Theresa Byrne and Alex Dalton met when they got together to share a nanny 4 years ago. Alex was looking for childcare for her daughter, when she finally stumbled on Theresa's advert for someone to share a nanny on her gym notice-board. The share was a real success, with the children really enjoying each other's company.

A by-product of the share Theresa and Alex didn't expect was the close friendship they themselves formed. As like-minded mums they had very similar parenting concerns. They met regularly to share stories, unwind and offer each other advice and support.

They often heard other fellow mums say they didn't have the time or energy to hunt around for a share, so a familiar theme to evenings together was how use their experience and knowledge of nannysharing in order to make the whole process easier for other families.

They planned to create a website that would allow parents to advertise their childcare needs online and also give them the facility to search for families close by who also wanted to share a nanny. As parents who were familiar with the ups and downs of nannysharing, they could also offer their experience and advice to members and create a site that was friendly and accessible to all.

Months of hard work came to fruition in February last year when thenannysharers.co.uk was launched. The community of nannysharers on the site has grown quickly and Theresa and Alex quickly realised there was nationwide enthusiasm for nannysharing, which the site was encouraging further.

We have listed some of the main things to watch out for but if you're thinking of joining the nannysharing community, take a look at thenannysharers.co.uk friendly advice to help you on your way. A little planning really can provide the perfect childcare solution!

1. Be clear about what you need but be open to new ideas: the best shares survive on good communication and compromise between like-minded families.
2. Do your homework: what's your overall budget, holiday parameters, children's activities?
3. Finances: how will you split the start-up costs, salary, tax, insurance, groceries, travel, overtime, holiday pay, future pay-rises?
4. Be flexible: sickness, changing diaries and general logistics make shares more complicated by nature, but it's nothing that a little give-and-take can't resolve.
5. Be nice to your nanny! Remember s/he is trying to please two bosses so listen to any suggestions and make it a three-way conversation.