New job = new childcare arrangements?

[Dysgu]

Today I have accepted a new (teaching) job to start in September. Now I am trying to sort out possible/sensible options for childcare.
I currently work full-time and this new job is also full-time, but will involve longer hours, at least in the beginning as is in a different school system from where I work at the moment.
At the moment, DD1 goes to pre-school 3 days a week, is with a great CM 1 day a week and with my mum 2 day a week. DD2 is with the CM 4 days a week and with my mum 1 day a week.
In September, DD1 starts school so my mum will no longer be able to have DDs as impractical for me to drop off there (in another town) and for her to get DD1 to/from school.

So - should I try to get CM to have DD2 for 5 full days (will be 50 hours a week instead of the current 35 hours a week)? I would then need CM to have DD1 before and after school each day - which would be 14 hours in the week.

We have an excellent childminder - the girls have been there for over a year now and we have had no problems at all in that whole time. She takes all her holidays in the school holidays, for which we are not charged, and she charges 'just' half fees for the other holidays when DDs stay home with me.

However, with DP having a long commute - we will be totally stuck next year if either DD is poorly. I am also thinking that DD1 will have no option for school clubs or playdates as childminder will be doing all school runs (I currently manage to fit in school run once a week) but with no flexibility of time (which is fine).

Or - should we maybe consider getting an au pair who could do school run with DD1 and take DD2 to and from childminder. DD2 will start pre-school next January and au pair could do school run with both then - a 10 minute walk each way.

An au pair would also save us money and we would be able to ask her to do a few things around the house. I hope she might also either be able to care for either DD if poorly or at least 'deliver' them to my mum if needed.

But having an au pair seems like something only 'posh/rich' people have! I know that is not true but I do not know of anyone else who has ever had one. (There must be some around here - we are in a seaside location with language schools and lots of commuting parents.)

Thanks for getting through all this - was really just putting thoughts down and would welcome any ideas.

Sorry - DD1 is with my mum 1 day a week.

Au Pair? Could we call that a "live in nanny"? It's more descriptive I feel these days, given few are actually what was previously know as an au-pair, especially when working fairly long hours (au-pairs used to be restricted to 25 hours a week). There has been a great deal of discussion about this on here, search the archive if you like.

I would say that you should look into the situation regarding if CM could provide all the care you need, as they already know your children and know you, plus I presume also the pre-school and school assuming they already take/collect children from there.

Do you have room at home to accommodate someone else living there? Do you want someone else to live at your home?

Have a look through messages on here about au-pairs, especially those mentioning issues that crop up from time to time. Having someone live with you could be a big change... may work out, may not.

Thank you for the reply. I have read a few threads discussing what, if any differences there are between au pairs and nannies these days. I do appreciate that those in an au pair situation i.e. doing a limited number of hours and possibly some sharing of household chores could be seen as doing a nanny's job for pitiful money.

However, we would require somewhere between 14 and 20 hours help a week with 2 children who, by then, would be almost 3 and 5. We would still use the CM for the majority of the care for DD2.

I work full time at the moment and my guiltiest times are at 6.30am every day when I have to wake my children to get them ready for the day. In an ideal situation they could wake up in their own time and have a more relaxed start to the day. Of course, I cannot guarantee that would be possible even with someone helping!

Yes, we do have the space in the house - we have a spare room (and another that would still be spare) and although bathrooms would be shared, we do have two in the house. I think I would be happy having someone living here with us but I think that is the biggest stumbling block for DP.

I agree, though, that the first step is probably to chat with the current CM and see whether there is any likelihood of her being able to offer the hours we need.

Thanks again.

I would scrap any guilt about no after school clubs/playdates, dd started reception in sept and so far has had one playdate which was really because her friends mum's car broke down and so I picked her friend up. It isnt necessary imo in reception when it is a long enough day and sharing their own stuff can be too much at the end of the day.

Is there either a breakfast club or afterschool club at new school, dds school has a great afterschool club run by TAs from the school. DD goes one/two days a week when I have to stay late for lectures (am at uni).

Will your mum still be ok with being back up childcare, that could be a great help for days when your kids are too ill for CM/school but not so ill they need a parent there.

And as long as your kids go to bed early enough dont worry about the early starts.

Yes, I can see your point about playdates - perhaps parents think more about them than the children at that age?

