I’m a Family with a Nanny - Should I Share My Nanny?

A family walking through a field

You’ve got a great nanny and they’re fabulous with your kids, but have you wondered if a nanny share is a good option for you and your family?

Here are some reasons you might want to share your nanny, as well as some reasons why sharing might not be a good fit.

Good reasons to share your nanny with another family

You’d like to save money.

You have a fantastic person in your home, giving special attention to your child the way you wish you could, but it’s expensive. You could be compromising in other areas such as eating out less, taking fewer vacations, and spending less on yourself.

Cutting the cost of your nanny while still keeping her, and getting her high level of care is very appealing. Plus, it can be enticing for your nanny since they’d be earning more per hour.

Social interaction with other children.

You love the one on one attention, but it seems like your child’s only friend is their nanny. A nanny share can provide a new best friend for your child, and you might have parent friends for life, as well.

More parents mean more support.

It’s always great to have people around who understand what you’re going through. Have an early morning meeting? Drop him with us. Want to start a date-night swap? Your kids are already friends.

Entering a nanny share relationship can mean you have an understanding, compassionate parenting team on-call.

Did we mention the cost savings?

It’s appealing for all parties. If your nanny was making $20/hour, you now pay $13 along with the other family. So your nanny is now making $26/hour, and you’re saving $7/hour which equates to $280/week!

Good reasons NOT to share your nanny

You like the flexibility.

If you like your nanny working around your schedule, a change might be more inconvenient than you had imagined. It can be difficult to transition to considering another family’s busy schedule.

The new family might be open to following along with your routine, but it’s best to start from the beginning and see what works for all of you as you create a weekly plan together.

You want your kid to come first.

As a parent, you aren’t being selfish but rather realistic. Sharing a nanny means one kid might be sick and need special attention (or get your child sick), and if both kids are crying, your nanny will have to juggle the situation and help one at a time.

It would be the same thing if you had multiple children, but if you’re used to your child getting all the attention, this change might not be ideal.

The cost savings don’t sway you.

The biggest benefit of a nanny share is the cost savings. If being more flexible and the payroll complications aren’t worth a 33% savings, then you should probably keep your situation the same.

What are the next steps if I decide to share my nanny?

If you are strongly considering sharing your nanny, you’ll need to find another family to share with. If you already have one in mind, that’s easy. If you don’t, you’ll need a service like Nanny Lane to help you find the perfect match.

However, it’s important to include your nanny in this search as well. Have a conversation about the qualities they want in an employer, then consider the qualities you would want to see in a share family.

See our list of questions to ask a potential nanny share family, and then go through the search and interview process as the strong co-parenting team that you are.


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