The time has come to begin preparing for your nanny's arrival...how exciting! Providing your nanny with quality orientation and training is essential to setting them up for success! This component is how you contribute to a positive experience. Everyone can relate to those first day jitters in a new job; most of what's being said to you might even go right over your head under the pressure of it all. Have you ever started a job and not been provided with an orientation binder???...'tisk tisk' is the sound of my finger wagging at your employer if you answered "yes" to this question!...you should ALWAYS be provided with an orientation binder and training regardless of the job. Now imagine if your job took place in someone else's home, this might intensify your feelings of anxiousness around knowing what to do and what not to do.

In order to start the experience off on the right foot with your nanny, do them a favour, and make their job just a little bit easier by providing them with lots of information about their job. As someone who has worked as a caregiver (both live-in and live-out) I can tell you that it is an overwhelming job to jump in to, and all of those little itty bitty details about where the silverware polish (who uses that stuff anyways) and laundry detergent (now that we use) are kept can go right over your head when you're amidst a major life transition. This orientation binder will help your nanny to feel at ease and rest assured that some of the information that you're telling them a mile-a-minute is written down somewhere.

But the buck doesn't stop here. You also need to put together some structured training. This may include going over specific tasks (performing them while they watch and then having them perform them while you watch and provide feedback), and shadowing you and your family so that they can see how you parent, play, discipline, and interact with your children and the world. You could go to do the grocery shopping, or out for dinner. This shadowing experience wouldn't require the nanny to jump in yet as a caregiver, but merely to absorb your unique family culture. Stay tuned for a post with a template/sample training guide. 

Whatever you choose to do and however you choose to do it, just remember - the first days, weeks and months of your time with your nanny are formative in how they will understand their job, view you, and be with your family. Take the time to think about how to communicate your expectations clearly and create an open comfortable rapport. Being clear in the beginning about how you want things done is critical to avoiding a situation with festering resentments (for either party...which don't need to exist). So long as you keep communication calm, upbeat, and respectful, nothing should be off limits to discuss. 

Good luck and happy orientating (is that really a word?)...

ORIENTATION BINDER TEMPLATE/SAMPLE HERE

Did you find this information helpful?...Comment below and let me know. :-)

 Did I miss something that would be helpful in the orientation binder??...comment below and let me know.

 Welcoming a nanny into your home when you maintain a specific diet (vegan, gluten free, organic, etc.) can be nerve wracking. If the food that your family eats is uncharted territory for the nanny, you may find yourself wondering how to approach the situation. 

I chose to be forthcoming from the very beginning, starting by explicitly stating that our family eats vegan meals and maintains a vegetarian household in our job posting and pre-interview email materials. There will of course be a learning curve, as there would be when adopting any new lifestyle, and learning new cooking methods. 

When it comes to getting your nanny started in the kitchen, you'll want a recipe that is easy to make, and delicious (because who doesn't want to feel glorified when the whole family asks for seconds). Over the next little while, I'll be posting easy and delicious recipes for various alternative diets. Here's an easy vegan recipe of my own creation to get them started. This is one of my go-to recipes when having friends over for dinner, especially those that are carnivorous in nature, as it seems to be a big hit!

Here's what you'll need:

•  2 boxes of oven-ready cannelloni noodles
•  2 packages of firm tofu, mashed
•  4-6 cloves garlic, minced or finely chopped
•  1/2 cup soy milk
•  2 tbsp olive oil
•  2 tbsp lemon juice
•  1 tbsp sugar
•  1 tbsp white vinegar
•  salt and pepper to taste
•  11 leaves of basil, finely chopped
•  3 cups chopped fresh spinach (or one small container of pre-washed spinach)
•  ½ large onion, finely chopped
•  2 cups of chopped fresh mushrooms (to keep it simple, just use 1 package of pre-washed and cut mushrooms)
•  2 jars of your favorite spaghetti sauce (mine is White Linen Collection’s All Natural Marinara Sauce, available at Costco)

Instructions: 

In a medium sized saucepan, sauté the mushrooms, 2 cloves of garlic, and the onion in a bit of olive oil at medium heat until onions are caramelized.




