After struggling with my two boys and our new house for a year now, I've realised I need someone else around to help me out. My current thinking is that a part-time mother's help fits the bill best. As well as helping me to entertain, feed and generally manage the boys, our house really needs sorting out - both dp and I are very skilled at creating piles of paper, clothes or whatever and they rarely get organised. I'm also going back to work around the end of Jan and so if we all get on well I would be happy to continue the arrangement while I work from home, probably with the balance shifting to more childcare and less housework.
Anyway, I didn't mean to post an ad - just to ask a few questions. Firstly, if there were any agencies in the area that anyone would recommend. Dp and I will of course be prepared to do some interviewing and checking references ourselves, but it would be good to have unsuitable applicants sifted out beforehand.
Secondly, how many mother's helps are there around, really? I noticed in motherpeculiar's thread that most people would be listed as nannys and probably not keen on the housework element. However I've scanned the ads on gumtree.com and loads of people seem to say they are happy with a variety of roles: babysitter, cleaner, housekeeper, whatever. Presumably these people don't have so much experience so will take what they are offered?
and another thing, although the au-pair option might be the most cost-effective, we don't have any spare rooms sorted out at the moment so not able to go down that route.
Any advice welcomed.