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Family Compatibility |
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If you are sharing the service of a nanny, you will want to consider the following key items when choosing the right DomestiShare™ family:
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Similar Requirements Try to find a family who shares similar requirements to yours including schedules, daily activities, outings, meals, how much television the children watch, etc.
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Number of Children and Their Ages
One of the benefits to having a nanny is being able to provide your child with more quality one-on-one time with their nanny than they would typically receive in a daycare setting. To take advantage of this benefit, be sure to keep the nanny-child ratio to a minimum. Also try to find a family with a child in the same age range as your child, so that they may enjoy similar activities. This also allows the nanny to easily provide activities that are age appropriate for the entire group.
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Local Family
You will want to find a family who lives reasonably close to you so that it is convenient to both families, as well as to the nanny.
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Schedule
Be sure that your schedule works for the nanny, as well as for the other family and vice versa.
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Agreement Considerations |
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It is important to remember that a DomestiShare™ arrangement is essentially a business relationship. In order to get the most out of this arrangement, you want to make sure that all parts of this arrangement are clearly considered and discussed between both families in order to avoid any possible misunderstandings down the road. If possible, establish a written contract between the two families and the nanny which details all of this information. Here are some examples of the type of information you will want to discuss and include in your DomestiShare™ agreement:
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Salary
Will the cost of the nanny’s salary be divided equally? When considering this, you will want to take into account the number of children being cared for as well as the ages of the children. For example, if each family has one child with similar ages, then you may agree to split the cost equally. However, infants require more care than older children. Therefore, if one family has an infant, and the other family has a school aged child, it may be decided that the parent with the infant pay more since the infant would require more care than the older child.
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Benefits
Will you offer the nanny any benefits, such as paid time off or medical insurance?
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Nanny Time Off
If your nanny is out sick or on vacation, what plan will you have in place to provide coverage? Some families find it easier if they take turns with their partner family to care for all children during these times, rather than each individual family needing to take time off of work or scramble for coverage at the last minute.
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Location
Will the children be cared for in one or both of the homes? If both, when/how will the location alternate?
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Food
What types of meals and snacks should be provided. Will each family be responsible for bringing their own meals and snacks, or will food be provided by whichever family’s home the children are being cared for?
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Family Vacation or Time Off
When a family takes time off or vacation, will the alternate family be responsible for 100% of the nanny’s salary during that time, or will both families continue to pay their standard amount?
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Discipline
What forms of discipline are acceptable? Be sure to discuss these details fully with the nanny, so they are aware of each family’s preferred methods.
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Transportation
Will the nanny be transporting the children? If so, will she use her own vehicle or a family provided vehicle? If a single family is supplying the vehicle to be used for both families, does that family expect compensation for this? In any case, you will need to be sure that the vehicle to be used will accommodate the number of necessary children/ car seats and be sure that all necessary car seats are provided.
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Sicknesses
Are families allowed to bring their children to each other’s home when they are sick? What types of sickness are allowed? It is also recommended that families agree in advance that each family be responsible to pay their portion of the salary even if they cancel due to illnesses (or for any other reason).
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Equipment and Supplies
You will want to be sure that the home the children are cared for is equipped with any necessary equipment and gear. If you have babies and toddlers, examples of such equipment could be highchairs, double-strollers, an area to nap, etc.
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Communication
How will you communicate information to the nanny? To help avoid confusion or miscommunications, you may decide to delegate one person as the main contact to pass along information such as schedule changes. It may also be helpful to set up a regular meeting between the two families and nanny in order to discuss any important issues. In order to make your arrangement work, it is very important to keep the lines of communication open.
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Position Term Desired
How long will each family need the nanny services?
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Duties
Will the nanny be expected to perform any other duties aside from caring for the children? Keep in mind that since the nanny will be caring for multiple children, you should be careful not to overload the nanny with additional tasks.
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