Any ideas? Looking for child minder/companion in Lancaster area.

[ivykiller]

I am looking for someone for a couple of hours a day, 3 days a week to keep my 6 year old DS company while I work from home. My ideal would be an older lady who has the patience to talk to him, help him with a little bit of reading or sums maybe but overall just keep him entertained. Has anyone got someone like this and can give me tips how they came across them and how much do you pay them? Many thanks.

Childminders are self-employed and work from their own home usually caring for several children; you sound like you're after something more like a "mother's help" or even an au pair?

Is this just during the school holidays or are the few hours a day between the end of school and teatime?

Hi Squirrel, I am just looking for a few hours between perhaps 11am to 1.30pm, Tues, Weds & Thurs.

Have you looked here? childcarefinder.direct.gov.uk/childcarefinder/ If you type in your postcode the childminders listed will come up in order of the closest distance to your home.

You might find that during the school holidays a childminder would prefer to care for your son for a morning / afternoon / longer period as your suggested hours impact a childminders ability to take the children out to local events and play centres.

Personally, if we go out somewhere i'll keep hold of my mindees longer than parents have booked, unpaid, so that it doesn't cut our day short but I suspect i'm in the minority!