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Paid childcare

Discuss everything related to paid childcare here, including childminders, nannies, nurseries and au pairs.

Original poster

Oh knickers, b*ll*cks - I'm in deep poo and I need to rant (could do with some happy ending stories of finding perfect nanny at extremely short notice, too....)

27 replies

Gizmo · 07/03/2007 10:07

This serves me right - I was so smugly certain that I would find the perfect childcare option before I had to go back to work after DS2. I mean, all it needed was a bit of organisation and proper planning, right? And I'd started thinking about it in August (yes August) last year. So what could go wrong?

Weeeeelllll, it seems that plenty can go wrong. Firstly I spent until December looking for a nanny share family. No joy. So I asked around among friends re a nanny share. Some friends said yes, then they said no - January. Another friend said yes, her husband then got cold feet and decided he'd prefer an au pair. Mid February.

I redo our sums. We can afford (if we live on beans and I tolerate much sulking from DH) a nanny salary which isn't generous but is just about adequate. I start interviewing on this basis and we find....a wonderful woman. She's Canadian, well educated, experienced, caring, reliable, organised and available to start asap. Her references are hagiographic. I'm in nanny heaven.

And this morning she has emailed me to say she can't take the job . AAAAAAAAaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaargggggggggggghhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh.

I am committed to go back to work on the 19th March. After the first nanny share friend backed out I did reserve a back up nursery place for DS2 and DS1 can go to an afterschool club. But I'm not totally comfortable with either institution and the logistics are going to be a nightmare.

Oh whinge, whine, whingetty whinge. Anyone have any experience of finding a perfect nanny for a minimal salary with one week's notice?

Anyway, thank you all for listening - I feel better now....

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Eleusis · 07/03/2007 10:32

Where are you?

Issymum · 07/03/2007 10:28

Gizmo, here's my nanny on short notice story:

Sunday evening before half-term, DH and I looking forward to a week of heavy meetings, it's 6pm and I pop upstairs to see if our nanny is still OK to babysit for DH's birthday dinner later that night. I find her prostrate in bed with what is clearly a particularly nasty dose of flu.

By 7pm I've got onto our local Gumtree site, tracked down a recently arrived South African primary school teacher, living nearby, doing supply teaching and looking for work during half term.

By Monday lunch time she's making lunch for the DDs and organising an afternoon of painting and play-doh. She worked for us for the rest of the week and was fabulous.

I suggest that you accept that you may have to live with someone who is an interim solution with the possibility that she may ultimately morph into a permanent nanny. Try Gumtree, nannyjob, TNT and your local agencies. If you're going for Gumtree, advertise yourself (£18) as you get a much better response.