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Choosing childcare

One of the biggest decisions to do with children is choosing what form of childcare you want to use once you return to work. This decision is governed by a number of factors, including the hours you need, the cost of childcare and availability in your area, but also reflects your personal preferences.

Hours

Some childcare providers e.g. nurseries are only open between fixed times. In order to use this type of chidcare your working hours and commute should fit comfortably within these times. Childminders offer a little more flexibility – although most advertise core hours they are better equipped than nurseries to flex by 15 minutes either way if they so wish, and may be more accommodating of shift patterns. Nannies and nanny shares (were two families jointly employ a nanny to care for children from both families at once) are the most flexible form of childcare because as an employer you can dictate the hours you want and advertise accordingly. Au pairs can provide before and after school wrap around are in a similar way to nannies but are not normally suitable for extended charge of young children, although they are a viable option for nursery wraparound care.

Cost

If you wish to claim any help with childcare costs from the Government you will need to ensure you use registered childcare.

Childcare costs vary between regions but according to the Daycare Trust’s annual childcare costs survey childminders are cheaper on average, followed by nurseries, with nannies being the most expensive for one child. A nanny, however, is a fixed cost per family so can be a good option for families with 2 or more children and offers better flexibility with school holidays etc so if you have older children or planning on having more it may work out cheaper in the long run.

Nanny salaries vary between an average of £600 gross weekly for a live in nanny outside London and the Home Counties and £700 gross weekly for a live out nanny in Central London, working up to 60 hours per week. A less qualified or experienced nanny will earn less than this, and the more experience and qualifications a nanny has, the more they will earn. There will also be additional cost such as employer’s liability insurance if not included in your house insurance, a payroll company, car insurance if the nanny is driving your car, a kitty for activities and any emergency bread and milk shopping and the cost of feeding your nanny, and if they live in, associated bills, which can easily come to £50-100 per week. In a nanny share the cost is likely to be around 60% of employing a nanny by yourself.

An au pair is paid between £70 and £100 a week plus board and lodging for 25-30 hours’ work but as for nannies you will need to factor in around another £50-100 on bills and food, depending on how environmentally aware your au pair is and whether they fit well with your family’s eating pattern or you end up buying additional food, car insurance if you require your au pair to drive, which can be expensive for under-25s holding a non-UK license, a basic mobile phone and inclusion in any family outings and activities.

Personal preferences

Do you want your child to be cared for in a home environment? You’ll need to look at a nanny or childminder.

Do you want your child to be around other children? A nursery, childminder or nanny share would probably suit you best.

Do you want your children to be cared for in a setting with more than one adult? A nursery or a childminder working with an assistant/another childminder is the best option for you.

Do you want your child to be cared for by only one person? A childminder or nanny will ensure your child receives consistent care.

Are you prepared to become an employer? If not, a nanny is not a viable option as nannies cannot be self-employed except in very specific circumstances.

Want to find out more? Look at our past blog posts on ‘why to choose a childminder‘, ‘nursery care to suit your child‘, or ‘is a nanny right for you?‘ or go and search for childcarers in your area.

Lifestyles of the rich and the famous

Many nannies dream of working of a VIP or even celebrity family. It’s a hidden world where nannies sign extensive confidentiality and non-disclosure agreements* but get to travel in private jets, stay in 5* luxury and get designer handbags as bonuses. Take a peek inside and meet The Royal Nanny, The Super-Wealthy Nanny and The High Profile Nanny.

Many nannies dream of working of a VIP or even celebrity family. It’s a hidden world where nannies sign extensive confidentiality and non-disclosure agreements* but get to travel in private jets, stay in 5* luxury and get designer handbags as bonuses. Take a peek inside and meet The Royal Nanny, The Super-Wealthy Nanny and The High Profile Nanny.

What’s it like day to day?

The Royal Nanny: I wake the children up and supervise them getting dressed and so on in the morning. Then we go down to breakfast, which is prepared and cleared away so I don’t have to do anything, which is amazing! I usually talk to the kitchen staff about lunch and dinner while the children are eating and any other staff who will be involved in the day. After breakfast if the children’s mother is around we’ll go and see her for up to an hour and then we might spend time in the gardens, at the pool or inside doing some structured activities. It’s difficult to do normal things in the compound but I try and organise some time in the kitchen every so often so we can bake, for example. Often there are cousins around so we might play with them. After lunch it’s time for a rest, and then the afternoon is the same as the morning, but we’re more likely to go out if the children’s mother wants to. Dinner is eaten later than I was used to, and then I supervise bedtime. After that I report to my employers on what we did that day and I’m off duty until the next morning. We travel quite a lot and then I find we all work a lot more, which is annoying because it’s easier to go out when you’re in a big city!

