PARIS - creche - day centre required for a few hours for 7 year old DS

[TheBFactor]

Hi everyone - DH and I have an important business meeting in Paris next month and we have to take DS with us (which he won't mind of course as he will miss 2 days of school : ) The reason we have to take him is that we don't have any close relatives here (we live in the UK) and we don't feel comfortable leaving him behind any way as we will be in Paris for 4 days.

Unfortunately the people we are meeting with are not going to be impressed if we take our DS along to the meeting. The meeting will last between 2 - 3 hours on a Monday.

Does anyone know where I can search for a creche centre is Paris (district 14 if possible) ? Have you ever used one yourself that you can recommend ?

I have never had to do this, so don't have a clue where to look. DH is a fluent French speaker so once I have got a list I can get him to call around. In the meantime he has asked me to ask MN for tips where to look !

Many thanks in advance.

Hmm. AFAIK the centres de loisirs are open on Wednesdays only (the day French kids don't have school). Creche is for little ones and you need to be inscribed.

Hi winny - thanks so much for the reply. I have just looked it up and as you correctly say they are not open on Mondays. Thinking about it now, as it's a school day and my son is 7, I am going to have problems, aren't I ?

I can't think of anywhere in the UK that would have such a facility in the middle of the day on a a school day !

Are there shopping centres that might have childcare facilities ? In the UK such things exist in big shopping places, may be they have them in Paris ? I hope !

Dont some hotels have a babysitting service/kids club?

Yes, I think you're right, InExcelsisDeo, but it would have to be either a luxury hotel or a family-oriented one, iyswim. Did you know where you're staying yet, OP?

I could ask at DD's creche if there are any nounous who would look after your DS, if you would like. What are your dates?

What time is your meeting? I have just remembered that in DD's former jardin d'eveil there were sometimes older kids and the woman who owns it is pretty flexible. It's in my courtyard so I could ask her if she would mind looking after your DS for few hours. It's only til 11.30-12, though.

Hi everyone thanks for the replies.

We need help from approx. 12:30 pm to 3:30 pm (3 hours) - the meeting is only 1 hour (at 1:30 pm) but I am leaving an hour on each side so that we have time to drop off and pick up.

The meeting place is in district 8 (sorry not 14)

We are staying in an appartment near the Pompidou Centre - not a hotel unfortunately.

winny - you sound like you are in Paris right now? Any info. you can get for me would be very kindly appreciated. I am looking on the net but haven't come up with much yet. I don't really feel comfortable leaving him alone with a babysitter - I would much rather he stayed in a PUBLIC place with other children around.

Do they have childminders who look after groups of children in their own homes on an ad hoc basis ? I would consider this if they were highly recommended by other parents.
I am also searching around for shopping centres - again we have these in the UK and I hope they have them in Paris too !

Tbh I cannot think about shopping centres that do that. Hmm. Go and have a look at Printemps or Galeries Lafayette and see if they have any info on their websites.
There are childminder agencies, maybe you could call one up? I don't see how you would get references, though.
I was about to say that you could drop him off here for few hours (we're by Bastille), but if you cannot deal with a childminder, then I don't think you would want a hairy truck driver stranger off the net

I'm in the middle of procrastinating writing an essay that's due in oh, 2 hours , but I'll try to ask around next week. Maybe the directrice at the creche would have a better idea if there are any places?

Could you offer to pay for a friend to come over with you? If you don't want them to stay in the apartment with you for the 4 days then you could offer a day return on the Eurostar, lunch and PARIS!!

Actually, I hear hairy truck drivers are lovely ! Thanks for the generous offer : ) DS is an absolute delight, he would probably wash the dishes for you to thank you.

Sorry if I sound a bit paranoid, I am mum to a single child, I'm told we worry too much, may be I should have 3 or 4 more and worry less !! ; )

I should have said, DH has a friend in Paris (he used to live in Paris when he was young free and single !!) whose wife is happy to do some childminding for us, I just didn't wish to trouble her as they live a bit outside Paris, but defo. my best option if I am totally stuck. Luckily she has a toddler and is a stay at home mum.

kasbah (love the name !) - great idea, would love to do it (First Class on Eurostar day return to Paris who could possibly refuse ??) but a bit too expensive though ....

Your DS sounds lovely. No worries, I remember being paranoid when DS was younger as well. Then DD came along...and there were times I would happily hand her over to any willing stranger

I hope you'll find something. I'll ask around if anyone knows about a reputable childminding agency, but not til next week probably as we have a very busy weekend.

Hi winny - my mum was from a family of 9 (same parents) - mum has a twin brother born minutes after her (my uncle is still alive sadly mum isn't).

I doubt my grand parents even bothered doing a head count every morning which I probably would do being considerably more paranoid and protective Grandad had a successful business so always had a few spare bob to get nannies. I don't think mum ever got as much attention from her parents as she wished, being a middle child with nannies all her life ; (

Have a good weekend, any info next week would be great, thanks so much.

Just to end this thread with good news
The people we are having a meeting with have said there is no problem for DS to sit in the lobby (they said there are glass doors all around so we can see him) and that the receptionist will keep a close eye on him as well. I had been too embarrassed to ask them, but called them yesterday and they said there was nothing to worry about.

Just glad he will be sitting somewhere we can see him.