There is a breakfast club and an after school club although I am not sure they take reception children. Also will have to check what time they open if I could drop DD1 there. The after school club might be an idea if they take the little ones as she is growing bored of being the 'big one' at the CM's.

My mum will still be fine doing emergency/back up childcare as long as they are not on holiday (about 4-5 months of the year!) but they also have strong views about CMs refusing to take children when they are under-the-weather (we have had that discussion so many times - TBH I think my parents really think I should stay home with DDs all the time)

They are asleep at reasonable time each night but we are blessed with good sleepers... they do not moan about getting woken up really, it is just me feeling bad about it; probably projecting as I am not a morning person but live in a house of them!

Thank you for your comments - lots to think about.

Sounds like an ideal au pair position, definately not a 'cheap nanny' role as the CM is doing the lion's share of the child care. And having the AP would give you some flexibility to deal with sickness, CM's holiday etc.

Haven't read all of the thread, only the op. I teach, my dh works away and I would be lost without my au-pair. She drops of my dd and picks her up to and from school. I get home most days at 4, but if I have a parent's evening, I won't get home before 7. She also has my dd on inset days and if poorly. I do need her to be flexible, but Because I get the school holidays, my au-pair gets extra holidays as well, but as we treat her like a member of the family we tend to have days out all together.

We're not posh or rich and I find her invaluable.

Also my au-pair arranges play-dates (her choice). And if my dd goes to one I pick her up.

She is not a live in nanny, and we not treat her like one, but our main priority is care of our dd, but we do try and stay as flexible as possible, which works well for both the family and our au-pair.

If you don't mind some one living in it sounds a great solution - I love CM and been very happy with them but my DS1 in reception loves coming home to his house and relaxing - he did get v tired first few week and still does - does't have loads of play dates but it is nice do the odd one -and a couple of parties have been after school as well -

We are still going round and round in circles about what it the best thing to do. Still have a bit of time to work something out, but feel we need to decide to get things organised.

DP is not keen on having someone living in the house with us. We have enough space as far as bedrooms and bathrooms are concerned but only have one main living area apart from the kitchen diner.

And, whilst money is not the MOST important aspect of this situation, our CM has this week changed her terms and conditions so will now be charging us for the 5 weeks each year that she closes. (I appreciate that CMs need holidays but I do feel that being self-employed means you don't get holiday pay - whole other thread and I will deal with it by imagining that my hourly rate has gone up instead - with which I would be perfectly happy!)

Slightly off topic - but what would be the legalities (and other issues) if my sister agreed to look after the girls? Would we be okay to pay her? Again, not an obvious solution as she doesn't live in the same town and has two DC of her own to get to school each day...

Thank you for all ideas and feedback - I know we will find the right solution somewhere!

Your sister is your children's aunt. So that's classed as a Relative.
See Childcare Act 2006, 18, 8c (bottom of this page if the link works).

Not living in the same town could be a problem though, as your DD1 would need to get to/from school possibly at the same time has her own children need to get to a different school.

How about a 'proper' nanny...live out?

Surely by the time you are paying cm for 2 children etc a nanny will not be much more expensive.

You won't have to wake the LOs up early...they can go on playdates....nanny will have them if sick...... you can ask nanny to do nursery duties too laundry etc...ticks all the boxes.

Possibly to keep costs down find a nanny with a preschooler of their own who comes with her to work? Or someone who would be ok to only work term times?

Worth thinking about?

I would look at a live out nanny. I was a nanny for a teacher it was the best job I ever had. I looked after her 3 children all were pre school when I started I did the nursery run, then both the school and nursery did a small be of children stuff at the house ironing, sorting and cleaning toys. I got all the holidays (make sure you specific the school holidays for the council you teach in in the contract) I also got 4 weeks paid holiday 2 of which I had to take in the holidays. The covered the other two buy dad taking time off or working from home or gp coming to stay. I also looked after then when they were ill.

A nanny could be more flexible and if she started mid august you would be around to get to know her and she could help with the settling in of dc1 she could take dc2 to local groups and parks and also do some things around the house

Thank you for even more ideas - perhaps a live-out nanny might be the right way to go, although the idea of employing someone seems terribly complicated?

I like the idea of possibly someone with a toddler of their own so could keep costs down - DD2 will start pre-school next January for 2 days although we could start her in September before she gets her funded places - how much housework would a nanny do?

Does anyone have an idea of what a nanny would be paid? Does it vary? We are in the south of England (Isle of Wight).

How would be go about finding a nanny?