Can I hire a 'childcare person' to help on days out?

[littleducks]

I have a 2 year old and a 4 month old, dd has never relly had a 'babysitter' and i am a SAHM, instead of hiring someone to look after my kids while i go out can i hire someone to comw along and help out? for example we have legoland season tickets.

Would i want a nanny/babysitter/au pair?
How do i find one?

mothers help maybe? someone looking to become a nanny. or maybe a babysitter.

you could join an agency - but that would be costly.

gumtree, nannyjob?

I do that sort of thing as a babysitter/nanny. It isn't often that I do it accompanying a family... more often it is taking a child on an outing, leaving other children behind with their parents. I live about 9 miles from Legoland, so frequently take children there.

I would say that you should look for a local babysitter. See if you can find someone who will be able to do some daytime care, as well as evening. That way you can ask them to help you on trips out, as well as enable you to have the occasional evening out, without having your children in tow.

Where do you live? Perhaps by knowing a geographic location (you don't need to be precise, though nearest town can help) someone on here may know of someone near you who could help.

I have found 6th form girls are great for this sort of thing.

A lot of nannies do ad-hoc work. Tyy looking on here, gumtree and netmums

The day of the week on which you want the outing could affect things quite a bit. Weekends will I suspect prove easier to find someone, as college students, local nannies/nursery staff may be interested.
For weekdays, you need someone who isn't working (or studying/at college) that day... could be harder to find.

Try searching on Google to see what turns up for searches like: babysitter berkshire daytime
(as Legoland is in Berkshire)
Also look on Gumtree:Reading

if you can find a college offering childcare courses you might find a ready supply of partially trained, well motivated girls looking for an opportunity to get some practical experience. your children are the right sort of ages to appeal to this group and provided you are prepared to deal with them being an extra pair of hands rather than experienced nannies it might suit well.

I have a friend who did this very successfully for a number of years when their children were pre schoolers.

ok thanks for all the replies! nannynick i had a feeling you would reply, we live in M'head if its term time i expect we could arrange weekends but i am more likely to have dh around then, which for big trips would still be useful. I would really like to take both kids swimming together but the pool rules (understandable) a one adult to child ratio.....in fact the more i consider it the list of things that would be possible grows! will go and check all links now

I might be able to help you out with things like this - mostly weekends though...
[email protected]

I do what you are looking for - I work 3 days perm and then either enjoy my 2 days off /temp with agencies, or work for mums who either know me,or see my ad on gumtree/netmums and NJ

I have gone to legoland for that EXCAT reason, to help, stay with baby and go on wet rides that mum didnt want to

I have looked after twins of 6mths and 2 and 4 while mum went to london for her birthday with hubby, another time I went swimming with her

Have a look on the above sites, and type in your area and see if there is a nanny local to you who is like me

good luck

have been looking online and may post an ad on gumtree, glad to know that it isnt such a silly idea and im not the only one who would like some help like this!

have been looking online and may post an ad on gumtree, glad to know that it isnt such a silly idea and im not the only one who would like some help like this!