I'm not based in the UK and finding childcare where I live is notoriously difficult. I have been on a waiting list for a place in several nurseries for over a year now for a place for next year but nothing has come up.
I'm not actually working at the moment (nor on maternity leave) but I am looking for a part time job to start when my DD is 1, which will be in March. The trouble is, to get a job, I need my daughter to have some kind of childcare set up, so I can least attend interviews. I have no family nearby to help with occasional babysitting.
I have a friend who is going back to work in January and has hired a full time nanny to look after her 5 month old DD. It's quite expensive so she asked me if I could be interested in nanny sharing with her. I said that I could be interested but to begin with for only 2 days a week while I job search. The nanny she has found used to work in London as an au pair but she has no formal qualifications as a child minder. Apparently she's great with children (from references) and is happy to look after several babies at once. My friend is now advertising for a second baby to be looked after full time with hers, as well as my DD 2 days a week, so she can reduce her childcare costs as much as possible.
I am going to meet the nanny tomorrow but I already feel uneasy about this situation. I think looking after 2 or 3 under 1s all day will be hard work for anyone, especially someone who doesn't have experience of working in a crèche; she's only worked as an au pair. What happens if one of them hurts themselves? Also, the babies will be looked after at my friend's house, which will be child friendly; but I think that a crèche must be better equipped for when there are several babies at a time?
I don't know whether I'm being PFB or sensible. My friend has told me how amazing the nanny will be and that she feels more than happy to leave her baby with her. I've tried talking to my DH but he's no use, he just says 'do what you think is best'… 