Nannies love children, so it’s inevitable that the majority of nannies go on to have a family of their own. For some this will put their careers on hold, but an increasing number of nannies are choosing to return to work and take their own child with them.

One of the obvious benefits for parents is financial, as the salary for a nanny bringing her own child to work are closer to that of a nannyshare. Parents may also feel that candidates with their own child will be more aware of the emotional aspects involved in bringing up children and more sympathetic to the family as a whole. The children can also benefit from the interaction with other children, especially if their ages are similar or they don't have their own siblings. Learning to share both toys and adult attention is important and helps children develop their own social skills.

For a nanny, bringing her own child to work allows her to earn money, keep her foot on the career ladder and still have day-to-day care of her own child. This balances against the increased work load and the emotional difficulty of dividing her time and attention fairly between the children.

Of course there are also the practical issues for both nannies and families to consider:

• What to do if the nanny's child is unwell?
• Household insurance will need to cover the nanny's child too
• Extra equipment might be needed e.g. double buggies, highchairs, travel cots etc
• Who will cover the cost of food, nappies and activities for the nanny's child?
• Certain activities e.g. swimming may be difficult

As with any nanny / employer relationship, the key to success lies in good communication. Be open, honest and realistic about what you expect and have regular meetings to check that you are both thinking along the same lines.