Need very occasional days..

[CharlesRyder]

Until recently we have had comprehensive CM/ pre-school cover but DH and I have changed arrangements so we now mostly manage to do all our childcare between us. However, there are very occasional days we can't cover (maybe 8 days a year).

We have no family close enough to help out and I don't want to impose on friends this often or to our 'schedule'.

Is there any sort of childcare that would be this flexible? It would be full days so I guess a babysitter is out? The days will almost all be INSET days directly before terms start or just before the end of state school terms so holiday clubs are unlikely to be in action.

DS is 4 and in Reception.

Any ideas gratefully received!

Yes, I did well! I work in a niche that is very hard to recruit for so I have had quite a bit of luck in calling the shots over hours since I had DS!

TBH, if it's your thing, working in the Independent sector is great. We also live in a beautiful big house all paid for by the school. I'm glad DH does it so I don't have to though mind you I would enjoy sweeping about in an academic gown pretending to be Snape.

Wow :) I'm not deputy head material any more though sadly. More p/t 6th form. I did look at a live in job at a girl's school pre kids/husband ...so have kept flirting with the idea over the years!

Good luck with the childcare :)

My DH also works in an Independent school and we use 6th formers a lot to babysit and cover those odd days at the start/end of term when he is in but the children are not. Would something like that work for you?

Umm, interesting thought Imperial. DH's school is all boys and very much full boarding, but I know there are a few children of staff who are local. I will ask DH what he thinks about that. He has seen his 6th formers trying to be responsible for their own socks though, so I'm not sure he'd trust them with our son!

Obviously weed out the ones with poor personal hygiene but one of our children's favourite sitters is a 17 year old boy. From what I can gather he spends the entire duration he is here giving them piggy back rides around the living room and letting them lather chocolate spread on toast as thickly as they like. In their eyes that makes him a God and the one time there was a minor emergency (projectile vomit - probably as a result of the piggy back rides and chocolate spread) he was brilliant. I'm sure you'll find someone - boarding school communities are usually pretty good at that kind of thing. Cleaner? Maintenance man's wife/teenage daughter etc.

suppose your local childminder had lots of term time only kids. your child would be a welcome addition to that cm being able to get someone in for that unused slot.

you dont know if you dont ask

I have a booking with sitters.co.uk for the next occasion which is only a couple of hours so thanks for that tip karoleann.

Great - glad it worked out.