In a large mixing bowl, mash the tofu with a fork, then stir together the remaining 2 cloves of garlic, soy milk, olive oil, vinegar, lemon juice, sugar, salt, pepper, basil and spinach. Add the sautéed mushrooms and onion to the mixture.

Use your hands to scoop and stuff the mixture into the cannelloni noodles.

In a 9x13 baking dish, pour 1 layer of tomato sauce, then lay a layer of stuffed cannelloni noodles (two rows lengthwise), then a second layer of tomato sauce, another layer of stuffed cannelloni noodles, and a final layer of tomato sauce. For added deliciousness, sprinkle some finely chopped basil on top.

Cover the baking dish with tin foil tightly, and bake for 45 minutes (or until sauce begins to boil) on 375F.



Serve and enjoy! This recipe makes enough cannelloni for the whole family to enjoy, in addition to at least a day (or two) of leftovers.


Logan doing his part to help out in the kitchen ;-)


When it comes to paying your nanny, it's hard to know where to start. If you're not a business owner and have never had the responsibility of paying employees, then this probably doesn't seem all that self evident. Here are the basics:

What You Need to Know:

Your nanny needs to be paid right?...RIGHT. You can pay your nanny bi-weekly or monthly and I'll get to payment methods further down in the post.

It is your responsibility to deduct income tax, CPP, and EI from your nanny's pay. It is also your responsibility to make employer contributions of CPP and EI, and to submit these along with the employee deductions to the CRA monthly. You must do this by the 15th of the month for each month prior (i.e. you must make your remittances for February's payroll by March 15).

You will need to obtain a business number from the CRA in order to pay your nanny, which you can do quite quickly online (see my post on this HERE).

Keep records! File away your remittance summary (whether it be via a software that you use, or the CRA calculator summary...I'll get to that decision later) and make sure that you have access to your payslips (whether it be in the form of your bank's direct deposit record, or the confirmation of a cheque deposit). Not only are records required by the CRA, but that way when you go to create a T4 slip at the end of the tax year, you will have all of the information readily available. You are required by the CRA to keep copies of your records for 6 years.

Payment Methods:

So how do you go about actually paying your nanny?...

First and most importantly...don't pay cash! It is important to have a paper trail (this is for your benefit, as well as the nanny's). You can pay by cheque, e-transfer/direct deposit. 

Online Calculators and Tools Comparisons

You will need to calculate your nanny's salary, as well as monthly CRA remittance. Most people choose one of two options for doing this: 1) the free CRA Payroll Deductions Online Calculator, or 2) one of the many online softwares out there. 

Here's the rundown with these options:

The CRA online tool is free, it calculates your payroll and your CRA remittance amounts, but it won't automate any of these processes so you'll need to submit the monthly CRA payments, and pay your nanny. While many people say that it's very easy to use, I certainly find it confusing with all of the boxes available to check. I couldn't figure out how to factor in the room/board deductions either, and I was worried about my capacity to use it correctly and obtain accurate year-to-date figures needed for my WSIB account and CRA. Looking for something more full service?...

NannyTax came highly recommended by a friend of mine. The thing I love about NannyTax is that the company was built around servicing families with nannies so they've really thought of everything! Their service includes everything from payroll calculations and CRA remittance to factoring in room/board deductions and even managing WSIB payments. I value customer service, and when I contacted NannyTax to inquire about their services, they responded immediately. They offer clients over the phone support when needed and are always happy to answer questions. 

Wave is an accounting software designed for small-businesses. For just $9/month (the cheapest I found), they will calculate your payroll and CRA remittance amounts, as well as automate these processes for you (ie. they manage the direct deposit for your nanny, as well as paying the CRA) and file a monthly summary. They're designed for small business though so they haven't quite considered all of the angles for families hiring nannies (WSIB, room/board deduction etc). They only offer online support (email and instant messaging) which didn't sit well with me, but might be just fine for others. They come recommended by Nanny&Me readers who use them and like their product. 

For me personally, going the free route of CRA's calculator is a bit daunting (even though I'm a numbers person). Although Wave does offer low rates, I love the tailored product, excellent customer service and personal referral that comes with NannyTax so I'll be using them!

