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Paid childcare

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

Do I laugh or do I cry?

33 replies

squiffy · 31/07/2007 11:30

Well, the last few weeks have been interesting......I have posted before under different name asking advice regarding our live-in nanny, who was going down the local pub moaning she was underpaid/overworked (she was on 260 net outside London, and got large cash bonuses on top). Well, slowly more info started to seep through..... smoking whilst looking after my DD, spending up to an 2 hours a day phoning abroad, and so on. All infuriating stuff but nothing big enough to legally get rid of her. The final straw was this weekend when we found out that she had allegedly (have to be careful legally here, just in case) been helping herself to money left lying round the house. So yesterday I trawled through the websites to start looking for a replacement, and then I trawled through the legal sites checking up on my legal position, getting everything together to give her her notice.. came home last night to find out that she had resigned because she wanted to move in with her boyfriend, was probably not going to be able to serve her notice period due to 'stress' which she thought might last all the way through the notice period, had cleared out her room, and gone.

So I am now totally nannyless, my DH is away on business trips till the 11th August, I am trying to hold down a full-time job in the city, my parents are just about to go away for a break, and the house is a tip!!!!!!!!!!!!

And you know what? I can't stop about it all. My boss will be fuming because I am going to have to do 10-4.30 instead of the normal 8-6 whilst I try desperately to find someone new but I feel as if the world has been lifted from my shoulders. I had been feeling so guilty about letting her go knowing she will find it really hard to get an equivalent job, and worrying about our legal position and now it is all over. I know it will be a nightmare trying to find someone new and I will go through hell and back in the process, but, hey, just for today, I am going to non-stop.

OP posts:
Are your children’s vaccines up to date?
eleusis · 31/07/2007 16:40

Who needs an agency when they have mumsnet?

My sister is looking for some babysitting work over the summer til her teaching starts up again. But, you's have to fly her in from Chicago.

Sorry, just making light of the situation.

yogimum · 31/07/2007 16:36

Would you consider using an agency? A good reputable one will have checked refs, etc and will at least hopefully send you some good candidates.

legalalien · 31/07/2007 16:34

if you do go the nannyjob / gumtree route, you might want to consider using a new CV checking service that kiwioznannies are doing - they sent me an email about it this morning. will post details if you're interested.

eleusis · 31/07/2007 16:30

Oh Squiffy, what a relief. Congratulations. This happened oto me once. Just as I had worked out how to let one go, she beat me to it. And oh what a relief it was. I know just how you feel.

Sounds like a lovely job to me. Do you think you could get a student in for a few weeks to cover the rest of the summer until you sort out something more permanent.

Probably worth a quick ad on nannyjob and gumtree.

How old are the kids?

squiffy · 31/07/2007 13:00

We live in the Kent countryside, big farmhouse, lots of horseriding trails, close to Whitstable/Canterbury. Would be great if there were any nannies on the site looking for something.... we can tempt them with a gym & jacuzzi at home, and a holiday home in the French Riviera (and we can then scare them off with the 'wet towel on the floor' habit that my DH has). Oh, and the next nanny is going to have the most watertight contract it is in my power to conjure up - heaven help the next one if she so much as even contemplates lighting up

OP posts:
TootyFrooty · 31/07/2007 11:39

Will you let her have a reference if she asks for one? It might be worth having a think about it.

Our old (crap) nanny resigned on the spot just as we were about to pay her off with 6 week's money. She asked me for a reference and I said that all I could say in a reference was that she worked for us from x date to y date and what her hours were (oh and the fact that she left without working her notice...). There was no way I was prepared to recommend her to anyone else - I couldn't have it on my conscience.

We found a (fab) new nanny 2 days later.

madamez · 31/07/2007 11:33

Hooray! Isn't it great when a problem solves itself? Mind you, I'd be growling that I hadn't had the chance to tell her what I thought of her, but then that's just my nasty nature

collision · 31/07/2007 11:33

where do you live Squiffy?

We might be able to find you a new nanny!

Better no nanny than a nightmare nanny IMHO!

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