What help would you like over deployments/exercise?

[Lifeinagoldfishbowl]

I am a nanny working in mq's and am thinking of advertising my services to some of the mums on the local noticeboard. I am free 3 mornings a week, weekends and most evenings - I do have a social life lol -

So what help would you like? I have done deployments before as a child and also as an adult to a preschool child so know how monotomous it is and how there never seems to be enough time to do things or things to do to fill the time

I was thinking of offering childcare for appointments, babysitting, spring clean / ironing etc - but is there anything that would have/ would make your life easier had you had that extra pair of hands?

-babysitting
-Tesco shop
-tidying kids rooms
-bath time/bedtime!
-help with kids' birthday parties (god send)
-supernanny-type person to teach my naughty children how to behave!!!

so not a lot then Luciemule

We are currently posted in Cyprus and have a Philipino nanny. She's fab and when my husband was deployed (and even now when he's frequently away) I depended on her help as the other adult in the house. Daily she looks after my daughter while I'm at work, my son goes to school, but she cleans and does the laundry and ironing too. My priority is not the cleaning I am happy to do that myself but doing the ironing is a huge help. She was also great for babysitting, during the day so I could leave the younger one and take the older one swimming, go food shopping alone, going to the gym for a regular class or just sitting for odd evenings. I think those are the bits you need when your other half is away, someone who can give you some time alone! I have no idea what I am going to do when we return to the UK, but having used nursery in the past I think I will most likely go down the nanny/childminder route in the future. Loved the nursery, but prefer the continuety and attention of a nanny/childminder. You'll get lots of business!

you could be the fourth emergency service "how do you cope when your mum isn't around the corner!"

Just wondering how to word the ad now that you've shown me that theres lots of areas I can branch out into

Yay! Hopefully a growing business for you. Parents just want someone they can trust and depend on as you know...good luck it will work. where are you??

Not near you stinkermink - unless you also had a chinook just land in your back garden

Natch! Red Arrows here, but no Chinooks...In your back yard? Are you going out with the Prince of Wales LOL
Know the area and you will def get business there, lots of deployments for helicopter peeps.

Not the actual back garden but the field next door!!! Did wonder what all the noise was!!

We're actually army - just airborne - but would say around 80% are deploying this summer.

I'm in a similar position to you Lifein - I'm a doula and can't wait to get back onto a patch as I think I too will be support mums, especially whilst partners are away on deployment. It's sad that so many people (not just forces) don't have a family member, really good friend or just someone to depend on if they don't have a partner around. It's not easy with a partner, let alone without.

i used to get someone to babysit for an hour each evening so i could go for a run.

Weekends! Very unpopular to work weekends I guess but I find it a chore to have to do all my jobs with 2 kids (3 and 4) trailing along too.

The weekends streeeeeech when you are on your tod with kids for 7 months.

It's the daytime babysitting at the weekends that I need - so I can go to the hairdressers/play tennis/that sort of thing.

good point hf - it's always a long w/e when your partners away. I ended up counting the minutes rather than hours- not good for morale!

DH will do 3 months away over this year - and that is nothing to do with exercises or deployments!!

My DH is away a lot! Courses, exercises, deployments...hf is right it might just be occasional. My domestic assistant/nanny deals with my friends on a priority kind of basis. I'm first (lucky me!) but having said that we usually say work for others because we know they trust her above anyone else and it's much more important that friend X with husband away for 6 months, gets a night out than us! What goes around comes around!