I chatted with NannyTax and set up a deal for my readers where if you sign on to use NannyTax's service using the Nanny&Me coupon code, you will receive your first month of service FREE! 

Just call Deborah at 1-877-626-6982 (1-877-NANNYTAX) and tell her that you are a Nanny&Me reader and voila, one month free service!

Wave and NannyTax seem to be the big players in the industry, but check out the chart below for comparisons on all of the options:




Have a question that this post didn't answer?...Let me know in the comments section below and I'll do my best to find the answer. 



After weeks of waiting for our nanny to receive her NBI (National Bureau Investigation), it's finally come, and she has submitted her work permit application! We are so grateful that she was so organized and had all of the documents ready to go (except the ones like the NBI that she needed our positive LMO in order to get) and kept us so well updated!

She submitted the application today and they told her 4-5 months for processing so everyone cross your fingers that they process it as quickly as possible! Our dream timeframe would be mid-February for her arrival, but even mid-April would be great!
A lot of people want to know what timeframe to expect when hiring/sponsoring a nanny from overseas. Here is the run down of our timelines:

 Job advertising, recruitment, and candidate selection:
8 WEEKS

August 1: Posted job ad to Facebook, Kijiji, and in local community
August 1-8: Review applications
August 10-13: 1st round interviews
August 14: 2nd round interviews
August 15: Obtain business number
August 15 - September 3: Wait on arrival of PD7A from CRA
September 3: Create job bank ad
September 17: Job bank account validation and job posted
September 22: Job bank ad re-posted due to job bank error
October 6: Job bank posting close
October 6: Final candidate selection

LMIA application:
3 WEEKS

October 6: LMIA application submission
October 7: Mail original copies of contract to nanny (takes 7-10 business days)
October 20: Verbal approval of positive LMO (usually ESDC will have a case manager contact you to ask you a few questions about your application and provide you with the verbal approval)
October 24: Official positive LMO letter received in the mail
October 25: Scan and email copy of positive LMO, and financial documents to nanny (takes 7-10 business days)

Document preparation (by nanny) and work permit application:
4 WEEKS

October 26: Compile documents already obtained (ones that she didn't need LMO to apply for, including Work Permit Application, Family Information Form, Cenomar, Highschool Diploma, Positive LMO, Proof of Employer's Financial Ability, Employment Contract, Birth Certificate, Reference Letters, Police Certificates)
October 27-31: Undergo medical assessment & apply for NBI certificate
November 1-16: Wait on arrival of medical assessment and NBI certificate
November 17: Submit work permit application (told by Canadian Embassy that current processing time is 4-5 months. The CIC currently has 6 months posted on their website, only time will tell...)

A pause for words from Dr. Seuss:

...for people just waiting.
Waiting for a train to go
or a bus to come, or a plane to go
or the mail to come, or the rain to go
or the phone to ring, or the snow to snow
or waiting around for a Yes or No
or waiting for their hair to grow.
Everyone is just waiting.

Waiting for the fish to bite
or waiting for wind to fly a kite
or waiting around for Friday night
or waiting, perhaps, for their Uncle Jake
or a pot to boil, or a Better Break
or a string of pearls, or a pair of pants
or a wig with curls, or Another Chance. 
Everyone is just waiting. 

Work Permit Application Approval:
17 WEEKS

November 17: Submit visa application
March 11: Nanny receives request to submit her passport to Canadian Visa Application Centre
March 16: Nanny submits her passport to Canadian Visa Application Centre
March 17: Nanny receives invitation to attend free pre-departure orientation seminar on living and working in Canada
March 20: Visa approved! (and nanny gives 1-month notice to her current employer)
March 24: Nanny goes to collect her passport and documents from the Canadian Visa Application Centre

Final Steps:
4 WEEKS

April 2: Flight booked (by me)
April 23: Nanny arrives!


 Total timeframe for overseas sponsorship from start to finish: 
8 months and 3 weeks






Finished Product 

My first kick at the can. This one went to my hubby's office.

My third and final one for my home office area.

