Long Shot - Mamie Nounou Les Arcs

[babyinthacorner]

We've been looking for childcare for our holiday to Les Arcs since October and we're really getting desperate. We've tried every Nanny agency in the area with no joy, and the kindergarten attached to ski school don't have the hours we need - 9.30-12 isn't long enough for us on the mountain. So I've been in touch with the Mountain Concierge in resort and they have suggested a company called Mamie Nounou, who apparently have availability.
However they aren't able to provide cvs or references and from what I can gather, the people they provide are grandmothers living in Les Arcs.
We're a bit twitchy about booking someone without cv/reference/security check but it's looking like it's that or waste ££££ on a non-snowboarding holiday...
So has anyone got any experience of this company at all? Please?! Or any opinions?!
This is our favourite holiday of the year and we're desperate to get something sorted.

[Notmybag]

For future trips I highly recommend booking your holiday with a company like Esprit who specialise in offering childcare!

[Ragusa]

It would probably be safer and cheaper to take a local (to you) teenager with you. I would not use a non-referenced, no-CV childcare service unless I could be sure that the carers were registered and approved by the government.

[GetTaeBed]

You won't have a relaxing holiday without childcare you can trust. I agree with pp that next year book with a company that provides this in a package. This year you may have to suck it up and take turns on the slope - a day or half day each. Or pay to take someone with you.

[babyinthacorner]

Yep you're right. We're trying a couple more options. It's the first time we've booked a trip during school holidays, last year we had no trouble finding a nanny with only a few weeks' notice.

[dontcallmethatyoucunt]

If Mammy Nounou even speak English I'd be surprised. Surely 9.30-12.00 is better than nothing?

[Atalune]

9.30-12 is time enough on the mountain surely? As your trip is so badly planned perhaps it’s time to suck it up- take turns on having longer days. Both ski in the morning and one stays on till later while the other has the children?

Or leave the children at home?

[Muchtoomuchtodo]

Lesson learnt, and also waiting and seeing is never really going to be a successful tactic with something like this.

I'd say you need to make the most of your mornings out together and take it in turns to go back to look after your lo. It's not a wasted holiday, there are plenty of things that you can enjoy doing out in the snow and a good preparation for when they are old enough to start skiing.

When our dc were young we went with Family Ski Company - their childcare and ski school support really is excellent but needs to be requested at the time of booking for it to be definitely available.