Starting nanny search again: shameless plea for sympathy

[Bink]

It's sleepless night time again.
Our current nanny is just coming up to eighteen months with us, but has had enough of London (not enough of us, thank goodness - she's already planning when the children will go to stay with her) and has sold up & moved to the country. So come late August/early September we need someone new - clever and lively and full of initiative and ready to be around for a while, you know, the usual dream.

I've done a gumtree ad, and got a pretty good response (38 replies - but only four or five really look worth pursuing). So, have any particular agencies done a specially good job for anyone recently?

Waves of sympathy from here Bink. Awful isn't it. I think we've just persuaded our nanny to stay on for a second year - hoooooray!

We've only done Gumtree ourselves, but always had great results. As you know, our current nanny is not a 'career nanny' but a New Zealand teacher disenchanted by supply teaching in London (we found her through the Primary Teaching section of Gumtree). Do you think it might be worth thinking about different sorts of candidates - teachers, somebody trying to complete a Phd or write a novel? The non-nanny nanny might actually fit better with the stage that your children are at.

SimplyChildcare?

Waves of sympathy from me too. Sorry, I can't remember. How old are your kids? I tend to prefer the non-nanny nannies. I think x-teachers are usually very good. I've even had an x-veterinarian. She didn't have any proper nanny experience but had 2 grown kids of her own so I figured she knew what she was doing.

I usually use nannyjob.co.uk and that has worked for me. I would touch an agency with a 10 foot pole.

Lots of sympathy from me. I am a relatively new poster, but with a full time job in the city as a fund manager, a husband with an even fuller time job (and who is away two days a week) I really rely on my nanny (I have one DS 13 months although hope for another despite my advanced age - 38). We actually used Eden Nannies and found a lovely girl although next time (hope there isn't a next time but inevitably there will) I think I will use Gumtree.Didn't have a clue what I wanted then but have a much clearer idea now.

I have a funny image of uwila fiercely poking an agency with a telegraph pole (I know what you meant to say!)

Offspring now 7 and 5andthreequarters. Teacher escaping from supply teaching would be brilliant. And I think might quite enjoy how very very keen they are (instead of thinking them a bit peculiar, as has been known ...) I wonder if I were to put my same ad in the teaching bit of gumtree I would reach more of that sort of person? - as it is we've had quite a few eastern European primary-teacher applicants. So maybe the same people look at both? .. don't know. Witter. Worry.

jura, thanks for the KiwiOz tip - such a good website, actually describes for you the nannies they have on their books. Will call them, and their salary guide does not look too scary. Gina seems very Wimbledon-centric ... we are unsalubrious Bayswater.

Yep, will see you, very distantly I think, at RAH.

When we put our nanny ad up on the Primary Teaching section of Gumtree, we got only three responses, but two of them were excellent. So I don't think it's the same group of people who are looking there. For £18 (as it was then) it seemed worth a shot and I'd do it again. I can email you our ad if you're interested.

Hiya Bink, HOw are you? Are you still looking for a nanny? I'm available from 16th August. Looking for a long term position and preferably live-in. Hope we can help each other.
Kind regards,
Nanny Star

Thank you, NannyStar, and I'm sorry - I missed your message. We have found someone, I'm afraid - but as our position is live-out, it wouldn't have been your preference I guess. All the best with finding something - there do seem to be quite a lot of live-in jobs around (much more than live-out).

(jura, I owe you a drink ... KiwiOz came up trumps. And, same as before, agency candidates just that bit better, all round, than gumtree.)