The Brand New WEST LONDON MEET-UP THREAD - EALING, ACTON, CHISWICK, KEW, RICHMOND, ISLEWORTH, KINGSTON ETC.

[MrsBigD]

As Nanou01 has declared me group leader here's a new thread to try and arrange our next meet-up

Oldies and newbies equally welcome :)

I'm pretty free for the rest of May, bar some dentist appointments

June is very barren so any entry in my social calendar would be most welcome.

Meet without the kids any evening
Meet with the kids only weekends

When and where would whoever like to meet?

Yes...tried the childminder option and then the nanny option ....both very expensive.....and not satisfactory to be honest

Very thankful to grandparents for looking afer DS every now and then...

Yes - my mum - but she will only do two days a week (most unreasonable). I'm convinced that there's a childminder out there who charges £2.50 per hour, bakes her own bread and runs drama work shops. Just need to get her address from someone...

Apsmum, you don't bake your own bread and run drama workshops do you? .......just wondering.....

suejones,

Want to be the first one to know when you find her ...if she exists....she's made my day!!!

no...i dont bake my own bread and cant act to save my life....so no drama workshops...

What do childminders in Kew charge Apsmum? Local nurseries seem exortionate. The price to pay living in an area full of bankers (thats Bankers) but my mum and my sister are here so if I move I lose their help.

Avg cost per day is abt £60 and naanies will be slighlty more.....DS not happy with the last one...that is a major concern....

yeah watch out for that SJ very shady character she is!

£60? Bum, was banking on £50max.

You were all supposed to rush to my defence and say what a charming lovely person I was, not agree . Pah!

Do you work apsmum? How are yo umanaging childcare at the moment?

well you could get a 'Euronanny' without 'proper qualifications' but then you won't be able to claim those childcare vouchers for her.

I pay my nanny £5.00/hour nett and going by the nanny tax calculator that means I pay her £52.80 a day. She does 7.5h a day

It really depends whether you want one of 'those proper British nannies' or are happy with someone who just keeps the kid entertained, fed, clean (a challenge LOL) and happy :) And that's a whole other debate that usually breaks loose here on mn... 'proper nannies' vs 'Euronannies'

hey from me that IS a compliment

But to reassure everybody... SJ is perfectly normal, a good laugh and perfectly charming

I work in a bank. was partime....going full time soon. The 3 nannies I tried were ''Euronannies''. One of them was studying for a Phd. She was very good with my son...better than anyone else I have tried before. Sadly, she left to study and futher her career...(wish her very good luck). the next one was a total disaster....and fed my son uncooked fish that made him sick almost every night. Had no clue about how to cook even pasta. The one that followed was nice....However, I have decided to go back to grandparents ( my parents...not in-laws)for a few months before starting a childminder again....

apsmum at the one with the raw fish! Used to use a childminder but for 2 kids the nanny option I found was cheaper ... childcare is a mine field isn't it :)

It's all personal preferences, financials etc. but don't worry SJ after what you're 'facing' with the adoption it's a breeze

My friend in Sheen has a fab dutch au pair who trained as a primary shcool teacher and is a sensible 23 yr old. Looks after a 7 yr old in school. Hmm, I wonder if she'd take on junior 2 days a week for some extra money?

I know what you mean about it seeming a small tihng compared to the horrors in the run up to an adoption. But for some reason I'm stressing about it at the moment - have to have something to worry about and as my paperwork is in limbo at the Embassy, there's not much going on there to stress about!

:) things to stress about

all those horrible edible things targeted at children in supermarkets (for a list have a giggle at \link{http://www.mumsnet.com/Talk?topicid=4&threadid=184457\this thread}

all those gastly kids tv programmes your kid will love and you abhorr...

I can't wait until my kids are old enough to go to school full time. I'm gonna have so much money I don't know what I'll do... Oh yeah, pay off the debt.

I ate a Lunchable thingie myself recently. On the ferry to the Isle of Wight - there wasn't much else and I was starving. I wouldn't have minded all the additives, salt, sugar and fat if only it had tasted of somthing. Anything. Didn't seem much to ask - food that tasted of something.

I'll just have a chew on the table mats next time if I'm hungry.

so how about dates then? What dates can everyone else do?

Pretty open in July :)

Probably not around first week. Rumors a flying that I'm off to Kazakhstan for work. Tentatively set at 5,6 July. So, mid/late July better for me.

Ooh can I come - I'll carry your bags - pleeese. Pretty please, I will practice my Russian and translate for your?

Ok so :

Wednesday and Thursday 18th & 19th
Thursday 27th

are OK for me, Uwila and MrsBigD

I wonder when Yanks is away - I'm guessing 27th will be no good for her

How about MrsRecycle, Tutter, Apsmum, Nanou, bunyanvillas (guessing Snowboo will be otherwise occupied?)

Have I missed anyone?

Hi ladies! I might be able to do any Thursday but not Wednesday. However, I may be a bit late as AP (dutch school teacher as well) goes home at the beginning of July and will be relying on dh for babysitting and hoping he gets home from work at a reasonable time. Will be circa 34 weeks pg with a 5lb baby (going on current weight) so excuse my waddling.