How on earth do I find someone to fill this position?!

[DestinationUnknown]

I need someone to look after ds (5yo) 1 or 2 mornings a week from 8am, at my house, before walking him to school. So a total of 1 and a quarter hours twice a week!!

It's such a minuscule job, how am I going to find someone to do this?! Nannies, au pairs etc will all be busy then.

Breakfast club at school doesn't start until 8.30am, and that's when I have to be at work in my new job!

Now I could ask for favours from other Mums and I know they would try to help but I would not be thrilled to have someone else's child in my house at 8am on a weekly or twice weekly basis, and I'm not comfortable asking that much of a favour from anyone else, even if I paid them. And I don't think it's fair to ds to foist him onto a random school friend every week.

What to do?! Family are fab but live 150+ miles away, I don't have a DH.

You might be lucky and find a childminder with that sort of space. Do you know of any childminders that drop off at your DS's school?

I think your best bet though would be another parent. Unless you live in a very affluent area, everyone is looking to earn a bit of extra cash at the moment. If you pay it won't be a favour so you don't need to worry about imposing on someone. I'd ask around at the gates, just a general 'do you know anyone looking to earn a bit of extra cash doing a school drop-off?' and see if anything comes up.

My mum did a job like this when we were kids. The other kids were dropped off at 8am, had their breakfast with us then we went off to get dressed etc and they watched the TV for half an hour; it worked fine.

Where abouts are you, op?

I'm in SW London, it is a pretty affluent area so the other mums are unlikely to be bothered about earning cash like this. Childminders are thin on the ground to say the least (all nannies, au pairs and SAHM). Sigh.

Any more thoughts, please keep them coming because I appreciate all ideas! Really really don't know what to do.

Try childcare.co.uk you may be lucky and find a babysitter or a young person who would do it before college or something. Childminders will do this too if you're lucky to find one with a space.

Put an ad on Gumtree. Really, you'd be very surprised at how many people are out there looking for bits of work here and there. Particularly students. In London you'd be amazed at how many responses you get. Give it a try.

You might well find someone - for instance my cleaner works for herself, and sometimes comes round to look after ds in the mornings as she doesn't usually start till 9.30.
Pop a card up in the local shops

Ask someone if you can share their nanny a couple of mornings a week.

As long as they're over 5 (ie. not impinging on preschooler numbers) most childminders seem to do a school run service round here and since lots of their clients will work 3/4 days a week, I would have thought you'd be able to find someone

A nanny may do it if the family don't mind, ask around at the school.

I would ask your friends. I looked after my friend's 2 children (age 2 and 8) every morning from 7.30am and took them to school/nursery for her.

It was too much for me and I ended up having to give it up. This was mainly because a) it was 2 drop offs and b) 7.30 is bloody early and I hadn't even got my children dressed and fed and c) 5 days a week was just too often.

Your situation is different as it is far less time, only 1 drop off and my advice would be to find 5 different friends so it is only 1 day a week for each of them. If one can't do it one day because of illness or something then you can call on one of the other 4.

I think that is your only bet.

BTW - when I gave it up, she asked a teenager down the road to come to her house for an hour in the mornings. She paid the teenager £8 per hour. He walked the older child to school and then the younger one to nursery which happened to be opposite the secondary school.

Why did you accept a job that you couldn't find childcare for?

Thanks all I will try out sone of those options ( there really are no CMs round here!)

Re why take the job because erm I need a job. Though I guess I could stick on benefits until ds is old enough to get himself to school .
(oh and breakfast club issue was supposed to be sorted but hasn't been; my industry starts pre 9am for most jobs)

I do think it is worth asking your friends because if people are taking their own kids to school anyway then it is really no bother (providing your DS behaves well in their house prior to leaving for school).

My mum takes my kids to school in the mornings and has ended up also taking the 3 kids of a family 2 doors down from her as well. The mother of those kids thinks nothing of depositing them wherever she can and my mum's view is "well it's better than her leaving them home alone" (which she otherwise does) so she has them. She doesn't mind as she has my children there anyway.

So, I think probably your friends will be more willing to help than you expect - at least it's worth a try!

I would have happily done this as a student. Would also do it now, anything for a bit of extra cash at the mo but I'm in w4 so too far anyway. Imperial college students? Foreign mature students?