The Idea

As we prepare our home for the arrival of our nanny, we are concurrently preparing for my return to work. This craft project served two purposes: 1) to customize my work-from-home space, and 2) to add a fun and colorful decor piece to the nanny's bedroom. I will be working from home three days per week and it's very important to create a conducive work-from-home space which includes a quiet area away from where my little guy will be spending his indoor time with our nanny. I wanted a space that would inspire focus and drive my work ethic, as such, creating a little office space downstairs was a perfect fit. In addition to the one for my office space, I've been working hard to brighten up the nanny's bedroom, and this seemed like such a fun contribution to the space. When I saw this idea, I fell in love with it! My husband saw me putting together the materials and decided that he'd also like one for his office, so a third one is in the works.

 How-To

This one's another simple and fast project that looks awesome! You'll need a clear desk pad from Ikea, strong glue, wrapping paper of your choice, and a few items from around the house (scissors, heavy books, newspaper).

How simple are those materials?!

Start by laying out some newspaper on the surface where you'll be working. Next roll out your wrapping paper. Place the desk pad on top of the wrapping paper and line them up. I used the wall and the edge of the desk I was working on to provide a clear and easy-to-follow grid for lining up the paper to the desk pad. Flip the desk pad over and brush on a coat of glue. I used Elmer's No-Wrinkle Rubber Cement. I have heard of crafters using spray adhesive, and was actually hoping to use PVA paper glue, but couldn't get my hands on any at Michael's so I went with Elmer's and hoped for the best. I'm not sure if the PVA might have provided an even better seal, but the Elmer's worked pretty well.


Press down firmly on the pad and hold. Cut around the edge that allows you to separate the roll of wrapping paper from the piece being used, but leave the other edges to trim later.

Flip the pad over carefully and press down on the paper, smoothing it out from one side to the other to remove air bubbles. Place heavy books down to aide a tight seal and catch up on your favourite TV show (with a yummy snack) while the glue dries.

Bark Thins and Parenthood (my second favourite show)

Once the glue is dry, apply a thick coat of glue around the edges (by separating the paper from the pad and running your brush inside) and the corners, put the heavy books back and let dry. Once that coat is dry, you can cut out around the edges (I used scissors the first time around, but then switched to using an x-acto knife for the second one and had MUCH better results) and voila...your very own custom desk pad with your favourite pattern and colours!

This one was my 2nd go round for our nanny's bedroom.

Cost & Materials 

 Clear desk pad: Ikea - $9.99
Wrapping paper: Homesense - $5.99
Elmer's Glue: Michael's - $4.99

Total Cost - $21 (but you can cut this cost down even more by finding wrapping paper on sale and using whatever spray adhesive or clear craft glue you have around the house).

Other Materials

Scissors or x-acto knife
Heavy books
Newspaper
Clips for securing corners


From time to time it's suggested to me that readers might like to know a bit more about the person behind my blog. While I'm not sure I'm a particularly fascinating person, I have detailed a bit about me and my life below.

 Some basics about me and my family

 I'm MARRIED to the LOVE my LIFE, Michael or "Mikey" as I call him.

September 2010. *Kim Lovell Photography

We have a DOG, named ORLY. She's a very sweet cream-colorer golden retriever.

*Kim Lovell Photography


Before Orly, I had a FUR BABY named KAESEY Parker who was the light of my life. He passed away last spring.

*Kim Lovell Photography

Mike and I have a SON, Logan. We love him to bits and pieces.


We LIVE in the BEACHES in Toronto. Well sort of...I grew up just down the road from where we live now (which is just outside of the area, but still walking distance to everything). We love our neighbourhood; the community, the shops and restaurants, the dogs, the pedestrian lifestyle, the boardwalk, and the beach.


Digging Deeper

 I LOVE animals. My husband calls me a "friend to all creatures". I'm vegan (...mostly. I have been vegetarian for twenty years, vegan for the past 13 of those, but more recently I have become a bit more laid back about it).

I have a horrible FEAR of the dark and am horrified that I might pass it along to little Logan. I've been working to resolve it, but phobias are hard!

I am a POSITIVE person. Generally speaking, I have an enthusiastic (thanks to Youth Leadership Camps Canada) approach to life; I'm excitable, chatty, outgoing, and friendly.

DIY is one of my favourite hobbies. From building decks to tiling kitchen back splashes, home improvement projects make my heart smile. I've recently been getting into crafting projects, but my passion lies with the real physical labor...laying a new flagstone pathway, building a shed, installing a new kitchen.

