So quite clearly no one wants to be my nanny. Do I need to change my requirements?

[flowerybeanbag]

This is getting daft.

I have asked for someone qualified, experienced with babies, to work about 20 hours a week with at least some flexibility about days/times, without wanting to bring own child/husband/gerbil with them.

I realise these are restrictive requirements, and I have been willing to bend on almost all of them.

I have tried gumtree, nannyjob, another website which momentarily escapes me, a rubbish agency and a good agency.

But still no good. Am I on a hiding to nothing here? Do I need to change my requirements? No children/gerbils is not up for discussion, neither is experienced with babies, but the other stuff is, including number of hours.

Any suggestions about how to make being flowery's nanny a more appealing prospect would be more than welcome....

Tell us more about the hours. What are you actually stating as a requirement? Is this a 2 (short) days a week nanny job, or do you want the nanny to be flexible (which is probably the main dealbreaker from how i am reading it).

What do the agencies say?

The good agency is saying don't change requirements yet, after Easter might be more candidates. The rubbish agency has vanished into the ether, in advance of being sacked.

LadyM I am saying probably about 12-15 hours 'fixed', and I am fairly flexible about what hours they actually are. I've said probably 3 mornings, but if a prospective candidate comes along who can't do Wednesdays or whatever, that's fine, or has restrictions about times. But I want probably 20 hours and would like a bit flexibility for at least some of that. I work for myself so would like to give clients at least a bit of an option when I can go to meetings etc

I am starting to feel that an increase in hours but those hours being more or less fixed might increase my chances, but it will cost more and is probably more cover than I actually need or want.

Why don't you do mornings only - that way it could be combined with an afterschool job. Have you looked at the Work Wanted section on gumtree? I found that better than placing an ad myself as I could see what people were loking for.

Regularly check the work wanted section, yes.

I would happily consider someone who only wants to do mornings, and do say that the fixed hours would probably be 3 mornings anyway, but still no one.

I did have someone a friend suggested who could only do 9.30 - 2.30 to fit around the school run. I would consider that as well, until I realised she only wanted term-time working, which clearly wouldn't work for me.

hmm I can relate to this, have had a similar issue. I think the problem is that the number of hours you are offering isn't really enough for it to be someone's only job, and if they have another job, then really you need to be able to work your requirements around that. I think if you want availability over say 3 days you would probably need to guarantee a decent day's work for each of them (say 6 hours a day) and then extend if necessary on an ad-hoc basis. That might suit someone to combine with a 2 day a week job. I don't think you're going to find someone who can be flexible across 5 days a week...
I think its quite hard finding part time nanny care.
Or, you could try a share and they could be flexible about taking your dc on one of the other family's days?

My understanding is that there are loads of part time nanny jobs around at the moment and not so many good full time ones. It is always harder to fill part time posts because of the juggling involved for the nanny to end up with full time work (which is usually but not always what they want).
I also think that many part time nanny jobs are eg 2 full days or 3 full days a week, so finding someone available for part of the day across the week is going to be tricky.

Don't know what to suggest really, other than sticking with agency and gumtree.

That isn't much help is it. Sorry

I know I've been on your threads before, so I should really know whether this is an option - but could you consider a live-in person? As your job would be a very nice lightish hours au pairy sort of job.

Have people suggested you look on greataupair.com?

I agree with elliot and peahead. It's difficult to hire for a part time position. I do thin kat the very least you need to lcok down the hours, and probably increase them to say 20, or find a share partner and together work out a job offer of 40+ hours.

have you tried sharingcare.co.uk (or whatever it is called now?)

Bink really can't do a live-in. We do have a spare room but only one, and I really don't think I could hack someone living here all the time to give me a few hours a week childcare. I know it works for some, but not us I don't think.

Maybe longer days might be the answer. I do want to be able to give clients at least a bit of option about what days I am available but maybe I'll have to sacrifice that.

Where do you live?

Does it have to be a nanny and not a childminder? You may find more flexibility with a childminder.

micrathena I haven't considered sharing because it sounds complicated and I didn't think it would work with what I want, the flexibility etc Do you think it might?

Dynamic I live in Cambridgeshire.

Bramshott didn't consider a childminder as I thought more flexibility could be achieved with a nanny, I would prefer him to be here ideally and also would ideally like to hav someone who could babysit occasionally, we have no family nearby for that.

But willing to consider it if it might work. How many children do childminders look after?

My chilminder has 3 max, including her own one. It works brilliantly as she is currently not full most days and can be flexible (although obviously can't guarentee this long term). She also babysits for us sometimes, and took DD1 overnight when i was having DD2. So the right childminder may be able to meet your needs.

As diplodocus has said, a childminder has max 3 under 5.