The High-Profile Nanny: It’s really normal! Sometimes the kids are up when I get there, sometimes they aren’t. I do breakfast, tidy up, gather up school shoes and reading bag and anything that needs to go back to school and do the school run. Then there’s usually toddler group, Gymboree or a playdate in the morning, back for lunch and nap while I get nursery duties done before going back to school, running round any after school activities or playdates, home for dinner and bath and by then one of my bosses is usually home and I leave!

The Super-Wealthy Nanny: I work 24 hours so anytime the littlest one wakes in the night I get up. We all have to be up by 7.15 and get ready for the day. Usually the housekeeper prepares breakfast so all we have to do is go downstairs and she tidies up too so once breakfast is done we brush teeth in the downstairs bathroom and it’s straight out the door to school. The older ones are responsible for their own school stuff, just because they’re really rich doesn’t mean they can’t start taking responsibility for themselves. The driver takes us to school and then to whatever activity the little ones are doing. The days are actually really busy because they do a lot but it’s never just me so some days I’ll pick up both the older ones from school and plan something for everyone but twice a week the oldest has something after school so the driver goes back later and I stay with the other three. It’s tough to organise going to play with friends because of the security. Sometimes I feel a bit awkward saying that my charge will be accompanied by a bodyguard! When we got home we have to fit in homework and music practice and so on. My bosses definitely expect to see results from what they pay for so the children work hard. I don’t have to worry about dinner because either the housekeeper prepares it or we have something from the freezer. I try to have everyone in bed by 8.30 because it’s only when they’re down that it’s my time! We have a duty bedroom in the main house where we stay but if it’s changeover night then the other nanny will arrive about 6 and I can go to the place we share, or go out!

What has been your best experience?

The Royal Nanny: There have been loads but staying on a private island was probably the best.

The High-Profile Nanny: Just my boss saying thanks for keeping the kids safe and letting them have a normal childhood. It made me feel like I was doing my job right.

The Super-Wealthy Nanny: It was when the family just arrived in London and my charges had no toys. The mother drove us to Hamleys and told me to buy anything I wanted for them. I don’t know who was more excited – my charges or me!

What has been the worst experience?

The Royal Nanny: Accompanying my employers and the children to a major event and being caught up in a security breach. It was terrifying. I honestly thought someone was coming after the family I work for.

The High-Profile Nanny: The first time there was a big news story involving my boss – I was convinced everyone I spoke to was a journalist waiting for me to say something stupid.

The Super-Wealthy Nanny: Getting lost in one of their houses. I was only going to the kitchen to get some bottled water and I was gone for 20 minutes when I thought I’d be 3, tops. I came back to find my boss in the playroom looking really puzzled by why I’d been gone so long. I tried to explain what had happened and she just made me feel like a worm. I didn’t leave my charges alone – there was someone else there – but neither of us knew the house and I thought I knew where I was going, except I didn’t! I still don’t really get what I did that was so wrong because I think I’ve messed up worse other times but that time it was the reaction that made it really bad.

What was the biggest change for you?

The Royal Nanny: It was the formality and learning all the rules. There are rules about who you can and can’t speak to if they don’t speak to you first, what you have to call them, whether you’re expected to curtsey in public and so on and then you have to remember what you have to teach the children because the rules are different for them. There are even hierarchies in the household servants and between the other nannies, which is a bit crazy.

The High-Profile Nanny: Having to be really, really careful about media attention.

The Super-Wealthy Nanny: Working in a team with another nanny. Luckily we really get along, but when I started they just had me during the week and a weekend nanny who came daily so it wasn’t too different to a normal job, except instead of the parents letting my charges watch too much TV it was the other nanny! Then it changed so we work 4 days on and have 3 off, and sometimes we work 7 days straight, or on holiday it’s usually half days. It all gets a bit complicated because it’s our responsibility to work it out and make sure there’s always someone there. But when we first started with this system we weren’t communicating well so stuff for school got forgotten or one would arrange a play date for the other’s day and not say anything.

Do you really travel by private jet, stay in 5* hotels and get a designer handbag as a bonus?

The Royal Nanny: We have sort of travelled by private jet and if we stay anywhere that isn’t family or friends then it’s 5* but I’ve never had a designer handbag bonus.

The High-Profile Nanny: No, not at all! I work for a totally normally family where one of my bosses just happens to have a job that’s in the papers a lot. I would love a designer handbag…

The Super-Wealthy Nanny: Yes, we do. I got a gorgeous handbag for my birthday last year. I’m such a cliché!

What piece of advice would you give anyone who wants your job?

The Royal Nanny: Put time into acquiring skills and qualifications that will make you fit in with their lifestyle and simultaneously allow you to deliver top quality care. Most nannies I meet have some kind of teaching experience, especially for older children, because a big part of the role is preparing the children for school, or possibly even educating them at home.

