evens out in the end. </p> <p>We really loved our nanny share experience. I hope it works out for you!</p> <p>ETA I highly recommend a nanny who has share experience. Ours did, and was under no illusions that it would be easy. It's a really challenging job (no way I could do it!) and it was nice to have someone experienced and confident. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/anyone-whos-part-of-a-nanny-share-want-to-give-insight#post-2012804 Tue, 06 Jan 2015 20:39:44 +0000 Ms.Badger 2012804@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@Torchwood: Nope, novels are good. How did it work out tax-wise with the two different pay rates? Did you get paid separately from each family, or just one payment that included both? Did you prefer it this way? If one family took a "vacation" day, did you just get paid the lower rate for taking care of one? And if so, did this bother you? Thanks for any input! </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/anyone-whos-part-of-a-nanny-share-want-to-give-insight#post-2012708 Tue, 06 Jan 2015 19:46:17 +0000 Torchwood 2012708@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>I think my biggest advice would be to make sure you and the other parents are on the same page with things in general. I briefly did a nanny share with two toddlers, and it wound up being *really* difficult because of the differences between the two families. Like one was all healthy and organic, and the other ate only mac-n-cheese and frozen waffles. So the healthy eating kid wound up just wanting to eat the unhealthy kid's food, and it was a fight for me to get her to eat her own. And I kept them both at the more laid back family's house, and their kid was allowed to jump on her bed. I let the other one do so as well, and even after finding out that it was allowed in that house the mom got mad at her for it when she saw her doing it. Which confused the kid because she didn't understand why the other was allowed and she wasn't. That sort of thing made it way harder. Not as much of an issue early on, but it could definitely cause trouble later.</p> <p>When I was doing it, the hours were definitely uneven. I just got paid $10/hour for one kid, and $15/hour for two. So it was cheaper for the parents when I had them both, but I made more. It was a little hard on weeks when my hours varied from the norm, but as long as things stayed the same it wasn't difficult since we calculated it out ahead of time.</p> <p>I think most nannies are good with it as long as they feel comfortable taking care of two. It's better money after all. But I'd recommend finding someone with actual experience with two. It wound up being a lot harder than I expected, and I was very relieved to get out of it. (Though there were a lot more factors involved than just that there were two. It was also too many hours for me (50 or so), and the issues I mentioned before with the difference in parenting, and the one kid's mom had just run off (with another woman, interestingly) and abandoned her and her dad, so she was dealing with all the emotional freakouts of suddenly not having her mom, etc.) But still, I chose not to nanny for two again, even though I thought at first that I could totally handle it.</p> <p>Anyway, sorry to write you a novel, but there's my input! :) Hope it works out for you! </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/anyone-whos-part-of-a-nanny-share-want-to-give-insight#post-2012544 Tue, 06 Jan 2015 17:38:40 +0000 MrsBucky 2012544@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>I am subscribing as well, since I am getting very anxious about childcare and have a suspicion we may end up trying to do something similar (though probably not with friends, since we don't currently know anyone else who needs childcare in our area!) </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/anyone-whos-part-of-a-nanny-share-want-to-give-insight#post-2012541 Tue, 06 Jan 2015 17:36:45 +0000 CakeLady 2012541@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>My advice, from a failed attempt at a nanny share, is to make sure you lay ALL your cards on the table upfront. Make sure you really know and like the other family and make sure each family is really clear about everything that is important to them and what they need in terms of hours, days, budget etc. And put it in writing! </p> <p>We were talking with another couple for months about doing a share and when it came down to finally choosing someone to hire they started to throw out new requirements. For example, we found a nanny we really liked and left the initial meeting feeling really good, and thought they felt the same way. Later they said that nanny was an absolute no-go because of a minor lisp?!? We also agreed to a budget of $8-9/hour each, later they said they wanted to go up to $11/hour. Needless to say I had put everything we initially agreed to in writing and they had agreed to it. I had some initial reservations about the couple, I should have listened to my gut, because they turned out to be crazy! We dumped them before ever finding a nanny. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/anyone-whos-part-of-a-nanny-share-want-to-give-insight#post-2012516 Tue, 06 Jan 2015 17:22:30 +0000 Mae 2012516@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>following because a friend and I are talking about doing something similar! :) </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/anyone-whos-part-of-a-nanny-share-want-to-give-insight#post-2012515 Tue, 06 Jan 2015 17:21:48 +0000 Ms.Badger 2012515@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>A friend of mine (who is due mid-February with her first) and I have started talking about possibly doing a nanny-share (my baby is due in early May). Anyone with experience with nanny shares want to give me some of your wisdom? Did it work well for you? Did one parent pay more/need more hours or was it equal? How open were nannies to this type of arrangement? Anything else that would be useful for a newbie to know? I would love any and all insight before jumping in. Thanks! </p>