Chilminder, Nanny or Au pair???

[JaimeT]

Hi everyone, I'm fairly new on here and looking for advice. I work quite unsociable hours and as a single parent need reliable childcare after school for DD. She starts reception in September.

I quite often have to unexpectedly stay late at work, so they need to be flexible but affordable too :(

Is anyone in a similar situation or have some advice????

Lots of childcarers are flexible but depends how late and how often - and how much notice - otherwise means they can never have a life / plan stuff

I would prob say an ap who can guarantee working till 7pm and then if a lot later then look at a few nannies who babysit for extra money and have a rota - so if you need to work late call them and hope one is free - or see if ap wants to earn extra money

If the child is at school all day & you need late flexibility if definitely go for an ap and you might want to use occasional holiday clubs or agree overtime in school holidays.

Consider if you want someone living at your home.
What happens during school holidays?
What is there in your area - could you find a childminder who would pick up from the school?
What time is late - 6pm, 8pm, midnight?

Live-out care at your home will be quite expensive.
Live-in care is lower in terms of amount you pay but you have to provide lots, such as food, a room, sharing a house with someone.

I don't have space for a live in ap unfortunately. Late is about 8.30, although if I'm kept late with an emergency it can get to 9 or 10pm!!

I think my best bet is a childminder, but to find one who will be flexible enough is another story and fit within my tiny budget as well.

Many cm finish work 6/7 as then have own kids to look after and put to bed

Plus cm work in their houses and you won't want your child of 5/6yrs to sleep at the cm and then you wake/move to yours

Plus again many cm won't do this

If you don't have the space for a live in then a live out nanny is your only choice and will cost - esp if you possibly want someone to stay to maybe 10pm

You'd be better with someone in your home. Most children are really tired when they start school and if you DD is having to stay up til 10 on a school night on a regular basis she's going to be constantly exhausted and crabby.

That said you'd struggle getting someone who could always stay late at short notice, but that will be a problem with any childcare.

What do you do for childcare at the moment? You must have similar problems currently.

I'd look into an after school nanny. It might cost less than you think. I have similar situation (not single parent but dh works away so need to organise childcare with no help). We have had 2 TAs work for us. They can be flexible and are often available in holidays too

An after school nanny is fine and tbh easy to find if they finish 6.30/7

The problem will be the short notice /staying late

Nannies obv stay if parents delayed /late back coz of work /trains etc no choice - we are not going to leave kids home alone but if you possibly need someone till 8.30/9/10 at short notice that will cause a problem

I'm a childminder and there is no way I would work until that late I'm afraid. I start at 7am so that would be a 14 hour day (not including set up, clean down) I have my own DD to take care of too so it just wouldn't work for me. This is the same for all the childminders I kow.

I think you need a nanny to be honest.

What if the childcarer has evening plans? Could you get home if they couldn't stay? I wouldn't be prepared to work so late and change plans so last minute so would want paying until 10pm regardless.

And tiny budget implies you wouldn't be prepared to pay for flexibility but expect it all the same.

Can you change your hours of work? Finding childcare for afternoon/early evening will be hard enough without making that extend at a moments notice until 10pm. Does your employer offer parents with young children a choice as to what shifts they work? They may not but it may be worth asking if you could do day shift rather than evening.

I'm a vet nurse, so changing shifts is not an option. At the moment she's in a nursery around the corner from work until 6 and then a childminder when I work late. When emergencies come in late I literally run out and grab her and take her back to work with me. Unfortunately I won't work close enough to her new school to do that.

I've had a look around and there seem to be a few childminders who do over night care and advertise to be flexible. My current childcare costs about a grand a month and obviously I can afford that but would LOVE it to decrease when she starts school.

Jamie I am a vet as a single parent the only option that works with our unpredictable hours is a live in AP and an older more mature one at that.

Definitely an au pair - you can keep your home routine.

Just thought I should update this thread. DD is in before and after school club and has both a nanny and babysitter who cover all our odd hours, they are both lovely and highly recommended and referenced. So if any one does come across this thread, childcare can be found to fit almost any situation and budget

Hi, there - you'd probably consider this too informal - but when I was a student, I provided this sort of care to a single mother and her three children. Picked up the children from school, fed them and oversaw their homework, and stayed until mother returned. Really appreciated the extra cash, and the timing didn't interfere with college work

Are there staff at her current nursery who could pick her up from her regular after school care/take over from a nanny? Presume you get a rota a bit in advance?