The High-Profile Nanny: Develop a really thick skin. People will say all sorts of things about you and your employers because they’re in the public eye and it can be hurtful to hear or read it, especially when it isn’t true. You have to put it out of your mind because the children come first.

The Super-Wealthy Nanny: Don’t let the way they flash their cash make you feel embarrassed. It can seem really over the top at first, and I suppose it is, but you’ll be hanging out with other people who find it normal so you’ll stick out more if you look uncomfortable.

*no confidentiality agreements were broken or harmed in any way in the production of this post

Flying With Small Children: An In-Flight Survival Guide

A recent short trip abroad is all it takes to remind me of how difficult it can be travelling with little ones! The last thing any family or nanny wants is to have attention drawn to a restless toddler or crying baby, but as we all know we’re generally on a knife’s edge between a calm flight and a stressful one with small children.

If you’re a nanny and have to travel with babies or young children in your care, we have put together a survival guide to ensure that you don’t become the person in charge of ‘that annoying child on the row in front’, and possibly even have an enjoyable flight!

Prepare beforehand – when the flights are booked, if possible make sure that you request the front row of seats, so that you have more leg room. The child has more room to move around on the flight, and will not be annoying anyone in front by pulling on the backs of seats.
Nap time – if you have a child in your care who is good at taking regular naps, try to ensure that flights are booked and taken at nap times, so that the child is more likely to want to sleep on board.
Choose toys wisely – in other words, use your common sense on this one and don’t take large toys that will take up too much room, or small toys with lots of fiddly bits that will end up getting lost. A few simple toys which pack lightly and tightly are best, and a small comfort blanket instead of large items.
Concentration spans – a very helpful Nannyjob Facebook fan informed us that children have 1 minute of concentration per year of their age, so if the 3 year old in your care is finding the window shutter more interesting than her Barbie after 5 minutes, don’t expect her to be any different, and go with her concentration, don’t force it.
Be self sufficient – prepare yourself before the flight so that you aren’t going to be relying on airline staff to help you entertain or calm the children. They are busy enough and it isn’t in their remit, so don’t get stressed if the cabin crew overlook your crying toddler whilst serving your in flight meal – they just have a job to do.
Travel light – we’ve all seen those families who seem to be carting everything and the kitchen sink on board, and are more stressed before take off just from lifting and carrying than actually having little ones with them. Only take essentials for both you and the children, and to make these essentials light ones!
Distraction works! – Let’s face it – spending hours on end in one place is going to get a bit tedious for the most well behaved little one, so remember that for those hours it really is down to you to become the key source of distraction! If you sense a toddler becoming irritable and bored, get your creative hat on, become the circus, and think of a totally new thing to sing, play or do! You’ll be amazed what new games come out of a flight!
Don’t apologise – children cry, children get frustrated and bored – it is not your fault, it’s what happens! If you see that smug couple with no children on the row behind tutting at this, then totally ignore them and stay strong.
Be aware of ear pressure – This can be a really big deal. As someone who has suffered from ear pressure pain on flights since childhood, I totally empathise with the crying children I hear on flights when coming in to land. The only thing that works for me is a certain well known brand of sinus pressure pain and nasal congestion relief, which literally wipes the pain and pressure away like magic, and has started doing it’s own range of children’s products.

Do you agree with our ideas? Why not share your experiences on our Facebook wall?

Taking Care of Yourself: Tips for Child Carers

The job of a child carer is a demanding one; mentally, emotionally and physically. We love our jobs, working with children is exceptionally rewarding, but if we’re not careful, we can suffer from stress, burnout and exhaustion.

We’ve put together some top tips to help keep you healthy and in tip-top shape to ensure that you and your charges receive the best care!

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Get Craft Happy For The Jubilee!

Let’s face it, even the least patriotic of us will be finding it hard at the moment to escape the media frenzy around the Queen’s Platinum Jubilee in June, and for those who do love a bit of classic English patriotism, why not get involved in your own creative way?! If you have toddlers or older children in your care, this is the perfect excuse to get their creative juices flowing, whilst teaching them a little bit about our monarchy at the same time!

So, I hear you ask, what kind of things can we make?! Here are a few of our best ideas to keep children happy and creative in time Jubilee celebrations:

Make Bunting:

You will need:

A length on string as long as you want your bunting to be
Coloured sheets of card in red, white and blue
A pencil
Sellotape
Scissors

This is a basic way of making bunting, so that little children can be involved as there is no material to stitch. Simply make a triangular template and get the children to draw around it onto the coloured card. Cut out the drawings and get the children to put them in order – red, white, blue, red, white, blue and so on. Fold about a centimetre of the top of the triangles over the string, and attach down on one side with a piece of Sellotape. Do this all the way along your string, and then attach the bunting either inside or outside the house! This is a fantastic exercise for fine motor skills, as well as recognising shapes and colours for children.