 Favourite things about my typical week

 SUNDAY dinners with my FAMILY. My family (with the exception of my brother and his wife who live in Scotland) all live in the same neighbourhood (pretty lucky I'd say!) and we get together at my parents' house (where we grew up) every Sunday for dinner. We eat, we visit, we laugh at the babies. It's a wonderful home cooked meal and a great start to our week.

Just kidding (this is a hint about my favourite show)...but capturing a photo at our Sunday dinners would be chaos! 

My FAVORITE mommy baby PROGRAM, MommyRok at Boulderz Climbing Centre!


Other programs and activities that I love/recommend are:

Cirque-ability's BabyCirque, MommyCirque, and MommyAerial
Toronto Yoga Mama's Yoga Babies
Swimming at Regent Park Aquatic Centre
Toronto Public Library's Baby Time

 WALKING. I probably walk about 25-30 kilometres each week. My husband and I find walking is our favourite quality time. We enjoy changing it up; we find there's always something new to see if you look.


 I enjoy giving back

 I DONATE monthly. We focus our efforts on L'Arche Toronto and UNITY Charity.

 I VOLUNTEER. I sit on the board of Extend-A-Family (an organization that fosters community for youth with disabilities) and I deliver our local Beach Metro paper.


 The more professional stuff

 I LOVE school. I have a Diploma in Outdoor Recreation Management from Capilano University, a BA in Disability Studies with a Minor in Organizational Leadership from Ryerson University...and I have a few more plans up my sleeve (maybe an MPA or MBA with non-profit specialization, or maybe a Masters in Critical Disability Studies).

 I am a committed NON-PROFIT professional and have been for over a decade. My specialties include: organizational development, project management, and business/fund development.

 I am PASSIONATE about WRITING. I have always been an avid writer, but I only began to get more serious about my writing as I was working through my degree at Ryerson University. I plan on doing a lot more writing, but so far I've had articles published in:

Oh Baby! Magazine
Pink and Blue Magazine (starting as a regular writer soon!)
Vision, Passion, Action - School of Disability Studies, Ryerson University
The Elm Life Blog
Nanny&Me

Fun facts

 I do ALL of my GROCERIES on FOOT.

I can HIT an 80MPH FASTBALL.

Around the house, I go by "MONKEY".

Until I was about 13 years old, I MISSPELLED by middle NAME ("Alize" instead of "Elyse").

Finished Product


 The Idea

I love the idea of providing our nanny with the opportunity to manage her own time. I don't like being micro-managed and I'm sure our nanny wouldn't either. The commonly used daily, weekly, monthly task list approach is a great one because it enables your nanny to manage their own time, while communicating the household tasks that they've completed. This ensures that you're not left wondering what is and isn't being done each day, while still giving your nanny the freedom to manage their own time.

Our nanny will only be working 30 hours each week (since we have lots of flexibility and work-from-home in our schedules), and of course we want our son to be her first priority, so some weeks when she works certain timeframes where he doesn't nap during her work time, then we don't expect cleaning to get done, and other weeks where he may nap twice during her working hours one day, then we'd expect more household tasks to get done. As such, having a central task list board is a great solution for our family.

How-To

This project is very simple and fast, but the finished product looks great! All you need is a clear-backed floating frame of your choice, dry erase markers, and access to a printer.

Start by jotting down tasks that you'd like done daily (such as doing the dishes, tidying up toys etc.), weekly (such as laundry, vacuuming etc.), and monthly (such as washing windows, dusting etc.). Of course these tasks and correlated timeframes will be unique to your family's needs.

Create a word document (or word processing program of your choice) with your lists. Using a wide margin will fit most horizontal floating frames. I used 48pt font for the timeframe heading, and 14pt font for the bullet list.


Print out the lists, cut them to fit the frame, and place them in, and that's it! For an added touch of fun, you can use funky tape to frame the printouts.

Your nanny can use a dry erase marker to check off tasks as they are done, and you can also draw a heading (or footer) on the board with either the dry erase marker, or a permanent marker (use a stencil if you're doing it this way). You could draw a straightforward title such as, "Household Tasks" or go with something more creative such as, "Have We Said Thank You Today?"

