Do you think its possible to find child care for just one hour a day?

[BrightnessFalls]

Or, is an au pair the way forward?

My younger sister lives 200 miles away from us. She has just started her dream job but doesnt get home until 7pm. Her dd is at a fab childminder who cannot under any circumstances take the baby after 6pm. So, she is stuck as there is a window 6-7 pm where she needs someone to look after the baby.

What do you all think, should she start looking for a more live in arrangement? her dh isnt keen on this idea but, hes not willing to leave work earlier to look after the baby either

I feel for your sister. Mine was half an hour! The local childminders won't start before 7am, I have to leave at 6.30am, no option to change work times without massive issues.
After a year of trying all possible solutions, and everything failing - I went for the au pair. I honestly have never looked back and wish I'd got one sooner.

A nanny would work until 7pm, but obviously very expensive. An au pair would be a good solution if they need other stuff done as well, but would mean someone living in. The other option is a teenager/student who wants to earn a bit of extra money, although you may struggle with reliability/finding someone to stay long term.

I would say look for another childminder. Why did she choose somebody who can't do the hours she needs?
Live in ... just depends how you feel this would work for you. I know for a fact I cannot have another adult living in my home. I just like having my own space and privacy.

Its so hard for her. She's only young, I dont think she realised how unsupportive his side of the family would be when you moved all the way from her own family. Its her little bit of independance. The trouble is, shes outside a major city. She had two people enquiring but the ten pound for an hour wouldnt cover their bus fares to get from the city to her small town.

How do you go about getting an aupair?

Her childminder picks him up in her car at 730 am and drops him off at 6pm, she is wonderful. She has three children of her own and she really needs to be with them from 6pm. She has dd enough already.

The CM came before this new job.

How old is the baby? I ask because a friend of my dd's looks after a toddler every day for somebody who had the same problem- she collects him from the child minder, takes him home and plays with him til his mum gets home 45 minutes later. It works really well - but you need to be lucky enough to have a child minder and a suitable 16 year old both in easy walking distance of your house!

Why won't the DH change his hours? Is it not possible or is he being selfish?

Selfish. Totally. He says its because he's self employed and needs to be there. Thats the thing, if she has to give her much longed for job up, her independence will go as well.

She's lucky as the childminder actually drops him off at their house at 6pm it just needs to be someone there for that hour whilst she is commuting home.

Honestly, it sounds like a perfect job for a teenager. Particularly now oi know that he gets delivered home.

How do you find a teenager, the neighbours dont have children? Its a village outside Glasgow.

Are there any local colleges / unis that do childcare courses? A student on this sort of course would probably benefit not only from the money but the added childcare experience it would offer?

Im not sure as she is outside the city. Thats another thing, trying to find someone when you are working!! glad its not me. Its the only downfall to moving away from your own family.

Ive told her to google the local college and, as for an aupair, I dont think any of us know where to start!

Her 'D'H sounds horrible and if this was my sister I'd be v protectively wanting her to ditch him and come back to her family. That doesn't help with childcare, sorry. But if he won't be flexible for the sake of his wife and child I imagine he will cheerfully sabotage whatever childcare she does arrange. Sorry for most useless post ever! I do hope it works out for her.

I know, that could be a whole other thread. Financially very generous but, they are from different worlds in some ways. He didnt start out like that but he has since become self employed and has very much become the "man" of the house.

What about advertising locally for a sort of Mother's Help? Someone who they could ask to come to the house around 4.30, prep dinner, have a little tidy round then be there for childcare from 6pm til 7?

What village does she stay in? I live just outside Glasgow and if it was mine I could think of a few local teenagers maybe.

How old is little one?
If over 2 I would look on au pair world for an au pair with experience ( many from Poland/ Romania etc are fully qualified nurses/ teachers in own country and want a year or so in England to learn English before they progress further)

They could maybe reduce hours at childminders if possible, and get an au pair to drop at childminders at say 9 am and pick up at 5pm. They could cook evening meal before say 4-5. So would work say hour and half am, and 3 hrs pm per day, oer week would equal almost max hours they should be doing, and they could go to English classes during the day.

They would also have the option of paying extra if childminder is closed or child is sick and they will look after at home for them.

Would pay top au pair rate £100 a week to avoid tax and pay travel pass to appeal to the better candidates . English classes too. The savings from few hours less at childminders should almost equal this.

16 months. Do you know of any good agencies in Glasgow?

I stay in a village outside Glasgow if you want to PM me the area I may be able to help

I can't pm as I don't know how to do it on my phone. She said public transport is really expensive in Glasgow so it needs to be someone that can get to Cumbernauld.

Not Glasgow in particular but au pair world will allow you to look at candidates across the world and their profiles

Its very difficult to find someone that is reliable. It would be a great job for a sensible teenager.

How about Sitters, the agency, they vet and check all their sitters, and lots of them are childminders and nannies.

www.sitters.co.uk/city/Glasgow.aspx

I'm also in the Glasgow area if you want to pm me I will see if I can help if you let me know a more specific area.

If she wants to try an agency then she could try calling Jacqui and Esme at Glasgow Childcare Solutions on 0141 946 6745, they are parents and have nannied before and are the best I have dealt with.

2nd I'd try A&H on 0141 8892885. Tinies are now operating in Glasgow and their name means they have plenty jobs on the books but are proving to be unpopular with nannies.