Extra Help Wanted - but how? and what?

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Martina1
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Extra Help Wanted - but how? and what?

Postby Martina1 » Thu Jul 24, 2014 7:20 pm

Hello all
I am a stay at home mum with a 3 year old and a 1 year old and a husband who works long hours.
I would really like to get something of a life back and leave the house occasionally to do some exercise, get time to organise stuff, buy some new undies, get my hair done. Nothing too exciting or too extreme.
We would also like to start going out on dates together again and have been using sitters.com but have had a different person each time.
I am also utterly sick to death of tidying up after crafts, messy play, messy food time (mainly down to the 1 year old).
A friend has recommended an au pair as the way forward but there are certain issues.

I want to be able to canoodle on the sofa with my husband without feeling I might get busted.
My husband really doesn't want to make small talk with someone every evening.
I am really not sure that I want to deal with a homesick youngster.
And I LOVE LOVE LOVE playing with my kids so don't really want to share them very much.

So, essentially I want someone to come for a few hours a few times a week to do cleaning, tidy up and get to know the kids, plus look after them whilst I nip out to do things. And a babysit a week which might even involve putting them to bed.

Is such a person out there?

I suppose I want to pay a surrogate grandma to come over and take care of us a little!

...I am aware that I sound thoroughly idle and am expecting a lot of criticism.
Bring it on!
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KatherineHepburn
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Re: Extra Help Wanted - but how? and what?

Postby KatherineHepburn » Thu Jul 24, 2014 8:12 pm

Ha ha, not idle in the least. What you are looking for is a Mother's Help by the sounds of it.
When our twins arrived and our first was only 2 I hired someone to help out with the killer hours 4.30-7. It has worked a treat.
Obviously the hours you choose may be different but the remit sounds the same.
Best of luck.
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erinisle22
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Re: Extra Help Wanted - but how? and what?

Postby erinisle22 » Thu Jul 24, 2014 8:36 pm

Or maybe you are looking for an au pair who has some hours free in the day and her charges at school who might have some time? My kids are the same ages as yours (and I'm trying to fit in freelancing from home around them) so I feel your pain with trying to find ad hoc childcare. We use sitters too but they are too expensive for me during the day.

I got a bit of ad hoc last term (to have a weekly tennis lesson!) from a childminder that I knew who didn't have a child for 3 hours in the morning but had older children from the playgroup we attended in the afternoon. I paid her £7 an hour and she took my daughter while my son was in playgroup and I went to my tennis lesson and it was lovely! Good luck!
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AbbevilleMummy
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Re: Extra Help Wanted - but how? and what?

Postby AbbevilleMummy » Fri Jul 25, 2014 11:19 am

I just wanted to say that I haven't experienced any of the issues you write regarding an au pair.

When I had an au pair, I hired someone in their mid-to-late 20's, therefore avoiding the young homesick thing. Also, she was someone who had friends in London and her own life and therefore absolutely did not want to make small talk in the evenings with me or my husband and definitely never cuddled up with us on the sofa!

If you hire a mature, sensible young woman who wants to improve her english and really enjoy London then there is no reason why an au pair couldn't work for you. She could give you a hand first thing in the morning and a couple of hours in the afternoon and then babysit for you when you went out. Outside that, I doubt you'd see her very much as she will probably be out with her friends or on Skype in her bedroom.
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