Help! How does someone with only very occasional freelance work get childcare?

[lucymc]

Before having my DS 21 mths, I worked as a freelance standby prop in TV. I've just been offered a 3 week film, but have had to turn it down as I have no idea how to find someone willing to cover filming hours, 6.30/7am till 8pm, who is also happy to only work for three weeks. Is anyone in a similar situation? What do you do?

Do you know anyone with a nanny who might be able to share on an ad hoc basis?

I'd try to build up a local network of options (nannies and childminders) ... but I think this would be hard to manage for a child as young as yours - I suspect most people in your position rely on family for help, tbh.

When your DS is school aged, you might well be able to fit him in with someone else's au pair or nanny, or do swaps with a friend.

Ask around locally. I have two school aged cildren who are collected by my in-laws 3 days a week. They are not in great health and I worried that there would be days when they couldn't collect them so I got chatting to a childminder at the school gates and she was incredible flexible - said I could ring her any morning and see if she had a space for them that afternoon/evening. There is obviously the chance that she wouldn't but this would be a bit different in your case as you would know in advance and the exact dates. I haven't had to use the childminder yet but it's reassuring knowing there is a back up.

sadly no. I went on nannyshare .co.uk this morning and they had no one in a 10k radius of me.
I moved quite late in my pregnancy and didn't join my local nct, It would have helped if I had, then I might have built up a closer network of friends.

Is it worth enrolling your ds for a couple of sessions in nursery at the moment? Then if you are offered work you might have more flexibility by increasing his sessions for a short period and he will already be familiar with the people.

hi

i have a similar issue as i am a doula, and cannot pay for full time nursery on the off chance i am working

i met a childminder at a mums and tots group, that i was running for the NCT, and she has agreed to have DD on an ad hoc basis, with the CM being on call , when i am on call.....

try getting in touch with local childminders in your area to see if someone is willing to do the same?

I did ask my mum, but she is not in the best of health and also lives in belgium, she felt it would be to hard for her. I think I'll just have to get chatting to people, and maybe see if anyone interested before I'm offered work again.

Message withdrawn

nursery is a good option as once you get to know them, you could ask one of the nursery girls to take him home, bath, bed etc. that way he is in familiar settings without you there.
They are always willing to earn some extra money by babysitting and are happy to take them home if you arrange car seats etc.

Where are you based? I may be able to help you

Careful with the nursery though. Many of them will charge you an arm and a leg for the priviledge of using their staff as babysitter/carers.

Amida, do you use a nursery? Do they allow this without a charge?

Hi,

I do emergency and temp nanny cover.

I was a nanny for 10yrs and now have two of my own children (am also a reg childminder so can have children at my home). I don't want to work full time and commit 52 weeks a year as I want to travel and be available for school holidays etc but I take children short term or in an emergency to make a bit of pocket money.

So there are people out there who will do it.

I usually charge around £6ph or a daily fee of its a long day..that includes everything, outings food etc

where are you based, maybe place an add on here.

Jen

JennaJ, just curious where you are?

I am a childminder and I also provide ad hoc/emergency care/temporary cover (when spaces permit). I have a few parents who come to me when grandparents are away/have to work outside nursery hours/have meetings etc.
I think you could probably find a childminder in your area who would do the same, afterall there are always lots of childminders on here who are looking for work.

Have you talked to the local nanny agencies in your area (not the national ones, but the really local ones). I found 3 nannies that way who only wanted temporary contracts. They had been nannies for ages and didn't want to go through the whole growing up with the family again, but instead did a variety of short stints (from a day or two to covering school hols) with a variety of familes (and ages of children).

Agree it is worth getting in touch with some local childminders to see what might be possible.

I also had the dcs in nursery for one day a week in order to get extra care as needed. It works to a certain extent, but I'm not terribly keen on nursery care (neither are the dcs).

I also could work from home so in extreme circumstances had students sitting for me whilst I was in the house too. But then I have also had overseas trips etc and have managed (with lengthy notes to nannies and dh!)

Can your dh/dp help out at all with mornings/evenings?

Whereabouts are you - someone may be able to suggest a local solution?

I do ad hoc care too!

Am doing it this week as the nanny is on holiday!

yes i do use a nursery
they have no problem with us using the girls as babysitters - infact they let them put up notices with their numbers.

i guess it would be different if it was instead of nursery, not out of hours.

try these?

You could contact some local childminders. Some don't work to their full capacity, by choice, so may be able to accommodate you. There may also be others who could help just for this one occasion.

I am based in walton on thames in surrey. The filming work was offered to me on Monday afternoon and they wanted an answer today so I had to turn it down, but I will certainly contact local nanny agencies and childminders so I can get someone standing by for next time. Ta

Have you tried www.emergencycare.co.uk ??

Supposed to be good. Big companies like Tesco and IBM staff use them all over the country.

Eleusis- Im in Ealing W13

Lucymc- Walton isn't really that far from here...depends where you are filming whether you come in this direction to work?

Jenna

Lucy - this is the big question for anyone doing freelance work!! Often you'll end up having to commit to some sort of ongoing arrangement (say 1 day a week at a nursery or childminder) so you can have the flexibility of extra time if/when you need it. I've been lucky with two great nurseries over the past four years - have booked my DD1 in for a couple of sessions a week and then upped it (to full time if necessary) when I've needed to. Luckily my DH works regular hours so he can drop off at 8 and collect at 6 if need be.

Jenna J, the film was working out of Shepperton Studio, but if anything ever come up at Ealing I know who to contact. Thanks.

I am a childminder and I have, in the passed looked after a LO for odd days, a week here or there etc. You may have a childminder in your area who isnt full on a fulltime basis and doesnt want anyone full time and is happy to have your LO when needed.