Now that my maternity leave is almost over (just a week left, yikes!), we’ve really had to start focusing on the plan for Baby H when I return to work. Mr. H is self employed and works from home, which means that technically he has the flexibility to watch her during the day. However, realizing just how much work babies truly are, there is no way he could watch her all day and get enough work done to stay caught up.
On the flip side, securing childcare for 5 days a week seems a bit extravagant for us. With Mr. H being home, he does have some flexibility to watch her. Having a childcare option for 3 days a week has seemed to be the best compromise for us. However, it’s difficult to find day cares that will left you do partial weeks. And, let’s be honest, since we’ve never really looked into day cares, it’s unlikely we’d be able to get a spot in any at this point anyway!
So, we started looking into the nanny option. In Chicago, it seems like the going rate for a good nanny is $14-$15 an hour. That would be roughly $360 per week for 3 days of care (at 8 hours per day). Yikes! While I want Baby H to have the best care we can provide her, we’re not millionaires and can only afford so much. Even looking into a nanny for 2 days a week would be $240. Still a decent chunk of change.
To make having a nanny more affordable, we ventured into doing a nanny share. With a share, the nanny watches your child along with another family’s child. You can then split the cost, turning $15 per hour into $7.50. That 3 days of care per week turns into roughly $180 per family. Amazing!
Through a local parenting web site we connected with another family in our neighborhood looking to do a nanny share 3 days a week. Their daughter, M, is just 4 weeks older than Baby H. We are so lucky to have found them! They’re so nice, and I love that our girls will get to grow up together.
There is, however, a lot to think about when taking part in a nanny share – both extra costs and other logistics.
Extra nanny share costs (depending on what you already have):
- Purchase of a double stroller so nanny can take girls to the park and other activities: $100-$300
- Purchase of an extra high chair so nanny can feed both children ($50-$100)
- Purchase of a pack-n-play so that babies have separate places to nap ($80-$100)
- Food for nanny’s lunch (necessary for a share or just hiring a nanny on your own)
Logistics and other items to consider:
- Whether or not you and the other family have similar schedules for drop off/pick up times
- Determining who will host in their home (factors including space, location, and schedules come into play)
- Having both families come to an agreement on the nanny to hire – different families look for different qualities in a nanny
- Ensuring your family and the other family have the same priorities with the children, such as what activities they participate in, where the nanny takes them, etc.
- Agreeing on the vacation time, sick time, and holidays you give the nanny
On the other hand, there are a lot of amazing benefits to doing a nanny share. I honestly hadn’t looked into doing a share in the beginning, and as we’ve gotten more into the process I’ve gotten more excited about it. I love the thought of Baby H have a ready made playmate. Her first friend; how exciting!
A few great benefits of a nanny share:
- Splitting the cost of the nanny
- Ensuring your child has a playmate during the day, rain or shine (no need to go out of your way for play dates, you have a play date built in)
- Creating a more enjoyable day for the nanny (hopefully) because as the children grow, they can engage with each other more and are not as reliant on the nanny to entertain them
- Ensuring your child learns how to share both toys and attention with another little one
- Getting to know another family nearby with a child the same age
So far we’ve been in agreement with our nanny share family regarding schedules, items to purchase, and other details (although if anyone has double stroller recommendations, we would love them!). They will host in their home as it works better with their schedules.
Now it’s just the biggest detail of all: finding and hiring a nanny! This has been the most difficult part of the process, but after we figure things out and find a (hopefully) fantastic nanny, I’ll share how things worked out for us! Since we won’t have a nanny in place before I go back to work, Mr. H will be taking care of Baby H full-time for the short term.
Are you a part of a nanny share? If so, what other details are important to consider with a nanny share?
Hellobee Series: Mrs. Hopscotch part 8 of 12
1. Going Au Naturale by Mrs. Hopscotch2. The Journey to Baby H by Mrs. Hopscotch
3. A Nursery... Pouf! by Mrs. Hopscotch
4. A Work At Home Dad by Mrs. Hopscotch
5. Big Reveal: Baby H's Nursery! by Mrs. Hopscotch
6. A Day with a Newborn by Mrs. Hopscotch
7. Placenta Encapsulation by Mrs. Hopscotch
8. The Nanny Share by Mrs. Hopscotch
9. Reflections on Maternity Leave by Mrs. Hopscotch
10. In the picture by Mrs. Hopscotch
11. I'm in the picture! by Mrs. Hopscotch
12. Sleep at 8 months & How Baby H Started Sleeping Through the Night at 12 Weeks by Mrs. Hopscotch
guest
Great details! I’m surprised the nanny would charge the same rate for two kids compared to one, especially two young babies.
cantaloupe / 6206 posts
Oh my gosh, what amazing timing this post is – I just discovered the world of nanny shares yesterday even though we are still TTC. Living in the state with the highest cost of childcare in the country (MA) means we really need to plan ahead on this one. Thanks for such a well thought-out post!
