Babysitting Advice

LondonDiva

Thought I'd post a Latest update...

I've swallowed my pride :T& let a few 'carefully select' people know that I'm available

I've advertised on Gumtree, mumsnet & nannyjobs & from those, have had about 20 nibbles wanting me to do after school pickup & 2 close runs for babysitting. If I didn't work during the day, & could do pickups & minding between 3-7, I'd be set.

My closest person got very excited & we started making meet/coffee plans until she revealed she lives in Brighton ~ even though the add said Balham, Clapham, Tooting, Streatham, Wandsworth etc :rolleyes:

Still looking for the magic families though...

Diva:(

summerday

Hi Diva,

I have done lots of babysitting over the years too, and much of that has actually been found through advertising in newsagents wondows. I've never had a problem with the safety aspect, I normally have quite a lengthy chat to the parent who calls me anyway and get a feel for what they're like, it's nearly always women and often people who've recently moved to the area. I always offer to meet the family before they start using me as a babysitter and when I do that I get my partner to sit in the car outside and have my phone on me just in case there was any dodgy situations.

The link to the Sitters agency is a good idea, I tried to join them but couldn't as I don't have recent experience with children under 9 months which is a pre-requisite for them.

Also you could try contacting your social services departments (try the family support teams first or adolescent outreach teams) to see if they need any more sessional workers. This can involve working with social care families doing all kinds of things from taking children out for the day doing nice things, or driving on a contact visit. The pay for this can be quite good as well by the hour and is on an informal basis.

Hope this helps, Sarah.

Ellie2758

If your local social services has a LINK scheme going you could become a respite carer for a family who have a child with a disability. You get paid, not sure how much though.

ELlie

alyssa_mae

Ellie2758 wrote:

If your local social services has a LINK scheme going you could become a respite carer for a family who have a child with a disability. You get paid, not sure how much though.

ELlie

but is this during the day or can u do evenings as well? as I thought london diva works during the day.

Js_Other_Half

alyssa_mae wrote:

but is this during the day or can u do evenings as well? as I thought london diva works during the day.

Some Family Link carers in our area only work weekends...? Not awfully well paid though - I think it may be something like £25 for overnight.

LondonDiva

Thought I'd post an update on this.

I had some interest, but wasn't really happy with some of the parents/situations - a lot of people didn't read my posts properly or I didn't have a good feeling eg there was a woman who wanted me to start the next day (didn't want to meet me or for me to meet the children, then I found out she didn't want babysitting, but was proposing
a 60 hr week for £115:eek: ) It's amazing how people will care more on the finer points of takeaways than in who takes care of their children:(

I'm currently doing paid sitting for 2 kids whose family are really cool - I've had them for evenings & overnights. I've even introducing the kids to bits of o/s life:D

The eldest (12) is having a not so fun time at the moment, and after talking it through with her, she's having a Sunday lunch for her friends for the next time I'm there for the weekend - her parents have told her that they'll only go halves with her on the cost of the food...

It's been a lot of fun sorting a budget menu with her & we spent last night reading through the slowcooker thread & thinking it all through. She wants to bake her own bread for it as well, so the next visit is going to involve me lugging the slowcooker there on the bus We've even baked a cake for the freezer last night :rotfl: :rotfl: :rotfl:

Two birds with one stone - earning a depost & starting children down the MSE path early:D:D:D