Mothers/ Parent Help, Would you find me useful?

[Ilovemytwins]

Hi Everyone,

Posting in here as I would really like parents opinions on my idea.

I am currently a SAHM to 4 year old twin daughters, they start school in September. So I have been thinking about what I would do when they go. I would love to set up a "Mothers Help" type of business. I love children and was a nursery nurse for 10 years previously. I really want to work round my family and be my own boss.

So the plan is to work 9-6.00pm during the day 12.00 P/H and offer between 8-11pm at night for 15 P/H. I will meet the parents before had, show them my qualifications and references etc. Then discuss what they would like me to do. I will clean/ take care of the baby while the mum or dad gets some rest/ spends time with toddlers/ shops or do night time feed and bed time while the parents get a bath or tea ready for the night shift ahead.

Would anyone find me helpful? Is there anything you would want me to add? Any feedback would be brilliant.
Thankyou! 😊

[ceeveebee]

I had a mothers help when my twins were small - 3-7pm twice a week - to help with feeding and bath time and a bit of cooking/ ironing too.
I think there's demand for this particularly with your twin experience, but we only paid £9 ph - £12 would be a qualified nanny sole care wage (outer London)

[Ilovemytwins]

Thankyou Ceeveebee, I appreciate you replying. I will look at my prices, I only thought of that price as I am qualified. I could be a Nanny but want to be something a bit different. £9 for daytime and 12 for night may work out better. 😊

[Lilipot15]

I'm not clear from your post if you'd look to work for just one family or be available for regular short blocks which I think is what most families might want. Also, not being available 6-8pm makes being able to help wlth bedtime tricky (assuming you want to be available for your own family).

[MiscellaneousAssortment]

Starting at 9 means you won't do any school drop offs, and the gap between 6-8pm means no help with dinners, bath and bed.

So you'd be limited yourself a lot, but maybe you'd be lucky and find a specific family set up which fits with yours.

It may help to pin down your value and role a bit more: Who exactly are you imagining working for? And what would you be doing for them? And how would that be different from Nannys, cleaners, housekeepers?

[Ilovemytwins]

Thanks for the comments, I will definitely take them on board ☺. I am hoping to work for a few different families. I agree the 6-8 will be a problem, my husband currently works till 7pm so that means I have no one for my twins. But I could work something out maybe a couple of nights a week to make me available. I will have another think about how I am going to make myself different.

[stumblymonkey]

I definitely think it's very useful....especially where the father can't take paternity leave (for example my DP as he's self-employed), to relieve some of the pressure for anyone dealing with PND or other illnesses where they might need to go to appointments or just need some time to do things for themselves or help getting on top of chores.

More often now people live too far away from their family to get help with babysitting in the day or evening. It's definitely a service I would use!

[c737]

I think this sounds like a brilliant idea and have often wondered if such a service exists as I would definitely use it finances allowing (have a 23 month old and 4 month old). Don't suppose you're based in the south east are you?!

[ceeveebee]

You could market yourself as a trainer of twin mums - teach them how to feed, bath, settle twins!

[Whatdoidohelp]

Definitely. I was desperate for a mothers help but could not find one in my (relatively large) city at all. I think if your also willing to do some chores ie baby laundry, wash bottles, prepare the littles ones food you will have great success.

[Lilipot15]

Yes, I think your experience as a mum of twins will be a good selling point. As someone said above you may also be recruited by someone with a small age gap. I'm very relieved that a young family friend is coming to help me at teatime a couple of times a week with my two under twos. Like someone said, some baby-related chores, or just being a fresh person to give toddlers some one on one time. I looked for a mother's help advertised locally without success until we hit on the idea of this young girl. For someone in my situation just another pair of hands once or twice a week breaks up the exhaustion and sometimes monotony of parenting young children. We don't need the hours that an au pair would provide nor do we need someone living in and from discussion with friends, I think there is a market for what you're offering, particularly in cities where families may well not have relatives nearby.

[Ilovemytwins]

Thankyou all again for your replies! I will definitely use my experience as a twin mum as a selling point. Sorry c737 I am not in your area 😯. I am absolutely willing to do chores to help out. I am thinking about the things I found helpful when the girls were newborn. My friend came round and sorted all the kitchen out etc plus sorted the mountain of clothes we got as presents. My sister regularly popped in at around 8 so I could sleep to brace myself for the night time fun. ☺