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Original poster

Childcare: who is going to want to work these hours?

49 replies

LindorDoubleChoc · 20/05/2025 15:27

I'm trying to think what type of person might want this job I've just seen advertised.

It's an afterschool nanny for a 9 year old and 11 year old. Five days per week 2.30pm to 7pm in term time including school pick up by car and cooking dinner, and then full time in school holidays.

Who would it suit? Confused

Obviously someone not bothered about eating dinner in the evening. And able to chop and change from part time hours (and part time salary) to full time at the drop of a hat. If it's private school they would be working full time for about a third of the year.

OP posts:
Hoydenish · 20/05/2025 15:38

I know nannies who would go for that job. Make the hourly rate very acceptable and you'll get good candidates.

NB would it be til 7pm in school hols as well as term time?

Bourbonversuscustardcream · 20/05/2025 15:43

Depends what it’s paying. The hours aren’t particularly antisocial, if you aren’t trying to work around your own children. And 9 & 11 are pretty easy ages to look after.

There’s a woman on local social media near me advertising looking for a post as an afterschool nanny who is also an artist and photographer - I could see that sort of job fitting alongside this one fairly well.

Original poster
LindorDoubleChoc · 20/05/2025 15:46

It's the being well off enough to only work part time aspect of it that seems tricky to me. Most people who want to work part time have children of their own, or some other commitment (maybe study) which would make it really tricky to work full time for weeks at a time too.

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Childcare & nursery Families
Whatsgoingonherethenagain · 20/05/2025 15:48

Would work for a student probably. Sort of thing I would have done. Weekends free, evenings after 7pm free, full time in holidays.

ghostyslovesheets · 20/05/2025 15:54

I’d do it in a few years. - looking to leave my job at 57/58 and work less - I’m qualified and have previous nanny experience but haven’t done the job for years. Work in education now - so someone like me?

CrispyMonkey · 20/05/2025 15:56

A student would go for it - my friend who uses a nanny has a PhD literature student as this suits her timetable.

Kipperandarthur · 20/05/2025 15:57

If the pay is attractive enough it would work well for anybody with the relevant experience/qualifications. But realistically it's going to be for somebody who does not have children.

Living locally you could easily be home by 7.15 ish which is fine. Many people don't get home from work then. You would also have all morning to do things for yourself and prep your dinner etc.

I would imagine the pay is also possibly evened out so that the monthly salary is the same as well. So swings and roundabouts.

MiddleAgedDread · 20/05/2025 15:58

I don't think eating dinner is a big issue, if you didn't have a long commute you could be home and eating before 8pm, or they might eat at work with the kids.
I guess someone who doesn't want or need full time work all the time but as you say, it's a niche requirement. Or there's lots of people need before school care / drop-off in term time only that they might be able to combine it with.

Vodkamartini3olives · 20/05/2025 16:00

I'm looking at leaving my job and going back to college for a yr to upgrade. My kids are old enough to get themselves to & from school. I would only have to work p/t while study so these hours would work really well for me.

ScrewedByFunding · 20/05/2025 16:00

Also what do you mean 'obviously someone not bothered about eating dinner in the evening '. Will they not be eating with your children since they'll have just cooked? Or are you just wanting them to sit and watch? That's unusual for nannies, they are normally fed by employers.

ExpressiveDelivery · 20/05/2025 16:02

I'm not qualified but if I was it'd be something I'd certainly consider now we are out of being restricted to school holidays for our own holidays and in the final few years before retirement when lots of people go part time again, all that time free in the mornings for hobbies, housework, coffee with friends etc then you are free again by 7 for evening activities, your own dinner, I think the hours sound pretty good. However I suspect they'd want you to take your holidays when they take theirs, which would be in the school holidays, so no good in that respect.

legoplaybook · 20/05/2025 16:02

I know nannies in London who do those hours but their salary is £40k-£50k.

FluffMagnet · 20/05/2025 16:27

I often don't finish work until 7/8pm and then have to commute some distance home. It is normal for DH and I to aim to eat between 8.30-9pm, what is so odd about that?

loropianalover · 20/05/2025 16:31

I’ve worked much worse hours 🤣

It might suit someone in uni, or someone semi-retired looking for part time work. I used to do cleaning 7am-9am before my uni classes, it might suit somebody to do a few afternoon hours instead.