I use a childminder who is at the moment very flexible - I have 15 hours booked at fixed times and can add to that if I need to, or swap around within the same week. I am freelance and have childcare booked on Tues, Wed & Thurs am as I find those are usually the most popular days for meetings.

I know you have said that you wouldn't take a nanny on with own child, but what about one that has a school aged child or who's child is at nursey? you child would then still have 1-1 in the mornings with the nanny. Unless you go down the childminder route or increase the hours i think you are going to find it hard to find a nanny without there own child or with lots of experience to take on these hours.

Lounan I only recently specified in the ad that a nanny with own child wouldn't be suitable, as previously they were the only applicants I was getting.

Before I specified that I did get one who had a nursery-age child, but she lived 30 mins away so DS and her DD would have spent large chunks of time daily sat in the car back and forth from this child's nursery 30 mins away from my house. I didn't think it was workable and had no other applications from nannies with children older than 2, and the proposal from all of them was that their child/children would come here the entire time.

That's when I put in the bit about no other children. The only nanny with school-age children I've come across was the one recommended by a friend which I mentioned in a previous post, who was only willing to work term-time only - the school hours bit was fine but I obviously couldn't put my business on hold for weeks on end during the summer.

I am flexible on the experience thing, as long as someone has spent some time working with babies I will be willing to consider them.

It does seem that increasing the hours or a childminder might be the only options.

flowery, I got round this by increasing my nanny's hours, and I did that by having her babysit for one evening a week (4 hours) and doing a whole day (10 hours) with my youngest (which I didn't actually need).

So if you advertised for 35 hours instead of 20 I think you would get more interest. Only problem is you then have childcare that you have to pay for, but don't actually need....

Other alternative is to make the hours up to 35 by having someone do housekeeping as well on the 3 days that you need them for mornings, but the downside there is that you won't get anyone qualified (though you would probably get experienced mums instead which might/might not fit the bill for you)..

Flowery - have you tried this site?

greatcare a friend of mine found her fab nanny through them!

Otherwise, can you put notices up in local nanny college?

My cousin's wife freelances, and the issue for her in terms of childcare is the flexibility she requires does not tally with the nanny's need to earn a wage.

How about a nanny share? This has its own complications of course, but if you can find someone with a child of a similar age, who does longer and fixed hours, maybe flowerybaby could piggyback on that care? So if the other mother works 4 days a week, flowerybaby could be confident that a nanny (and a playmate) would be available for him anytime in those 4 days. The nanny gets a bit more cash, which is cheaper for the other family.

squiffy have considered your option but tbh although I am obviously marvellous at my job and intend to be earning squillions of pounds v soon when I start working properly, I don't have a lot of disposable cash presently and as I will be working for myself, there will be no immediate and guaranteed salary coming in.

So forking out for unnecessary childcare would be a bit of a tight squeeze, although I'm not ruling it out.

soapbox haven't tried there no, might investigate, thanks!

fridayschild that does sound like an option, the issue would be finding someone, but I will look into that as well, thanks

With the term-time only person, if she is good, reliable, etc, could you be flexible about her child being incorporated during the holidays?

As you say you do not want to lose childcare for the entire summer but how about three weeks of it, and a week at Easter and a week at summer say, with the other holiday times being when the nanny's child could come along? Depends on the age of the child too, of course.

Or how about looking at hours/days per year, rather than hours per week? This is what I was looking for a few years ago in banking. DD is at school approx 33 weeks a year when I could work almost full-time, say 30 hours a week. Then in the holidays, she is now at an age when she wants to go on residentials, horse-riding courses and activity programmes, sleepovers etc leaving me with quite a lot of extra time and some weeks when I could work full-time and others when I'd prefer not to work at all but all would be know well in advance.

SueW the term time only person has 2 children, aged 9 and 12, so not remotely compatible with DS aged 10mo, can't think they'd be too happy about being dragged here during their holidays anyway!

I don't think the second option would work for me either unfortunately, but thanks for the ideas

Flowery...how about advertising for a granny..rather than a nanny! Someone in early retirement who would love some ocassional extra work and could be flexible! My mum who is retited sometimes looks after the girls down the road from her. Not sure how you go about finding a granny though!!! Corner shop card maybe?

A student who has flexible hours?? May be possible to find someone with babysitting experience/ or small sibling. But I guess not much solid baby experience!!!!

Or you would find it easier to fill the position as others have said by having fixed days and times...you need to be able to offer full days or all mornings and afternoons really so that a nanny can combine with another job!!

Good luck!

Jenna

What about looking for someone who works at a nursery? At dd's nursery, younger children went to school from 9-12.30 and sometimes the workers were available for jobs in the afternoon. Might be worth looking into.

Also as someone said earlier, perhaps a student?