Options for childcare

[mozhe]

Is there anyone out there that works full time, and I mean really quite long hours,ie;7-7x5 days a week plus some ' on call ', and has a large family ? I have 5 aged 5 and down, and we are hoping to have at least one more...my dilemma is should I employ a second nanny/au pair to ' back up ' my live in nanny or maybe add in some nursery/childminder ? Anyone else with experience ? We have space.....££ is a consideration too

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The eldest is 5.5 years so not quite that....there are twins of 5months and two DSs aged 3 and 4....Are you in same boat-ish ?

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Are you Ruth Kelly?

in your situation I'd ask the live-in nanny what she thought - presumably she already covers the hours but you know it's too much with 5 kids - so it's actually a case of taking the pressure off her. she might not like the idea much of handing some of them over for part of the day - she might feel like she's in charge of nanny no 2 and might not like it; or she might; or she might find it easier to drop some of them off at nursery, or she might prefer someone coming to the house so she doesn't have to do a nursery run with all 5; or she might like an au pair to do jobs and the odd school run. essentially it seems almost like the second lot of childcare is to help the nanny, iyswim, so sounds like her take on this would be important. not that I have any relevant experience, just random thoughts...

Thanks for that Hatwoman....yes I have spoken with her but she essentially says that she can manage but I know that I couldn't,I'm thinking I might do a combination of aupair and some extra nursery,( DS1 goes to school fulltime and DS2 mornings), so might increase DS3 playgroup sessions and put in for the twins to have some day nursery too....? It is transport too, so if aupair could do some of that it could be great...then if no6 does put in an appearance we could be set...

Hey Mozhe,
I know this thread is a bit stale but found it by accident and had a little input for you....

Anyway, I do similar hours and have had both au-pairs and live-in nannies (using the latter at the moment). what I did find about having an au-pair was that although you feel sometimes that you have just adopted another child (there has been many a drenched shoulder following boyfriend problems from the au-pairs I've had), the one thing they bring to the table is FUN. Because they are more or less kids themselves, they think nothing of racing round house and garden with children suspended upside down from their arms, playing helicopters and suchlike. I've had them building dens in the garden and playing footie for hours, stuff that I always intend to do but never seem to get round to doing. My nanny will do all the creative learning stuff and cooking and suchlike, but the high-energy stuff is difficult for both of us (we're not spring chickens) but seems to come naturally to au-pairs. The bathroom may have looked like a warzone when the au-pair gave my DS a bath (albeit a 2hr long, nemo & sharkchase-themed bath), but no-one was complaining when my DS fell to bed exhausted straight afterwards...
Hope that may add soem thought to the debate for you.

So anyway, I forgot to mention the point I was making..... I would for sure get an au-pair as they bring a completely different element to the childcare so won't upstage your nanny, and are always around to provide an extra pair of hands for her during the day and for you when your nanny is on vacation. We are thinking of having a third baby, and will definately have an au-pair as well when we do.