Cabin crew, baby and childcare...

[Angelique]

Hi,

I am going back to work in august and find it hard to come up with the best solution for the care of my 7 months old daughter. I am a cabin crew and will therefore be away 3 to 5days at a time. I cannot exactly rely on the dad who being in catering does silly hours too!!

Anyone in the same situation and/or willing to share advice? :)) thxs

[The Nappy Lady]

Hi Angelique,

A friend of mine has a job that takes her away for days at a time, and she has a live in Au Pair. It seems to work for them, though her daughter is older (5) and at school.

I guess the hardest thing for you is that the baby will need full time care, with maybe some support from your hubby during the day, but I assume he is out in the evenings, so the carer will need to be willing to do evenings etc. But of course they will then get time off when you are back, so it will be swings and roundabouts - hard to combine with doing (for instance) an English course which is what many Au Pairs are here for, but would be OK for someone who just wanted to 'see the UK'.

I assume from your post you don't have the option of changing your job so you only do short haul or UK only flights?

Molly

[Mellors]

Au pairs can't have sole charge for children under 2.

I think you need a live in nanny. V expensive though.

[candj]

Do you have family close by who could pitch in or come for a 'visit' when you are away? It could dovetail well with your husband's schedule so that they wouldn't have to be full time, but would get a break while he was home. My husband and I have had inlaws come for a visit when we've both been away on business and it worked out well.

[The Nappy Lady]

I didn't know that Mellors thanks for correcting me.

It does sound like it is going to be tricky and expensive.

Not ideal but another thought, could you switch to ground crew for a while til baby is older? Sorry, I know you are asking about Childcare not job alternatives and expect you have already considered all these options already.

Really hope you can find a solution that works.

Molly

[candp]

A friend had this dilemma and she found that there are some childminders and I think even a nursery near to LHR that can accommodate babies. I'm sure other childminders near airports must have had this request too and you could find one, albeit at a premium. There's definitely a nanny agency we found called Flying Babies or something - hang on, googled it, http://www.flyingtots.com/childcare-techniques/

I'll ask her if she knows of them and PM you if I get any useful info...

[LI]

Just a thought - I registered for childcare vouchers recently via care-4. Their site allows you to search for childminders and they do have some in the local area who provide overnight care. I think the childminders have to belong to the national childminding association to appear in this search list so maybe the NCMA can give you the contacts directly?

[ClareC]

I have a friend who is BA cabin crew, she has twin girls and has an au pair and has done so as long as I have known her (she is a single parent having split from her husband when the girls were very young).

My sister's friend also has twins and is a single parent in the police force (shift work etc), she too uses an au pair, her twins are below 2, I wasn't aware there was any restriction on age with au pairs.

[Fuschia]

I thoight technically an au pair isn't supposed to have sole charge of any preschool child

[Angelique]

Thanks guys!

I'm new on this forum but I love it already!!! You have completly summed up my dilemma! lol

You are right Molly and I have already considered many options with my job but I like flying though and there is no short haul with Virgin! so I want to try and give it a go..

As you said Candj our family is more than happy to come and help every month and it's great but I can't just rely on them, they are all in france,the logistic is gonna be hard work!.. I need someone I can depend on...

The live in nanny or au Pair would need to sleep on the balcony!! lol I dont really think that's an option for us! Also idealy I would like my daughter to spend some time with other kids. That's why I was thinking more of a childminder.

Thanks Li for the tip on care4, virgin directed me on that and I'm looking at it!!

And Big thanks Candj for that flyingtot cie! I did not know about them, it seems really good on paper! Just have to see their fees now!! AAAAAAAAAAAaaaaaaarrggg!! lol

You can't have it all, can you? but it's all good I can see I'm getting there slowly slowly!

Thanks a lot people!!! If you think of anything else...:))