WWYD / too old for a nanny?

[whereiscaroline]

I've been approached about 2 new jobs. Each are some distance from my home so would mean I wouldn't be getting home until 6.30-7pm, even if I left the office at 5pm sharp. I have one son, who will be 10 in June.

His school run an after-school club, but this finishes at 6pm so would be unsuitable.

Would a part-time nanny from 3.30pm-7pm seem to be our best option?

Also, when is a child too old for a nanny? Would this arrangement be suitable to be continued through my son's early teens?

No experience of a nanny in the past, so all advice gratefully welcomed.

How about after school club and then pay a childminder or babysitter for the last hour, assuming he can't walk home from school and wait for you at that time (which I have to admit I wouldn't be keen on in the dark if it was any distance).

I think a nanny but perhaps worded as something else (if it would bother your DS) is a good solution. I doubt a childminder is going to be flexible enough to do an additional school run at that time.

I hadn't thought of that, thank you. I'm not sure how many childminders (who in my area all seem to want to be finished by 5.30 6pm!) will be happy to take him for just one hour. Worth a shot though, especially if I offered a nanny's wage for that time.

I know that there's a certain stigma about childminders amongst children once they begin secondary school though!

Thisrabbitthatrabbit, I suspect the same re childminders but perhaps worth a shot.

I'm at home at the minute so think a nanny would probably be the option with the least disruption to DS's existing routine, but open to other ideas which I may not have considered.

I have DC of 8 & nearly 10. We have a local uni student who picks them up 4 days/week and looks after them (in our case) 3:30 - 6:30pm. You could look at options like this - I don't think they need a qualified nanny at this age.

Never quite sure what to call our looker-after person though. Babysitter sounds wrong, but childminder / nanny too formal and imply specific qualifications etc...

Housekeeper who will also collect from school and give him tea, ferry him around? It means he'll be able to continue extracurricular stuff and have friends round.

What about an au pair?

Should say - au-pair could also be a potential option. Would be more/less attractive depending on how much space you have and what area of country. Au-pair would have bonus of likely being able to cover some school holidays & sick days, adding in some housework etc. (We had au-pairs until about 6 months ago)

X-post :-)

We had a housekeeper who did childcare sometimes (but not all day every day), cleaning and things like making beds, putting washing on, putting supper in Aga, supervising tradesmen etc. We're still in touch with her despite having moved a long way from where she lives. She was brilliant and all the children have very fond memories of her.

Au pair?

(multiple cross post, sorry :) )

We had an after school nanny at that age and DC were fine with it. She was young (19, over from Australia for a couple of years). She was in some ways more like a big sister. They really missed her when she left. Our previous nanny had been with us since they were little and although they adored her, they definitely preferred someone more big sister like when they got older.

Once he has been at senior school a term or two you/he may well decide he would be fine on his own - they become independent very quickly.

Have you thought about school hols?

Thank you. I had thought of an au pair but firstly I don't think we have enough space at home (small-ish mid-terrace with only spare room a box room), and secondly the thought of having to spend time "re-recruiting" every year or so fills me with dread!

A housekeeper with childcare duties could be another avenue to explore, thank you. Would a housekeeper usually work for 16 hours a week though? (Excuse my naïvety!)

Unless your ds has speacial needs why would he need a nanny in his Walgreens?

Whyohwine my goodness I hadn't even considered school holidays!

andnowitsseven In his Walgreens?

Early teens

Oh!

Perhaps he won't need a nanny come early teens, it's just 4 hours seemed a very long time to be alone after school, even for a teenager.

I rang the local high school and asked them if any of the sixth formers (first year) wanted the job - they had to pick up from school, walk home, cook tea and do homework. It worked out really well.

ImperialBlether, another idea, thank you. How much did you pay them, out of curiosity? Also, (how) did you "vet" them?

I'm trying to remember what she worked - must have been around 12 hours a week, I think. She was generally very happy to do more hours particularly after she became 'part of the family'. She took great pride in organising us and 'sorting things out' and confessed to pretending it was her house and family sometimes. She looked after the older three when twins were born too. I trusted her totally and simply would not have coped in the twins early days without her. We just sort of worked together almost as friends rather than employer and employee. Her children had flown the nest so it filled a need for both of us.

I wanted a girl (it was a mixed school.) I wanted someone who was starting sixth form, so we got two years' employment. I spoke to the head of sixth form and she recommended two girls immediately - said they were taking a health and social care qualification, helped out at all school events, never had a detention or anything like that and wanted to be primary teachers, so wanted to work with young children. They weren't working anywhere else, either.

So they both came along and said they lived in the same road (I had to drive them home, which was the only disadvantage) and asked whether they could do it together for the same pay. I paid them the NMW for an adult, though they were only 16 at the start. That meant if they worked alone (which sometimes they had to) they earned more than they would in Tesco, but if they worked together they weren't too badly off. They had tea with the children, too - I wanted that. They were great, especially with their homework, and it meant when I came home everything was done (apart from the lift.)

Can he go to afterschool club then walk home after, or is school too far to walk/bike?

Part time nanny. Poss a nwoc if your 10yr could cope

Or a student /6th former doing childcare

Holidays then look into holiday clubs. Barracuda etc or temp nanny