What is a "mother's helper"?

[clemetteattlee]

I keep reading about these but was wondering what they do, how people make use of their help etc?

They help you with all your chores or mind your children whilst you do your chores. They are not a nanny and get paid less, you should not leave your children alone with them as they have no training.

Thank you.

And there was me thinking mother's helper was a bottle of gin...

valium! (see mother's little helper).

I see a Mother's Help as someone who is happy to do any jobs around the house that a Mother may want some help with. Cleaning, cooking, laundry, ironing and helping with the children.

Since they are not focused exclusively on child care they do not necessarily need to have formal childcare qualifications.

Mother's Helps are more likely (though not necessarily) to be live-out. Even if they were to live-in, unlike an au pair they are generally working longer days and not attending language classes, so they are not working as an au pair would i.e. sharing household chores and doing just light housework, so cannot be regarded as an au pair would be.

Interesting. Why do people use them over au pairs then?

I have seen some agency websites that label what I would call an "au pair plus" as a "mother's help", i.e. they work more hours (up to 35 a week), live in and half at least 1 year's childcare experience and / or relevant childcare qualifications.

half? have, I mean. Weird.

I sometimes use the staff at the DC's nursery for this reason. I know they do it for other parents too.

They play with the children so I can cook / garden / tidy up in peace or with just one child helping me. I get loads done when they are here. And as I'm paying for them I don't even use the time to MN .

Agree with Treeesa.

They are generally live-out, not young nor here to learn English, so don't fit the typical aupair profile. I have not used one before but always assumed they might be someone living locally looking for extra work who might have had children herself so fairly experienced in that sense.

They also charge by the hour - maybe around the same or more than a cleaner? Not sure.

Aupairs work out much less per hour but they get food and board thrown in hence 'cheaper' provided you have an extra room to spare.

lol at maria and dinghy. 'Mother's Help' is the usual term.

'Mother's Helper' could be completely different like ... dildo.

Just thinking about geting one myself so excelent thread. Any advice on finding one or good agencies ( Kingston Surrey)

You can find a good one at Anne Summers - whoops sorry I was away with blueshoes then...!

The other type if mother's help is a young, possibly qualified but almost certainly inexperienced, aspiring nanny who's willing to do household chores to get a break into nannying. Like a shared charge nanny but with extra household duties not related to the children.

Or you might get a granny type MH who wants a few hours here and there and will led a hand wherever needed.

What they do depends on what you want them to, and who they are/how you get one will depend on what you want them to do. IME most agency MH's are the young aspiring nanny types. Try local nanny agencies or gumtree.