Edit – Susan, they may charge marginally more for 2 kids, but not double. So if a nanny’s normal rate is $10/hr, they might charge $15 for two, but you end up paying $7.50 each.
nectarine / 2163 posts
Yikes, makes me glad we’re in a situation where I can be a SAHM
As for stroller recommendations, we bought a mountain buggy +1 which can be a single or double stroller without the second kid almost dragging on the ground like most I’ve seen, which is why I like it. Not sure what price it goes for outside of NZ though
cantaloupe / 6730 posts
I am so happy to live where I do. This nanny share option still costs more than full time daycare where I live. I swear, I don’t know how alot of you guys do it.
kiwi / 537 posts
@JoJoGirl: I am with you on the childcare costs in MA- ouch! We are looking to send LO in January when she is about 18 months, for 2 days a week for social interaction, etc. I know it will be more expensive since she is taking a spot on 2x a week, but one place quoted me $1400/month. I had to pick my jaw up off the floor- it is crazy!
blogger / wonderful cherry / 21628 posts
I’ve never heard of a Nanny share. That sounds like a great idea!
cantaloupe / 6206 posts
@Pipers Mommy: Right? We’re likely going to have to send LO full-time at 12 weeks
So heartbreaking and SO EXPENSIVE.
pomegranate / 3716 posts
Bookmarked this for future reference!! I’ve always been interested in the concept of a nanny-share… but I’ve never actually known anyone (IRL) that has done it! Can’t wait to hear more about this…
grapefruit / 4923 posts
thanks for the info! i sent it to my husband so he can learn about it also, in case this becomes the best option for us. like sweetchic, i’m eager to hear how everything goes!
cantaloupe / 6669 posts
This is awesome! I am super interested in a nanny share if I am a working mom when we have our first LO.
guest
Ohhhh I have never heard of this! Might be the solution we are looking for as well
guest
We had a nanny share with our first son. Some other things to consider are pets, cleanliness of the home that is being used, whether the nanny is expected to clean at all, if the nanny is allowed to drive the kids or just walk. Also consider differences in discipline styles, thoughts on routines/schedules, and what will happen if one kid is sick, etc. One of the biggest challenges for us was also timing – the nanny share was in our home, and the other couple frequently picked up late. Often times, the nanny would go home, and we would be “stuck” watching their kid until they could get there. It usually wasn’t a big deal, but could get a bit frustrating if we had things to get done. Overall, it was a great way to go, although it was still more expensive than full time daycare for us!
admin / watermelon / 14210 posts
our housekeeper does 2 nanny shares during the week, and she loves the city mini double. that way the kids are easily accessible and side by side, plus it folds up easily for storage.
guest
The bob city mini double stroller can’t be beat, fits through doors, folds up with one hand, full independent recline on both sides, can be pushed with one hand,and really great coverage with sun hood/shade, basically awesome!
guest
As for a double stroller, I would highly recommend the Joovy Scooter X2. I love it! It’s a side-by-side stroller, so both kids are facing front, it’s easy to get them in and out, and both seats fully recline. It’s very lightweight, compact, and maneuverable compared to other double strollers. Downsides: it doesn’t have snack trays, and it isn’t compatible with infant car seats.
bananas / 9229 posts
Definitely saving this for the future!
Would love to hear more about how your process goes with the nanny share!
guest
We have twins, and a nanny :), and our Baby Jogger City Select is divine. It is pricy, but you can find one through a MoMs (mothers of multiples) group used for much cheaper. People also really enjoy the Combi Twin which is more of an umbrella style stroller but folds small and is super light weight.
You might want to look in to it. Unless you plan to pay under the table, which works, but you lose the childcare cost tax benefits.
I am not sure how it works with a share, but when we hired our nanny we were shocked will the legalities of taxes… you technically are their employer so you need to pay unemployment taxes, etc. And I’m not sure who does it if you are sharing her
guest
I used to nanny for two families years ago (before I had my own kids). It worked out great for all of us! I hope that you find someone great!
guest
Great article. I’m looking for a nanny share in Chicago area. If you have any resources or sites that you recommend, please pass them along. It’s been challenging to find other families…and I’m looking for some good resources.
blogger / apricot / 366 posts
Mary: have you joined NPN (Neighborhood Parents Network)? Great resource and that’s how we found our family to do the share with!
guest
Great recommendation! I’ve been thinking about joining NPN, and this is just the push I need
guest
Nanny share takes the primary rate of pay
Say 15.00 split it so it would actually be
15+7.50=21.50 divide by 2 =10.75 each family would pay 10.75
To their nanny
a nanny works very hard to
Take care of your child or children.
We don’t just sit around watching soap operas
We are teaching your child,as well as taking them
To classes, social time at the park, play dates
My child,as I am a nanny has been learning sign language
She does flash cards every day. We have many things to keep her busy. She does not watch tv. She has music in the
Morning with me as well as a class once a week.
I make sure her toys and play area is clean and
Sanitized as well as charging her bedding and what
Not. We are in charge of your most prized blessing.
Anyone could babysit a child but it takes a special
Person to be a nanny. Please pay them what they are worth.
guest
I just wanted to add to Tammi Bell’s comment. Having a nanny share shouldn’t halve the cost. It’s a lot more stressful to work for two different families at the same time – trying to keep two families with different ideas happy. The trade-off of a nanny share is that the families get to pay less (but not half), and the nanny earns more.