Cost & Materials

3 photo clear floating photo frame: Kitchen Stuff Plus - $18 (I was hoping to find one at the dollar store, but wasn't able to find one that I liked)
Dry erase marker: Staples - already owned (but cost $1.89)
Funky tape (optional): Staples - already owned (but cost $3.89)

Total cost - $18

Other Materials

Scissors
Tape


HAPPY DIY-ing!
I have received several requests from readers to write on the topic of nanny sharing. After a LOT of research, I have put a post together that I hope will answer all of your nanny sharing questions. First off, I’d like to take the opportunity to say a HUGE thank you to all of the families who participated in my research. I spoke with and/or surveyed over 20 families and all of them were so open, honest, and helpful.
The types of nanny sharing arrangements really run the gamut and the possibilities are endless. Families are all so unique and there are so many ways that a nanny share can function. In this post, I’ll share with you what some of the typical set ups are, as well as things to consider going into a nanny share, and tips for a successful experience.

Nanny sharing is typically done with live-out nannies, however it can be done with a live-in nanny so long as the nanny is not a foreign worker being sponsored under the Live-in Caregiver Program. The Live-in Caregiver Program does not permit nannies to work for more than one family, and sharing a sponsored nanny with another family could jeopardize your standing with the federal government (making it difficult to hire a future nanny, and causing your current nanny to lose their work permit). 

The average nanny share arrangement involves a nanny being shared by two families looking after 2-4 children for 40-50 hours/week and situations vary with regards to the tasks that the nanny undertakes (child minding, cooking, cleaning). 

There are a few common physical set-ups:

  1. Split home. This option involves having the children rotate between both families' homes. Rotations are typically done on an hourly (morning in one home, afternoon in the other), daily (3 days/week in one home, 2 days/week in the other, then switch) or weekly (rotating homes bi-weekly) basis.
  2. Single host family. This option involves having one family host the children and nanny full-time, and the other family drops off/picks up their children each day (one family even had the nanny do the pick-up/drop-off on their way to work).
  3. Hours share. This option does not involve actually sharing the nanny at the same time, rather dividing up the hours in the week (the nanny works for one family 20 hours, and the other family 20 hours, or another ratio that works for both parties).
Other set-up factors:

Food cost sharing

  1. Go it alone. Each family provides food for their child (this would involve packing lunches, or sending ingredients for cooking).
  2. When in Rome. Each family provides the food for everyone the children and nanny when they are in their home. (This certainly seems to the most hassle free option to me, but food would need to be discussed and agreed upon in advance). This option would be suitable for families rotating hosting. 
  3. That costs extra. The host family provides food for everyone, and the secondary family pays a monthly fee for food. 
Diaper cost sharing. Same options as food cost sharing.

There are numerous benefits to sharing a nanny, here are a few of them:

The two most commonly indicated benefits of a nanny share are: COST SAVINGS and having a PLAYMATE for your child.

Other benefits include:
  • Having multiple kids to entertain one another allows the nanny to do more cooking/cleaning.
  • The development of social skills (sharing, communication). 
  • Home-based care including the comfort of one's home, in addition to local outings (parks, playgrounds, centres, program), and playing/napping at home. 
  • Teaching flexibility. Children learn to adapt to a new environment, including learning to sleep somewhere new which one family mentioned was great practice for travelling. 
  • No worry of getting kids out the door in the morning (at least some of the time if rotating houses). 
  • Help with housekeeping and cooking. 
  • Avoiding the frequent daycare illnesses.

 There are several cost sharing arrangements:

While a lot of families do split the cost 50/50, there are other ways to divide up the costs depending on several factors including: number of kids (does one family have more kids than the other?), hours (does one family use more childcare hours than the other?), physical arrangement (which family hosts?). 

When a single family hosts the nanny and kids, it can mean that the host family should pay more or less depending on a few things. If the host family also has the nanny do cleaning and cooking for the family, then they will often pay more, but if they don't realize these benefits, then they will often pay less since they are managing the business side (acting as legal employer, CRA remittance, paying the nanny, liability, wear and tear on the house etc.) 

