What do you do in between au pairs?

[Echobelly]

Or do you always find someone in time?

I find having au pairs great, but finding a new one a bit stressful and often there's a bit of a gap between them and I spend a week or so stressfully juggling kids and working from home. AP has just decided to re-enroll in college (and TBH, I was looking at getting a new AP already as she was proving not quite up to it after 3 months) so I'm looking at probably this situation again.

I did have a lady working at the school who could do pick up a lot of the time, but she's moved away now. My mum's not well, especially at the moment, so I can't ask her. Has anyone used something like sitters.co.uk for after school care? Looks like it should be possible and it seems a potentially good way to get to know someone local who could be a backstop in future.

Other parents at school always seem to find someone straightaway, I don't know if we're being too fussy or something, or if I'm just the only mum whose partner gets involved with it, which always feels like the complicating factor.

I try to plan ahead as much as possible as I rely on APs, being a single parent. If you know your current one is leaving, you can try looking on FB for au pairs already in the UK or posting urgently on aupairworld with the dates you need them to start.

I already have someone scheduled to start in July, when my current AP leaves but have on previous occasions managed to find someone within 4 days.

Depending on the time of year and age of kids, you might be able to find an older teenager/student locally who could do afterschool for a few weeks?

Are you being particularly fussy, or looking for something specific? Why do you think it is taking a while to find someone?

Your partner should also be shouldering the burden of childcare between APs. Working from home, flexibly, organising cover.

They should be doing that anyway, but it may also help focus the mind on the essentials.

It's a bit tricky for OH as he is a contractor paid by the day, so he has less flexibility than me. He will help with the mornings by dropping off, for example.

It's not that we're fussy,but 2 weeks notice doesn't leave you much time to find someone who is available and once you do they may not be able to come straight away for one reason or another. I'm pretty easy, but DH has stronger feelings about whether he can get on with someone or not. He wasn't a big fan of our second au pair and I found that a little oppressive, so we'll all be much happier if he can approve them.

I'm on various FB groups, but they're 99% people looking, you hardly ever see au pairs available on them. Still, might be worth an ask if you find someone who wants to move families ASAP

Even if OH can't physically do the childcare, he can be responsible for organising the cover, booking and paying for babysitters etc.

Ask around friends for childcare favours, playdates etc? Book into afterschool care?

I quite like having a bit of a gap as it makes me appreciate the au pairs even more when they come.

I'm self-employed so can move things around, but I have 3 children at three different schools, so just use a combination of before and after school clubs, favours (and occasionally being slightly late!)

I do playdates a bit, but it's very tiring to keep track of for more than a week! Son has a friend close by whose mum can be very helpful with the gaps.

Initially we could use after school club, but it's got totally booked up now, so they almost never have space.

On the upside, DD now has an after school thing until 6 on wednesdays, so only have to worry about DS on those days, and I work from home on Mondays. DH is usually at home on Fridays and may not be able to commit to pickup, as he has a lot of long Skype meetings (international team), but DD is old enough to walk home alone now and amuse herself quietly once there, so if we sort a playdate for DS that's one other solution for Fridays.

DH might have to reschedule his skype calls, delegate or request temp flexible working to cover a childcare gap.

The point is, it should be a juggle for both of you. It is not acceptable for you to pick up all the slack of a childcare shortfall and his life to continue with no interruptions.