I presume they can eat dinner with the kids too, not just sit and watch them?

MidoriNoRingo · 20/05/2025 16:32

A lot of my shifts are 2:30 - 10pm. 9-5 doesn’t suit all of us!

Onelifeonly22 · 20/05/2025 16:33

I did this while a student…. Albeit not every weekday in term time.

Platespace · 20/05/2025 16:33

Doesn't the nanny eat with the children?

Those hours would be quite attractive to me actually (although I'm not a nanny!).

A good part of the day, most of the year, to do outdoorsy stuff before work, finished in time for evening social activities and I don't want to go away in school hols, when it's expensive anyway.

If the salary made it feel like a FT job it would be very attractive

ilovepixie · 20/05/2025 16:34

Lots of jobs finish later in the evening now. It’s hard to get a 9-5 Monday to Friday job now.

Honon · 20/05/2025 16:36

That's not too bad, the really difficult ones to fill are those seeking to basically replicate wraparound, so 8-9:30am and 3:30-5:30pm. It's very hard to find someone who wants to do that.

Tiredofwhataboutery · 20/05/2025 16:37

I think it’d work either someone who is studying or has a small business. I know an artist who does similar makes enough to live on. So selling his work is a massive bonus and he makes and can have a splurge.

mindutopia · 20/05/2025 17:01

Part time work doesn’t mean low pay when it comes to nannying or lots of other roles.

I have a cousin who is a nanny. I don’t actually know what she works now, but pre-children (early 20s to mid 30s) she nannied for high net worth families. All expenses, car, holidays paid for. She was the only person I knew who managed to buy a house in her 20s. A part-time wage for her would have been very comfortable still.

Dh is self-employed and part-time and makes over £100k a year. 🤷🏻‍♀️

I think these hours would suit a lot of people who wanted a good bit of the day to pursue other things and didn’t have childcare issues of their own in school holidays, which is a lot of people frankly.

Icecreamandcoffee · 20/05/2025 17:03

Would suit a student perfectly. No early mornings, lectures are usually mornings or finishing around 2, mornings to study, no weekends and evenings after 7 free. Full time in the holidays when uni finishes.

Would also suit someone with a small home business as again - mornings free, evenings free, weekends free. Perhaps more challenging in the holidays but workable around.

Would also suit someone who has a flexible partner/ support network who could do school pick ups as no mornings means you could do drop off every morning. Or someone with older children i.e teens who can manage on their own for a bit. Holidays may be a bit more challenging depending on if you needed childcare.

It's likely to be a pretty easy job, 9 and 11 are nice ages, usually a school pick up, take to clubs/ after school activities and sort tea during term time. If it comes with use of a vehicle (for pick ups and transport to clubs) and half decent pay then there will be applicants.

It's the 7am-9.30am and then 3pm-7pm wrap around hours jobs or those where it's 8-6 au pair cooking/ cleaning/ house work but also minding and taking 2 or 3 babies/ toddlers/ preschool children to activities and entertainment for minimum wage that are unattractive prospects. One as it's split hours and the other because minding multiple preschool children along with cooking, cleaning and entertainment is hard work and non stop.

JustGoClickLikeALightSwitch · 20/05/2025 17:08

What others said. I’d add, occasionally a nanny will start to outgrow Family One but not fully, but will have a bit of time for a Family Two. So term time and part time for F1, and keen to pick up the alternate hours for F2. Our nanny does a school drop off for her previous (main) charge before coming to ours.

reluctantbrit · 20/05/2025 17:13

I think the issue may be the full time in school holidays.

Lots of p/t nannies do it becasue they want to be p/t, they have their lives organised in a way that they just can't change it every 6 weeks-2 months for one or several weeks.

My experience is also that we had several looking who had their own children and wanted to bring them - big no from us for a variety of reasons.

The 7pm wasn't a problem but we are in a London commuter town, so parents actually struggle being home at 6pm.

GingerPaste · 20/05/2025 17:26

If I was looking for a part-time job, I’d be happy with those hours.