Make a Crown:

You will need:

A piece of cardboard around 4 inches wide, and long enough to go around the child’s head and overlap slightly
A strip of tin foil around 5 inches wide, and the same length as the cardboard
Scissors
Crayons, glitter, or stickers
Glue
Stapler

Glue the length of tin foil on top of the length of cardboard, matching the bottom edges up, so that there is an inch extra of foil at the top. Now, cut zig zags into the foil all the way along the top, giving a crown effect of lots of points going across the top. Now it’s time to really have some fun and decorate, using glue, glitter, crayons or stickers, let your little ones go to town on their individual crown decoration on top of the tin foil. When the decorations have dried, make a ring with the crown and staple each end together, to fit over the child’s head.

Union Jack cupcakes (makes 12):

What you need:

4oz caster sugar
4oz margarine
4oz self raising flour
2 eggs
1 tsp vanilla essence
1 tsp baking powder
12 white cupcake cases

For the icing:

1 packet white ready roll icing
Apricot jam
Blue and red food colouring pens

Method:

Line a cupcake tin with 12 cupcake cases and preheat the oven to 180 degrees.
Cream together the sugar and margarine with an electric mixer. Gradually add the eggs, flour, vanilla essence and baking powder whilst mixing.
Half fill the cupcake cases and put into the oven for 20-25 minutes until golden and well risen. Take the cupcakes out of the oven and place onto a wire rack to cool.
Roll out the icing to around 3mm thickness, then use a circular cutter to cut out 12 circles.
Put some apricot jam into the microwave for 20 seconds to make it runny. Brush the cooled cupcakes with the jam, and then place the icing circles on top so that they stick. Draw a basic union jack with your blue and red pens on to the icing on each cupcake.

You now have some really Royal treats!

Adding to the ideas we’ve given, why not try making some red, white and blue pompoms, or get some plain white serviettes and get the children to colour some red and blue onto them, or even onto a plain white paper tablecloth. There are hours of fun to be had, all in the name of Queen and country – have fun!

Balancing your summer nanny budget

The summer holidays can be a long time, and days out, crafts and cheeky ice creams from the ice cream van soon mount up!

Your term time kitty may not go very far in the holidays so introduce your charges to the idea of budgeting and find a balance of free, low cost and splashing out activities. Developing money sense is important from a young age, and children sometimes love the challenge of finding free or bargain activities to do. It also introduces the concept of making a choice, or several choices, based on a limitation.

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When and how to potty train

Summer is a great time for potty training, and if school is approaching in the autumn and your soon-to-be Reception child is still clinging stubbornly to nappies it’s the last real chance before September.

There are 3 things to consider before you start – age and readiness, timing, and method.

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The cost of employing a nanny

You want to employ a nanny and you’re setting out your budget. Here are some costs you need to consider…

What you pay your nanny – this is known as the net wage. You may be able to get childcare vouchers which can go towards paying this amount.

Frequency – weekly or monthly (we recommend monthly to simplify reporting to HMRC)

What you pay on behalf of your nanny – this is tax, National Insurance and (depending on your staging date) work based pension contributions. This combined with what you pay your nanny is the gross wage.

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Taking risks

Risks, in general, are seen as a bad thing. Parents and child carers are told to minimise risks, to make things safer, to always be careful and pay attention, ready to swoop in the moment there’s danger. But what if this is a bad thing? Are we going to far?

Of course we don’t mean giving children uncooked chicken to eat, or letting them practice their new found cycling ability next to the river, we mean sensible risks. Perhaps instead of removing all the hazards teaching children to respect dangers and deal with them safely would help them lean. instead of hovering and catching children before they hit the ground allowing them to fall from a safe height and feel the effect of letting go and the point where they went too far.

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Taking your child to work as a nanny

More and more nannies are looking for jobs where they can take their own children with them. It seems like a perfect compromise between working and having time with your children, and increasing numbers of families are happy to reduce their costs a little bit – or get more for their money – by accepting a nanny who wants to bring her own child to work.

The law

A nanny can care for children from up to 2 families at once, and that includes her own children. So a nanny based at an employer’s home is able to take her own children along. Doing a nanny share and taking your own child is not allowed unless you register with a OFSTED as a childminder on the Early Years and Childcare registers. Registering on the voluntary register as a Home Childcarer, which is what OFSTED call nannies, isn’t enough. Nannies, however, don’t have to comply with ratios so can care for 2 babies or 4 children under 5.

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