It certainly becomes apparent speaking with so many families that there are many ways to manage a nanny share, and that it is possible to find a situation that meets the unique needs of each family (ie. One family needing full-time care, while another only needs before/after school care). 

Ways to manage payment:

  1. Sole employer. One family acts as the "sole employer". This means that they file for a business number, manage paying the nanny and CRA remittance, obtain WSIB, receive payment from secondary family, and file the childcare expenses on their personal income tax (some families provide the secondary family with a receipt so that they may also file and some claim the entire childcare tax credit themselves).
  2. Joint employer. Each family obtains a business number and pays the nanny independently. They decide upon the cost sharing, and then pay the salary and remit CRA deductions independently (as two separate employers) and both claim the expense on their personal income taxes.
How much does a nanny share cost?

While hourly wages vary from $11-$25/hour gross (before deductions) the going rate seems to be $17.50/hour gross. The average family pays between $1,000-2,000/month which is a significant cost savings over the total cost of a nanny (see the cost of a live-out nanny HERE). PLEASE NOTE: I will continue to update the average amount, recalculating it as more readers write in to provide the most accurate and current rate. 

Getting Started

Families that I spoke with used the following avenues to find their sharing family and/or nanny:


Recruitment options:

  1. Hire first. Nearly all of the families that I spoke with hired a nanny first and then found a family to share the nanny.
  2. Join in. The second most common practice was to find a family who has already hired a nanny, and join in on their arrangement.
  3. Hire together. Although less common, some families chose to find one another first, and then partner up and hire the nanny together (you could certainly learn a lot more about one another's families by interviewing together).  When families go this route, one family usually offers to manage the recruitment process. 
Contracts:

Although most families I spoke with did not have formal contracts or agreements drawn up, I would certainly recommend it. Some families had verbal agreements and saved emails in case of disagreements, some families drew up an employee contract with the nanny (but not the other family), and others drew up an employee contract (signed by both families), as well as a contract between families. 

Common nanny-sharing challenges:

 The three most common challenges are:

  1. Food (agreeing on what the kids eat, organizing meals, deciding on arrangement),
  2. Vacation (families' vacation time and preferences often don't match up which makes it tricky to also provide the nanny with their vacation), and
  3. Parenting styles (agreeing on disciplinary approach, as well as childrens' activities, and guidelines for nanny...can he/she take them on public transportation?, for example). 
Other common challenges include:

  • Illness. Coordinating what happens when the nanny, or children get sick.  
  • Expectations. Families have different expectations of the nanny's duties and responsibilities, and different management styles.
  • Sharing. Managing the initial transition, as well as ongoing management of behaviours around having the children share their toys. 
  • Relationship management. Dealing with conflicts that arise, communicating openly, and fostering a positive relationship with the other family.  
  • Privacy. Sharing space can be difficult, especially if you are in a situation where one family picks up their children later than your return from work time (this can mean having someone else's kids, and your nanny in your space when you arrive home). 
  • Self-imposed mom pressure. Having someone else's kids come into your home on a regular basis can create a sense of pressure to keep your home constantly tidy and organized.  

Potential conflicts scenarios:

  • Frequent tardiness. Families who show up late to pick up their child day after day. 
  • Sick kids. Sharing a nanny with a family who has a child that frequently gets sick. 
  • Food. One child is a picky eater and the families disagree on how to appropriately manage this (do kids eat separate meals or do families/nanny meal plan and stick to it?). OR families share food responsibilities (each cover food when the kids and nanny are at their house), but one family provides well-rounded balanced meals, and the other family provides inadequate food (portions, quality). 
  • Kids’ schedule and activities. Disagreeing on regular activities for the kids and degree of scheduling (is the day very structured, or more laid back?) and limits on what the nanny can do with the children (does she take them swimming? on public transportation?) 
  • Parenting styles. Managing differences in expectations on children and discipline, having a sharing family's child draw on your walls, break items in the house etc. 
  • Managing relationship with nanny. Who manages the relationship with the nanny? Does each family communicate with them separately, or does one family manage them as an employee?
  • Discoveries. You find out from the nanny (or your kids) that there is a situation at the sharing family's house that you should know about, but didn't (such as: extra kids being dropped off and cared for, different meals being served than what was discussed etc.) 
  • Temperament differences. You have a very easy going baby, but learn that your sharing family's baby cries all of the time, resists naps, and frequently fusses. The other family's baby is stressing out the nanny, and you feel that it is having a detrimental effect on the care your baby is receiving. 

