We need occasional school run help -- not sure how to word ad -- adivce needed pls

[enchantedbroccolligarden]

We normally divvy up the school run - I do the morning thing and DP does collection from after-school club.

But the arrangement is fragile. I can't always guarantee to be able to stick to this and we need to get a contingency plan in place. I know for a fact that we will need to 'outsource' some help, for example, if I go away, or as now, because my work is approaching melt-down.

My wife has a very busy, newish job that she has fought exceptionally hard to win and is anxious about doubling up (morning, evening on the same day) as it drastically shortens her day. Of course our child comes first, but you know what the modern workplace is like -- deeply uncompromising.

Long story short, we will reluctantly place an ad somewhere but don't know how to phrase it. The 'service' we require is sporadic, but nonetheless serious, involving getting our DS (nearly 5) safely home while making him feel secure. He won't like the change of routine one iota and it will be difficult for us to sell him this scheme.

Is this realistically possible? What do we ask for? Also we're anxious about how to deal with 'rules', firmly but reasonably.

What do people charge for this kind of thing and what's the person description?

Many thanks.

Could he not go to a school friends for tea on the days you need help? and you can offer the same service to the parents.

Friend of mine is going out tonight and another mum is looking after her child next week said mum will go out and my friend will look after her child.

Could he not go to a school friends for tea on the days you need help? and you can offer the same service to the parents.

Friend of mine is going out tonight and another mum is looking after her child next week said mum will go out and my friend will look after her child.

Dynamicnanny, it's a lovely idea, but we're unusually far away from the school. Most of his friends live 5 minutes away, so we'd effectively be asking a parent to 'commute' to our house.

It's a big ask - the journey takes 50 mins if we're lucky.

Back in my college days, I used to do something similar to what you describe... that is collect a child from school on an as-when-needed basis. We called it babysitting, which isn't the right thing to call it... we just didn't know the right thing to call it! It would involve more than just the collection - it would involve 3 or more hours worth of childcare, at the child's home.

Not sure that helps much... but perhaps you are after a babysitter, who could as well as doing occasional evenings, do an occasional school-pickup.

Might it be of interest to After-school club staff, or nursery staff (if school has a nursery on site)? That type of person, someone who already works with children, may be wanting occasional extra income, and they would already be based at the school.
If you were to pay for their travel time, plus travel costs, then they may be willing to do it.
There is a danger, if they use a car, then insurance companies may consider it necessary that they have "Hire or Reward" insurance, which is costly.

Nannynick -- good point on insurance. AFAIK if we are employing them, then that's legally essential and we'd have to ask the question.

Are you purely wanting someone to act as a taxi service, or would it also involve childcare once back at your home?

Can you just clarify - do you want him picked up from school, or the after-school club?

what I meant to say is that he would stay and play at a friends house after school when needed and the same friend would stay and play at your house when needed.

It sounds like you need an after-school nanny, on a permanent basis. Then you'll have the reassurance of knowing it's going to be sorted every day and your lo will have a regular routine.

I only say this because a friend of mine tried to have the arrangement you just described and just couldn't find anyone to do it - and this is in nanny-rich north London.

If this is financially viable for you, maybe it's worth considering...

I have the kind of occasional help you sound like you need and had several good responses from advertising on Gumtree. However, the 50 minute commute IS a big ask on your part. Our dc usually walk or scooter to school so whoever picks them up does not need to be a driver and they can get home in about 20 minutes. Regardless of whether you find someone close to your home or close to the school, there are a lot of miles involved every day and if you find a professional nanny charging up to 40p a mile, the costs will mount up quickly. On the other hand, a less qualified person (perhaps a student from local university or childcare student) may not have a car available - or at least one which is reliable enough for that kind of trip everyday!

One possible way around the possible insurance difficulties, is to find someone who lives near your home... they then get a taxi from your home to the school and the same taxi back again. You would then not be paying the person for driving... instead you would be paying the taxi firm that bit. This would also mean that you could get someone who wasn't a driver, or who didn't have a car, thus opening the job up to more possible candidates.

nannynick - he usually goes to after school club, but this pers would probably collect him straight from school so that he's not travelling in the rush hour, and also so that he doesn't just see her as being to do with a boring journey. I guess she'd then spend a couple of hours with him. So it's a three -four hour commitment until mummy comes home. Mummy could take him to school on these days.

annh that's a good idea. Actually, we do walk sometimes in good weather ( the 50 minute thing is bonkers - that's what it takes by public transport, but if we walk it's only 30-35 mins. Only thing is that after a long day gallivanting around, it's not necessarily what he needs)

Have you considered a CM insted of sfterschool club, who could be more flexible about pick up times, and could cover holidays and inset days.

Road Safety Act 2006 - Guidance to sections 53 and 54 - could be worth a read. Paragraph 39 onwards concerns childcarers transporting children.

Sounds to me as though what you are wanting, would be more like a part-time occasional nanny. The driving bit, isn't essential - as you say it is possible to walk - thus the job is mostly childcare. Therefore insurance wise, I would expect that Business Use insurance would be sufficient, at least for now (someone mentioned to me that there was a court case going on, which involved a childminder and some issue with transport insurance - anyone know anything?).

Could the arrangement be made permanent - so that instead of being occasion, it was say every Tuesday... or something?

Nannynick, your idea of a permanent arrangement, same day/s each week, is a good one.

Only thing is that it might or equally might not allow the possibility of adding extra days at short notice as needed.

But worth thinking about

squeaver I think was the first to mention about making it a permanent arrangement - so I can't take credit for that

Sounds as though we have worked out that you want a Part-Time Nanny... so at least you now know what to advertise for.

Perhaps try advertising for someone on an occasional basis, seeing what responses you get. Then if you don't find anyone, think about fixing the hours/days, to see if that makes the job any more attractive to candidates.

Thanks all for your suggestions.

What about a childminder who lives near the school? She could pickup as needed, and then you/dw could collect from her place. Though you'd probably have to pay for a fulltime place.