Moving on from a full time nanny

[sobeda]

From September all three DCs will be at school. We have had a full time nanny since DD was born 8 years ago and I don't know what is the best solution for childcare when they are all at school. DH and I both work full time, how do other people cope with the term time requirement for school drop off, pick up, afternoon care (so say 7.30-8.30am and then 3.30-7pm) but then 7.30am-7pm during the school holidays (which seem to account for about half the year!). Many thanks for ideas.

Do you have room for an aupair ? Friend (before she had a third child and was back to nanny - others are 13 and 7 years older)had an aupair who covered before and after school, plus the bits of holidays around drama/tennis/football/whatever camp(so not in charge full time all the time in holidays)

we were in your position a few years ago. we moved from a qualified experienced daily nanny to an unqualified less experienced live in nanny/au pair (not exactly one or the other but somewhere in between in terms of both job and cost). after 3 years of this arrangement we moved to a daily afternoon nanny (who had her own child so only wanted part time but was available full time in school holidays) because the school opened a breakfast club and we could do the morning drop off without being late for work. After 2 years of this arrangement we moved to a daily afternoon housekeeper and we manage the school holidays by a bit of working from home, a bit of holiday and a bit of neglect (our eldest is 14).

it's all been more or less successful. good luck.

Apart from the au pair option, there are live-out nannies who'll do this sort of job (generally called an "after-school position") with part-time hours in term time and full-time hours in holidays - we have one.

Pay can be complicated, though, as using an hourly rate throughout tends to make the term-time wage not enough to live on. Which means there various options:

• ours is to run a sort of smoothing system where some of what would be her full-time pay gets allocated to her part-time weeks (so she gets what looks like an enormous hourly rate in term-time but a slim one in holiday time);

• other people choose to pay for full-time throughout and employ the person as a nanny/housekeeper, or nanny/family chef - so doing other domestic stuff while the children are at school. (We tried the nanny/housekeeper system, and didn't like it.); and

• yet others are lucky enough to find a student or second-jobber who doesn't need this to be their main job, but is still flexible enough for the holiday work. (We found candidates for that weren't as good as our after-school nanny candidates.)

I should say, though, that if you can manage your own mornings (that's what I do, inc. the school run, so our nanny is genuinely only "after-school") you'll probably find more candidates.

i think a nanny with their own child is the best option, as long as she is happy to work longer hours in the hols

dont think it is fair to expect an ap to work such long hours, in holidays, and not sure if they can work nearly 12hrs, so almost 60hrs a week

or maybe a slightly younger , less exp nanny who would work for less money and maybe do some cleaning/shopping while children are at school

i agree a nanny (maybe with own child)is the best option really ( if you dont want AP)

you could possibly find a CMer with 3 spaces,for before / after school and in the hols

but would they start @ early as 7.30am and finish as late as 7pm??

what about nanny share ?? may find another parent wanting care for shorter day maybe 9 - 5pm.ask at your children school,there may be parents looking for childcare

have you spoken to current nanny about this situation? she may be willing to cut hours with you,but do a share ,so looks after another child too

good luck deciding

x

A nanny with own child would prob consider this position as its nice short hours in term time and then more hours in school holidays.

you would be looking to pay anywhere between £6 and £8 net an hr for a nanny with own child for the type of hours you need to cover.