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Paid childcare

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

Original poster

Anyone got a spare au-pair? This way, please....

32 replies

Squiffy · 17/10/2007 11:01

I have just been promoted which means not only am I even more smug and unbearable than usual today, but also I have realised that I will be doing a fair number of early morning starts because I will need to spend lots of time in very boring exciting Luxembourg.

We have a fab nanny who lives locally but will now need an au-pair on top to help with wrap-around care for those early mornings when I have to go to boring exciting Luxembourg. It would be great for the nanny to have the au-pair around as well to help out now and then and help with stuff like swimming trips.

The job starts in January, but, having seen the ironing pile this morning, we are very flexible on any start date between now and then.....

If you know of anyone please let me know...we live in deepest Kent so need a driver who likes living in the country. We are sort of nice, when we're not being horrible, and have a 4YO DS and 1YO DD...

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Original poster
Squiffy · 25/10/2007 09:46

Alexandre, have tried to cat you but you're not cat-able so could you please contact me on [email protected] so I can send you a mail - I warn you though that is my home email not office, so I won't be able to send anything until tonight at the earliest.

lisalisa - I am still sitting up with tail wagging and begging (with occasional cock of leg and sniff of nether parts)...

OP posts:
alexandre · 24/10/2007 16:14

Hi Squiffy

Sorry I completely forgot about my post being the usual chaotic half term etc. If you're interested let me know.

Original poster
Squiffy · 23/10/2007 13:50

I would really love to know you manage to fit it all together - what are the pitfalls to watch out for? The last thing I want to do is undermine my current nanny who I love to pieces (6 hours down the woods with the kids yesterday), but on the other hand I know that the current nanny may be moving away next Easter to live with her BF so I am angling to take on someone who can potentially take on more some time in the future (without threatening current nanny) - it all seems to be a minefield...and that's without starting the sift through people on the websites...

alexandre - DH was working late so we haven't discussed your friend in depth -we had a quick catch-up as we did our teeth this morning - I will talk to him tonight...

OP posts:
lisalisa · 23/10/2007 12:52

Message withdrawn

Original poster
Squiffy · 22/10/2007 15:33

Alexandre, let me chat with DH. Could potentially be interested... will CAT you later tonight..

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alexandre · 20/10/2007 16:32

Hi

I have a very close single mother friend living in Germany now who used to be my nanny 8 years ago who is looking for a live in position but she has an 18m old DD who is the sweetest child you have ever seen. She would be happy on a lowish au pair type salary in return for accommodation for herself and daughter.

She is absolutely amazing with children and I can't recommend her highly enough. We used to fly her over from Germany to babysit when we had to go away on business after she left us. She is also a qualified child social worker who has had sole charge of a children's home including babies etc.

She's 27, drives, is also a qualified dance teacher and very reliable and fantastic with children. And she would like to live in Kent as so do we!

Let me know if anyone is interested.

Kewcumber · 19/10/2007 20:09

oh I'm not glamorous to be a fag hag Squiffy - am v impressed.

Original poster
Squiffy · 19/10/2007 16:31

Oh, yes, and what is really sad is that I already have previous as a fag hag back in my dim and distant youth

OP posts:
Kewcumber · 19/10/2007 15:25

are there degrees of gayness then? Live and learn!

Original poster
Squiffy · 19/10/2007 10:21

ROFL.

It is such a shame you aren't around for the meet-up. Let us know when you are in London on business next. We will be able to find out more about your hilarious embarassing experience

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mummypoppins · 19/10/2007 09:52

I can do better than that..........but sadly will not be in London so will give you a few snippets now.Have the most gorgeous consultant surgeon..........tall slim tanned pearly whites etc etc............walked into his consulting room and nearly passed out.

The trouble I hear you say ?..........I was there to discuss a breast reduction ! LOL at one stage I was sitting on the consulting bed with my top off and this vision sitting in front of me squeezing my humungous boobs in both hands saying '.............mmmmmmm Ill take 700grams off this one and 800 grams off that one '. How I kept a straight face god only knows! My boobs ae the opart of me that I most detest and the part that I would least want anyone to see!

MP

eleusis · 19/10/2007 09:12

Oh, we are going to have so much to talk about at Patara.

Original poster
Squiffy · 18/10/2007 17:13

OMG.

