Harringay, Haringey - So Good they Spelt it Twice!
Parents' helper?
I'm currently on maternity leave with my seven-month-old. I'm going back to work next month, but I don't think he's ready for nursery, yet. My husband and I are going to take turns working from home and looking after him.
I was thinking of getting a parents' helper a few times a week for a couple of hours to play with the baby. Not a nanny (can't afford one). Probably a local teenager who'd keep an eye on our son, make sure he's safe and entertained. Maybe do some light housework (e.g. empty the dishwasher, not scrub the floors). They would never be left alone with the baby.
It would give us a bit of a break and some uninterrupted time to focus on work.
I've tried googling this, but all of the results are from American sites. Is this not a thing in the UK? Or is it called something else?
Has anyone actually done this? How would I go about finding a person? I don't have any friends with teenage kids. Are they all too busy with exams to earn a bit of pocket change? What would be a fair hourly rate?
Any advice would be greatly appreciated.
Replies to This Discussion
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Permalink Reply by Lauren on
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Sounds like this would be an ideal role for an older / retired person, maybe someone who is already a grandparent. How about getting in touch with a local day centre or over 60's club (if they still exist), or asking if you can put an ad up in the doctors surgery?
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Permalink Reply by Rainbow_carnage on
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I hadn't considered an older person. I think an older person might have a hard time keeping up with a mobile baby. He's just started to crawl. I take my eyes off him for a second, and he's on the other side of the room. I'm looking for someone who can get down on the floor and play with him at his level.
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Permalink Reply by Antoinette on
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You shouldn't rule out the wrinklies! There are plenty of spritely pensioners out there. My son gets picked up from school by each of his grannies one day a week and I think they all have a whale of a time
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Permalink Reply by Ellie on
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I did this - as the helper not helpee! - when I was a university student. Mostly families on the ladder, mostly from word of mouth to be honest. As we're coming up to university summer holidays, that might increase the pool of candidates. Also got some work through posting on mumsnet if that's still a thing?
Maybe repost in the wanted/on offer forum as casual summer work and see what comes back to you.
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Hi Ellie.
That's helpful, thanks. We've actually recently moved to Bounds Green, so I've posted on that forum.
What do you think would be a reasonable rate for a student? I've looked at a couple of websites which suggested £10-12 an hour, but that was for babysitting. I'm really just looking for someone to come play with the baby, not be left alone to care for him.
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Hello, I'm in a similar position (needing a "mother's help" rather than a nanny). Lots of agencies will source a suitable person but sometimes they charge a finder's fee; however, they can be useful to assist with the administration (eg. DBS/Tax and NI) if you are recruiting for a reasonable number of hours. North London Nannies, findababysitter.com and childcare.co.uk might get you started. Some training colleges and institutions also like to put students in placement families so you could contact those to ask around. Or, as others have suggested try advertising independently via local forums and networks. Good luck!
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Hi Mandy.
Thanks for the reply. It's very helpful.
I was actually thinking of something a bit more casual, but maybe that's a mistake?
When I was a teenager, I used to babysit regularly for local families. My brother did garden work. Back then, no one worried about admin. We got paid in cash and didn't earn anywhere near enough to pay income tax.
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I have used Gum tree over the years to advertise for childcare and housekeeper/carers for my dad with good results. You have to be prepared to weed through Cvs and interview those shortlisted, but I always preferred my gut feeling for people rather than going via an agency and their fees.
Personal referral better but not always available. £8ph sounds reasonable for the age experience and work you want done.
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