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Paid childcare

Discuss everything related to paid childcare here, including childminders, nannies, nurseries and au pairs.

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Original poster

Are after school nannies like gold dust?

13 replies

ratsintheattic · 24/03/2015 00:29

I'm considering returning to full time work (currently part time). The best childcare solution would be an after school nanny but would this be difficult to achieve?

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Jinxxx · 24/03/2015 12:58

Yes, around here (commuter belt) demand definitely outstrips supply, for obvious reasons - anyone who needs a full time salary isn't going to be interested in a part time job, especially with hours that are going to be unattractive to most parents. Could you possibly nanny share to make pay more attractive, or use a nanny with own child (NWOC), after school club or childminder?

Yerazig · 24/03/2015 13:15

For obvious reasons not many people can survive on 3hrs a day pay. Could you up hours by asking them to clean (for those interested) would it be full time in holidays in that case you could even out the pay and offer an annual salary. So during term time they would be getting more money then the hours actually worked but then would even out if the person is working full time in the holidays.

Karoleann · 25/03/2015 09:24

We struggled when we moved out of London, there's just fewer people available to work part-time hours and less students.
Most of the after-school nannies are NWOC or people who work at a pre-school in the morning.
We ended up with an au pair, which has worked out really well.

crymeariverwoo · 26/03/2015 09:32

Yes they are like gold dust :D I am an after school nanny and at first it was great but after several months I had to find another job during the day. .. It's still not even that great but works out okay because I work overtime when the parents travel. I won't be sticking with it forever.

CheeseGrater · 26/03/2015 09:42

Au pair?

Glastokitty · 26/03/2015 09:47

I hired a lady in her 60s to do this, she turned into another granny and was like family to us for years until we moved. We are still in touch. We weren't in the UK though so don't know how possible this would be for you.

AugustaGloop · 26/03/2015 09:51

I am central London and found it fairly easy, but think it is fair to say you will tend to get younger nannies, maybe just arrived in London who want to have some local experience on their CV and might leave once they have done so to get something with longer hours (more pay).

Our last nanny was 21 and from Oz. DC were 8 and 9 when she arrived. Would not have gone with someone so inexperienced when they were younger but fine at their age. She was really lovely. She was our third nanny (one for 3 years then one for 5) and she was definitely the girls' favourite.

Actually she was not strictly after school, she was after school in term time and full time in holidays. We paid her a blended rate. It suited her quite well as it gave her some time for sightseeing, socialising etc.

She left after 18 months to go travelling but had a couple of friends newly arrived form Oz who were keen to take over. As it happened, her departure coincided with a change in DH's work situation so we did not need another.

OutragedFromLeeds · 26/03/2015 10:39

Yes. After-school nannies are difficult to find.

A lot of people use students, older people, a neighbour, a mum from school or go down the au pair route.

I know a couple of people who have afterschool nannies, but they pay over the odds and use either a NWOC or a nanny-share.

The other people I know with school age children and a nanny pay for full-time care even though they only need before/after school and holidays.

Original poster

ratsintheattic · 28/03/2015 11:13

Thanks all. We're in Oxford so plenty of students. Au pair is possible as kids are 11 and 8 but DH not keen on the live in aspect of that.

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ProudAS · 30/03/2015 22:30

What about a student?

mandy214 · 30/03/2015 22:41

We have one for 2 days a week but she is a student teacher (previously a nursery nurse) and she had short days at uni 2 days a week so suits her. We have to work around her placements though (when she has to be in a school full time so can't help us) so we use an after school club then. We don't use her in the hols. I love her - officially, she is such a help.

I think they are like gold dust - friends have struggled to find after school nannies and then retain them (succumb to offer of more hours elsewhere). I think generally, unless you can tap into the student market or someone with a particular reason why 3 hours a day suits them, you might end up having to tacking on hours for cleaning / using her in the holidays.

Parietal · 30/03/2015 22:50

yes, definitely. we have ours for 3pm-7pm 3 days per week, because it gives her more hours in a concentrated time and so (we hope) she will stick with the job. she has another job on the other 2 days, and DH or I have to leave work early to pick up children.

aFirmGrip · 04/04/2015 20:37

Oxford students aren't allowed to have jobs in term-time, at least that was the rule in my day.

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