When was this, exactly? And how gay would you say he was, exactly?

OMG.

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annh · 18/10/2007 14:59

Arriving late to this discussion (as usual) and have no useful information to offer on the aupair subject but just wanted to say that when I lived in Brussels I had my best-looking dentist ever, 30-ish, absolutely gorgeous and with huge white-walled, wooden-floored consulting rooms with classical music piped through. It almost made having my wisdom teeth extracted bearable! Oh sadly, he WAS gay!

Kewcumber · 18/10/2007 13:07

ah, they don't call me the woman with the amazing brain for nothing (actually they don't call me that at all, but have co-opted it for myself as its sounds good).

Sounds like its going well then.

Issy · 18/10/2007 10:27

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This has been withdrawn by MNHQ at OP's request

Kewcumber · 18/10/2007 10:16

Issy - have your new au-pair couple started? How are they working out?

Original poster
Squiffy · 18/10/2007 09:15

Thanks Issy, will give them a try.

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Issy · 18/10/2007 09:02

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mummypoppins · 17/10/2007 16:56

no sadly its the dining room , lounge , Study , master bedroom dressing area and ensuite! Whoopy do.

So me and DH are now sharing the kids bathroom.........heaven forbid and I cant find any makeup or knickers most mornings at 6.30am ! Sound familiar ?

But ho hum...........holidays will keep me going. LOL squiffy I have the next 4 booked ! Cyprus next week...........Egypt for 2 weeks at Christmas ( 40 b'day pressie ) .skiing in Germany in Feb and 2 weeks cycling on the ile de re next July. Bring it on........

Life could be so much worse........at least DH's nightmare family can't invite themselves to stay every 5 mins when they takeover completely and eat and drink us out of house and home and I am in the right job of course to sue the surveyor and have the cash to put it right if we don't win. When you look at some of what is posted on here even in my house built of straw I am still well off!

Would love to meet with you all in Kensingtonon the 8th November but that night I am hosting a pr event at Jaeger for the ladies who lunch of Worcestershire most of whom are rather annoyingly better off than me and dont have to work!

I do come to London on business probably twice a month so next time if i have a free slot I will post on here and see who is around.

Now..........time to get down to another major worry in life..........3 stone of post baby weight that wont shift and my youngest is 6 !

MP

Original poster
Squiffy · 17/10/2007 15:46

Welcome to the 'having it all club' MP, Oh yes indeedy.

Still it could be worse... It's only Wednesday and I'm already back from our half term break so I don't even have the sun & cocktails to look forward to next week. damn those pesky Kentish holidays which are out of synch with the rest of the country. I am now in middle of booking up Mousses for Summer 08 because I know that all my wheels will come off if I don't have a holiday to look forward to, no matter how far away it is...

Which part of the house is out of bounds? Hopefully just the sewing room and scullery.... or even better the kitchen, as you will then have to send out your laundry and call in pizza for the rest of the year.

OP posts:
eleusis · 17/10/2007 15:27

Oh, mummypoppins. Your day sounds terrible. Can I send you a virtual G and T?

Want to come out with us on 08 Nov. in Kensington (Patara)?

mummypoppins · 17/10/2007 14:36

well done squiffy...........try Almondbury Au pairs. I had a couple form there. If you google them you can get a link.

LOL sometimes on this thread I think we must be the envy of lots of people.....FT Nanny and cleaner and gardener in my case.........Nanny and Au pair for squiffy yet the stress of being an employer at work and home is incredible!!

I am having a crap day today.........one of those stop the world I want to get off. I am trying to get up to date at work as we are abroad for half term.........I have a urine infection and feel crap and to top it all having waited 12 months for a builder to come and finish renovating my house he has been with us for a day and has uncovered a major stuctural defect and declared half my house unsuable !!!!!!!! AAAAAAAAAAAAARGH. Now we have to sue the surveyor who completely missed the problem when we bought it and the whole renovation is on hold again. More hassle.

Roll on Sunday by the pool at the Annabelle in Paphose with a cocktail !

Original poster
Squiffy · 17/10/2007 12:43

I know. Believe me, there's worse to confess, and it will all come out once I'm drunk.

OP posts:
Kewcumber · 17/10/2007 12:29

I can;t believe you're admitting this squiffy. especially as we are going to meet you...