Childcare plans?

**cakelover** · 28-11-2003, 10:46 PM

I was wondering what your childcare arrangements are or will be in medical school? How old are your children?

**Tangliss** · 28-11-2003, 11:05 PM

My son is currently 2. If I get in next year, I will be putting him into the university Nusery.

I have also applied to Access to Medicine, and Carter is already signed up for their Nursery.

**cjb** · 28-11-2003, 11:47 PM

University nursery sounds like a great idea. 8)

Med school hours are a bit unpredicatable (ie you could be finishing at 5.30 every night one week, and 1pm every afternoon another week). So your childcare arrangements need to be reasonably flexible.

We have an au pair, and so far I've found that works very well (plus my husband works mainly from home).

**Tangliss** · 28-11-2003, 11:49 PM

The nusery also has an after school care scheme. Plus my husband will pick my son up when I can't.

**Betty Boop** · 29-11-2003, 11:47 AM

Hi,

I think the best option for my kids is to have a nanny/au pair. Two of my kids will be in school, but I would still need someone to be able to pick them up etc. My hubbie will be around, but he's also working. Whatever we decide to do, it's going to be very expensive. We currently employ a nanny, but in this part of the world it doesn't cost us much. I am looking into taking our nanny back to the UK with us under an ODW (Overseas Domestic Worker) visa.

What are your plans Sethina?

**cjb** · 29-11-2003, 06:37 PM

Au pairs aren't that expensive (you need a spare room, of course, unlike a live-out nanny). Its around £45 per week (might be a bit more in London, but wouldn't be in Birmingham)

**cakelover** · 29-11-2003, 09:42 PM

I'm thinking about an au-pair or live-out. Any good recommendations for finding one. Of course, it will depend which school (I hopefully) go to... Childcare here in Los Angeles is VERY expensive, $45 sounds unbeleivable. What do you all spend on childcare now?

**Tangliss** · 29-11-2003, 09:46 PM

I don't spend anything onn childcare now, as I look after my son. However, I have looked into private nurseries, which cost on average around £500 a month.

**cjb** · 30-11-2003, 03:45 PM

Originally Posted by mommd

I'm thinking about an au-pair or live-out. Any good recommendations for finding one. Of course, it will depend which school (I hopefully) go to... Childcare here in Los Angeles is VERY expensive, $45 sounds unbeleivable.

Au pairs are limited in what they can do, though: they can't work more than 5 hours per day, 25 hours per week (although you can get something called "au pair plus" where they do work more hours for more money).

I would recommend using an internet agency. Normal agencies charge you about £200 and £300, and they don't actually do anything for that other than introduce (ie they don't do reference checks, police checks etc). I would recommend www.great-aupair.com (think that's the right address). Its about £30 for one month's membership, which is plenty of time to find somebody (its generally taken me less than a week). The membership fee entitles to you full contact details (email and address) so that you can then chat to the au pair on your own terms, follow up references etc. You can browse the site without paying membership but then you don't get the contact details.

c