does this exist?

[swallowedAfly]

i would like to find someone who would pick up my son from the school (close to my home), bring him home and mind him whilst also preparing a meal and maybe doing a spot of ironing sometimes.

ds is nearly 6 and very independent and easy going so the multi tasking wouldn't be a problem.

in my colourful imagination a young student or a retired person would be ideal. it would only be twice a week for a couple of hours so obviously needs to be someone just looking for an income top up really.

do you think it's realistic to find someone to do this and how much do you think it should pay?

i'm far from rolling in money but am a single mum who has recently gone back to work and i'm shattered from trying to rush around like a loony doing my hours over 5 days to fit with school times and would rather switch to doing them over 4 days for which i'd need a bit of childcare and it would be great if i could get a bit of light domestic work done at the same time and ds was in his own home. i realise it would be more expensive than a childminder having him but would be worth it if i came home to peaceful atmosphere and dinner cooking twice a week.

any thoughts gratefully received

Advertise for a mothers help

yes,definately! try childcare.uk - i think you could definately find someone. i did something like this before registering as a childminder when my ds1 was a baby - if you were open to someone with their own child you might find a mum from your ds school or a local mum with a baby/toddler who would like a bit of extra money.... maybe an older person/grandparent also.

it would depend on your area i think but I would expect around £10 an hour for London for a role like this (possibly less?? unsure tbh) so maybe £40 a week max for 4 hours.

i am out of london - to put prices into context maybe a cm here charges upto 4ph and that includes school pick up at no extra cost. so i think 10 would be a bit high?

In London I pay a babysitter £9 an hour to watch tele and eat snacks. I would imagine £10 would be about right to include light housework.

I think £9 - 10 sounds about right. Childminders have other children too so would earn more per hour. I think you have to factor in the ironing and cooking as well as awkward hours.

a cleaner gets 6-7ph here so i was thinking £8.50ph was pretty generous

Well, advertise according to what you can afford and see who you get. There may be a lovely person out there for whom this is just what they are looking for...

Try a newsagent card or the library if you are looking for a retired person.

my mum did this, sort of. She rang the local 6th form college & got various 6th formers through that. They tended to last a year, we must have had 5 or 6 over the years. They didn't do any cooking/cleaning though, but they picked us up from school & looked after us till mum got home. A 6th former with sufficient nous could do light cooking I would have thought but I think cleaning would be out in that scenario.

i wouldn't expect cleaning as such just maybe one chore each time they were here - eg. do the washing up i didn't get time to do and wipe down the sides in the kitchen or iron a few bits of school uniform or something.

I think you may struggle to find someone due to the timing, very short hours and the fact that what you are after isn't a normal role. A babysitter would look after your son but not expect to have to do chores, plus this is too early for most people with either a job or study to be available, and they would normally do several hours together which helps to justify any travel time. A cleaner would sort out your chores but most would expect to have a key and do it when they could fit you in - not be tied to your timetable or have additional childcare responsibilities. I think you have to expect to pay a premium to attract people if your requirements are awkward or unusual.

i dunno - i think for a local student (with whom i could work out which days worked for us around their/my timetable) or a retired person would be fine and not need premium rate. i basically did this job when i was a student - picked the kids up, took them home, cooked them dinner and did their homework with them and maybe tidied the kitchen and loaded the dishwasher or hung out the washing or some such. i loved my job and it was ideal for me then.

so you are basically answering your own question then??

you may find someone but i think you need to be prepared to pay the going rate tbh. no one does something for nothing these days!!

who said anything about nothing? what i was thinking of paying is above the going rate here where most cleaners would get £6ph - if they land well more than that. your average student job would pay minimum wage and nursery workers that or not much more.

i appreciate that may sound cheap if you live in london but i've made clear i don't if you actually read the face rather than just pull faces