There is a solution. Welcome to the world of nanny sharing. A problem shared is a problem halved, after all. 

Finding a like-minded parent who’s also willing to nanny share with you can turn an impossible dream into a reality at the stroke of a pen. Read on to understand the benefits and complexities of a nanny share in New Zealand.

Instead of working for one family, a nanny will care for your child and the kids of two or more other families all at the same time.

There are restrictions around how many children one nanny can take care of. Smaller groups of two, three or four are ideal. Some families choose to divide their care between their homes. This means children get to regularly enjoy a different environment. 

The advantage of a nanny share is not only reduced costs. It’s an opportunity for kids to interact and play together. All this benefits the early development of their social skills.

You could split the nanny share into a part-time arrangement so that you get one day a week when the nanny only looks after your child. This way there’s an opportunity for some one-on-one time with the nanny as well.

One of the biggest benefits of a nanny share is the flexibility it brings with it. It puts you in charge so that you can fit the nanny hours you need in a way that’s going to suit you and your child.

A key issue is how to sort out wages and benefits in a nanny share. Hiring a nanny comes with legal responsibilities that you’ll need to split with those you share the nanny with. 

Money is clearly a key driver in a nanny share. It’s worth handing over all nanny payroll issues to an impartial, third-party expert. This will help avoid any misunderstandings and potential conflicts. 

They can work all the payment formalities out for everyone depending on the number of nanny hours each family needs.

Good communication between parents is key for successful nanny shares. This should start before you embark on any arrangement. Making an effort to get on together will pay dividends in the future.

These are some key scenarios both parties should discuss, along with a plan of action to address each of them in a way that would suit everyone:

• One party’s situation changes and they want to withdraw from the arrangement
• The children start not getting along well together
• Emergencies and a need for extra nanny hours by one party
• Disagreements about the location of care, children’s diet or household chores

Embarking on a nanny share is becoming an ever more popular solution to higher childcare costs. Do your homework carefully and there’s no reason why it shouldn’t be a win-win solution for everyone involved, especially the kids.

To make everyone's life easier and to mitigate the potential for any disagreement, let us take the strain of all your nanny payroll issues. Contact us now. We’d be grateful too if you could give us a like over on our Facebook page.