PLEASE NOTE: Not once did the kids' relationship with one another come up as an issue. All families found that their kids loved having a playmate and got along great, and many (whom shared a nanny in the past) found that their kids are still great friends to this day.

Tips from nanny-sharing families: 

  • Make a playroom. If you have the space and are able to make a playroom that is baby/child proof with a safety gate, anchored furniture, a library etc. you will be able to rest assured that your sharing family's kids are safe in your home. You will also be at ease knowing that you won't come home to find your favourite vase broken since the kids don't have free range of your house.
  • Discuss EVERYTHING! Have the difficult conversations upfront. Talk about everything from how you will proceed if one family wants out of the arrangement to how you will approach conflicts such as an issue that arises with the nanny.
  • Establish policies. Recommended policies include: lateness (does nanny stay and the late family pays over time? Does host family look after child? Is there a number of late occurrences that are appropriate), sickness (does a sick child stay with parents or go to nanny share? What constitutes "sick"...temperature, vomitting, diarrhea etc? How long does the sick child need to wait before after recovering before returning to nanny share?), conflict resolution (a guideline for how you manage conflicts or disagreements), food (a guideline for what each family must provide, meal planning etc). 
  • Meet meet meet. Meet several times before confirming your arrangement. Be upfront, be honest, and be clear. Don't try to make a great impression at the expense of being open about your needs, and wants in the arrangement. It's best to find a family who is truly a good fit. 
  • Consider a trial period. And plan to sit down and meet with your sharing family at the end of it to discuss how things are going; what is working, what could be improved. 
  • Choose wisely. Picking the right family was unanimously cited as a defining factor in the relationship and success of nanny sharing arrangements. Ensure that the sharing family is a good fit and shares your desire to communicate openly. 
  • CPR/First Aid. Split the cost with your sharing family and have your nanny brush up on their infant/child first aid and CPR.

I asked families if they would recommend nanny sharing, here is what they said: 

Families who indicated "yes", also indicated that their answer was correlated to finding a like-minded family who maintains open lines of communication, and some said with kids around the same age.


"Absolutely!"

 "I would recommend it as long as both parties are on equal footing and agree to the terms up front".

"I would recommend it for families who really do see eye to eye and are willing to take it year by year...it's been the BEST thing we could have done". 

I also solicited nanny feedback from those experienced with nanny sharing, one nanny shared her insight, "I would work for another nanny share, but one needs to compensate well. Consider vacationing at the same time so the nanny can have a vacation as well. If your nanny is happy, she will stay around for a very long time and become part of the family".



I hope I've answered all of your nanny sharing questions and given you the information needed to make a decision about whether nanny sharing is right for you, and to start your nanny sharing journey!

Have a question that wasn't answered??...Post a comment below, I'll research it, and reply.  


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I am SO excited to have my son, Logan, provided with the one-on-one care of a nanny in our home. The process of recruiting and keeping a nanny seems intimidating at times and there are so many things to think about and consider. The goal of my blog is to support, encourage and empower parents who are considering and pursuing the path of a nanny.

Nanny&Me provides free resources and information that will support you in finding, selecting, and keeping a great nanny. Nanny&Me will also share our family's journey on the road to building a strong and positive relationship with our nanny.

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Hi! (not sure the exclamation mark was necessary, but I'm just excited to say hello). My name's Jenn. I am a passionate mom, non-profit executive, real estate hobbiest, and athlete. I'm an enthusiastic person with a growth mindset. I love learning and growing every day!

Hi Readers!

Hi Readers!
I'm Jenn. I'm a mom, animal lover (vegan), and non-profit leader who is all about sharing resources and having FUN. I lead an active lifestyle that includes a plant-based diet and lots of running, cycling, swimming, outdoor recreation, kayaking, and all things active and outdoors.

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DAREarts empowers children and youth from underserved communities across Canada through arts-based leadership programs.

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