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Paid childcare

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

Original poster

Afterschool "childcare" for 11 and 13 year old - do you have any? What works?

35 replies

Anna8888 · 03/09/2008 13:36

We are looking for ideas - the boys' nounou has resigned, the mother wants an au pair but wants us to find her, we aren't sure an au pair will work for such "old" children.

What do you do, if anything?

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choosyfloosy · 09/09/2008 12:42

Given huge city, could you advertise for a student who studies in the centre but has to live in the suburbs, to have a desk in your house? At 11 and 13 i wouldn't think it essential to have an adult there absolutely all the time, but if the student were in and out during the day, this might solve some of the problem?

islandofsodor · 04/09/2008 21:38

NO, I wouldn't be fussed at an 11 year old being at home along during working hours. Most secondary kids I know whose parents work are at home all day in the summer.

But maybe things are different in Paris.

cargirl · 04/09/2008 20:46

Can they get some sort of cleaner house keeper so on a Wednesday they make lunch and dinner and prepare something for Thursday dinner and on a Friday prepare dinner? Or could they do a little shop so ds only gets left for an hour or so?

How about a live in or daily housekeeper would that be less expensive than the nanny?

Original poster
Anna8888 · 04/09/2008 20:28

DD's ballet isn't on the other side of Paris at all - it's in the 8th arrondissement, which is next to the 17th arrondissement where we live - just a little bit more central. I specifically chose that school because it has masses of classes and I didn't have to make her do ballet after a long school day but on a Wednesday morning... but I'm not at all sure there is a decent ballet school closer to home.

Another issue is the bleeding tennis club which requires one adult + one car / child to do the logistics... Grrrrrrrrr......

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sinkingfast · 04/09/2008 20:20

It just seems a shame when you're not at work that day and could have him at least for some of the time.

sinkingfast · 04/09/2008 20:19

Does dd's ballet have to be the other side of Paris? Could she change classes?

Sorry, I know I'm not helping

Original poster
Anna8888 · 04/09/2008 20:19

cargirl - well yes and no.

There has to be a daily cleaner anyway and that person can coincide with end of day and do some supervision. There is a point at which too many hours of cleaner becomes silly - is a cleaner going to be paid to watch TV?

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Original poster
Anna8888 · 04/09/2008 20:17

LOL but I won't be able to "pop back after baller". This is a big city, distances are huge...

We're going to try to fill his Wednesday with activities - tennis plus English plus something else. And on Fridays somebody will need to be around to supervise homework - that can't be a childcare person anyway, it's got to be a parent/stepparent...

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cargirl · 04/09/2008 20:15

Can you not have a cleaner on a Wednesday 10-3 and a Friday afternoon?

sinkingfast · 04/09/2008 20:13

But if he's home, say, by 10.30 and Grandfather is picking him in the afternoon for tennis, plus you could maybe pop back after ballet, it wouldn't be for too long, would it?

Original poster
Anna8888 · 04/09/2008 20:10

islandofsodor - yes they are able to get themselves to and from school (but appreciate a lift in the car when school starts at 8 am in the winter/rain).

How would you feel about leaving a just 11 year old alone in the house for several hours at a time during working hours?

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islandofsodor · 04/09/2008 20:01

Are they physically able to get to school and back eg. it is walkable/public transportable or does it need a car.

I woudln't bother with childcare for an 11 and a 13 year old to be honest. I would have resented childcare myself at their age. Are they fairly sensible?

Original poster
Anna8888 · 04/09/2008 12:50

Honoria - I've been waging a campaign to move the boys to a private school where they would have a better timetable (and a wider range of activities/subjects) for quite a while but their mother finds it much more convenient for them to be at school down the road from her house.

However, when it comes to sorting childcare for the odd hours, she doesn't think it is her responsibility at all...

At least I am forewarned by having stepsons so many years ahead of my daughter - I know all the peculiarities of the French school system to be alerted to when making decisions for her, in due course.

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HonoriaGlossop · 04/09/2008 12:42

I'd fill 'em with plans to move somewhere with a SANE school timetable

Original poster
Anna8888 · 04/09/2008 12:17

Non-working parents? Ha ha ha. This is Paris

Think it is actually too boring and lonely a job for an au pair. We have decided against au pair for that and other reasons.

Anyhow, DSS1 has just rung me up with his timetable. We now know exactly when DSS2 will be on his own (ie without his brother) at home during working hours. So the question is how we fill them.

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Kewcumber · 04/09/2008 12:04

Do a deal with one of the othe non-working parents or get an au pair. I can imagine many au pairs would love to have such an easy life and get to live in Paris as well.

sinkingfast · 04/09/2008 11:56

Gosh, they were only suggestions. I'm sorry his wife is so ill but when making my suggestion, I didn't know that. In my family, giving another family member a lift makes you helpful, rather than a chauffeur tbh. Picking DSS2 up once every two weeks didn't seem like a biggy

Will bow out now with my overactive imagination

Original poster
Anna8888 · 04/09/2008 11:51

sinkingfast - your imagination is running away with you.

Grandfather cannot possibly chauffeur DD to ballet or pick DSS2 up from school - he is not a taxi driver , his wife is extremely ill with cancer and he has quite enough on his plate. He can take DSS2 to tennis because tennis is at the sports club the family belong to and grandfather gets a little freedom to see his friends while waiting for DSS2's tennis lesson.

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sinkingfast · 04/09/2008 11:46

Couldn't grandfather drive DD to ballet (and you pick up)? Or could he meet DSS2 from school and he goes to his house?

This really doesn't seem insurmountable, just a case of everyone having to give a little.

Original poster
Anna8888 · 04/09/2008 11:40

I am certainly not going to employ a nanny to take my daughter to actitivies on Wednesday - that is our special day together. But I won't have time to wait for DSS2 to return from school before having to leave with my daughter to get to ballet etc, he wouldn't in any case want to hang around ballet school and he ought to be getting on with homework.

DSS2 will have tennis on Wednesday afternoon, to which his grandfather will drive him. So that will use up part of the day.

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sinkingfast · 04/09/2008 11:36

If you're always off on Wednesday, can he not come with you to some of the activities? Or can you not employ a nanny every Wednesday who will either stay at home with DSS2 or take DD to some of her activities?

Original poster
Anna8888 · 04/09/2008 11:31

imananny - yes, on Wednesday he starts at 8 am and finishes at 10 am.

On Tuesday he starts at 8 am and finishes at 3 pm / 5 pm (alternate weeks). On Thursday he starts at 8 am and finishes at 5 pm.

He's going to be knackered with all those early starts

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Original poster
Anna8888 · 04/09/2008 11:28

Honoria - I can assure you that parents' needs are not taken into consideration by the Ministry of Education. But then, in France, the logistics of daily life are often extraordinarily harsh and time-wasting. Just getting through the day can be quite a feat, before you do anything pleasant.

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imananny · 04/09/2008 11:25

finish school at 10am - whats the point of going in?

though I know as you are in france you do earlier hours at school - sounds a right nightmare tbh

Original poster
Anna8888 · 04/09/2008 11:24

My DSS1 isn't such a problem - he has more school hours and is better at looking after himself. It's DSS2 that is the worry.

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