Nannies, disadvantages of doing a share?

[crispycake]

I'm currently working in a share 3 days a week, the share family are leaving soon and the other mum wants to do another share straight away!
I don't think I want to do another one as its so tiring! I didn't take the job on as a share! I had been with family no1 for about 1-2 weeks and mum said she was putting our details on the nanny share site!
I don't think the mum is going to take my news very well as it's going to mean ill have to look for another job purely as I cannot financially work 3 days a week! :(
Its going to be hard working 4-5 days a week after working 3 days for 4 years :)

What other disadvantages other than tiredness, planning activities etc have you encountered?

I went on an interview for a share a couple of years ago. The families wanted to do one week at each others houses. I agreed to this but then pointed out that I would only be doing the baby's washing and ironing at the house I was based at. They hadn't thought this through and then said they wanted to do a split week 3 days at one house and 2 days at the other so I could do both sets of laundry. I turned the job down as I pointed out that rather than spend 1 morning a week and one afternoon a week doing laundry and ironing I would be spending more time in the house doing chores than being out with the children. This wasn't the only reason I turned down the job.
I have done shares in the past but got fed up with having to find another family to fill the gap when one family said they were moving or sending the child to nursery. I also had problems of parents paying on time. One family were prompt whereas the other was constantly late. As the children got older and the parents had siblings this became a problem because I didn't want to look after 4 children and had to choose which family to go with and which family to leave.
Other problems were arranging holiday time. In my contract I was due 4 weeks but trying to explain to one family that when I was off or the other family were away I wouldn't look after their child as technically it was my alloted holiday time didn't go down well. As did babysitting when one family wanted a day already taken by the other family.
By the way I think hiring you for one arrangement and then putting an advert on to do a share was a pretty crappy thing to do. I would be livid as it's not what you agreed to when you started the job.
I have friends that do shares and they are happy but their advice is to get everything down in the contract and sit with both families and go through things with a fine tooth comb.

I did one share so far and I was very happy with it. However both mums were pregnant at the same time and went on Maternity leave, so they didn't need me anymore and I looked for another job.

Chocchipbrioche - that is one prob I have too with the babysitting! I find fam1 ask me a few hours before fam2 so I always end up having to let them down!
This has happened rather a lot and I feel bad for fam2!

Thanks for getting back to me girls :)

My nannyshare has just come to an end as the family we shared a nanny with have moved away. At the moment it's a struggle financially (as we are making up the difference) and we are concerned about the lack of company our toddler has even though our nanny is fantastic.
I'm finding your post confusing - you work 3 days per week which you like but need to change jobs because you can't afford it? I take it that you have lost the income from the other family?
Maybe you can take on other responsibilities eg housekeeping? If not and you like where you are I would recommend a chat with your employer about becoming an integral part of the selection of a new share family? It's more constructive? (assuming you like them and get on with them! )