nanny Archives | The London Mummy

Gift Guides

15 Gift Ideas For Your Au Pair

Kicking off The London Mummy Christmas Gift Guides are ideas for your Nanny or Au Pair.

If you value them (which you should – bxxxxy hard job don’t you think?) they deserve something that is thoughtful and shows your appreciation for them.

Whether they have been with you a month or a year, here are some fab ideas!

Moroccan Beach Basket from Mymia £35

These are great for all their miscellaneous belongings and it also looks super sweet and can double up as a ‘playground’ bag in the summer.

Dasher Hair Ties from Millie Pink £8

If you are pulling together a few bits for them, be sure to include these gorgeous festive hair ties from Mille Pink. Also make great arm candy.

Flamingo Cushion from Poppy & Honesty £35

This handmade flamingo from Poppy & Honesty is lovely and will be a lasting present once they move on. (Sob)

Luxury Beauty Cracker from The Vintage Cosmetic Company £9

Who doesn’t love a cracker? Filed with beauty treats, this would be lovely for them to pull on Christmas Day.

London Skyline Wallet from Accessorize £19

This spacious wallet will be sure to impress their friends back home.

Save The Children Christmas Jumper from The Fmly Store £45

If you are giving them a present that they will open before Christmas (as perhaps they are flying home and want to travel lightly) this Christmas jumper is not only gorgeous, profits go to Save The Children. Win Win.

Birchbox Subscription £30 for 3 months

5 full size beauty products each month. I actually want this… Perhaps we could share!

Ear Jacket from Marta Frisnes £46

If you aren’t familiar with Marta Frisnes, her jewellery is stunning. This cool ear jacket typifies that she is a frontrunner of this years trends. If they are slightly edgy, give them this, they won’t know what’s hit them!

Early Throw from Sheridan Australia £79

If they are from warmer climates, the arctic air that has suddenly hit us will be a shock to the system. Keep them warm this winter with this lovely soft, knitted wool blanket from Sheridan. They also of lovely Duvet Sets.

Paddington Guide To London from Wordery £6

This is a great guide and fab as an introduction to the popular sights of London. Easy to use and clearly laid out, every house should have one of these in their book shelves.

A Spa Experience from Buyagift.com £55

The voucher comes in a beautiful gift box, and with thousands of different experiences across the whole on England, they can swap to something else if they aren’t keen on what you have bought them!

Brownie Gift Box from Sugarella from £10

No doubt the best brownies I have ever tasted and the packaging is gorgeous too. Perfect to take back to their homeland too.

Original Green Hunter Boots £90

I bought these for three consecutive (Spanish) au pairs at Christmas. Well, they did ask! They loved that they were ‘traditionally English’ and perfect for the wet weather.

Personalised Leather Wrap Dice Bracelet from Merci Maman £49

If your nanny really loves your children (!) get them this bracelet with each initial on it.

Lit Fabulous Plaque from Next £40

If you find it hard to tell them how much you value them, show them with this battery operated wall hanging from Next. Next also do lots of different wall lights, including the popular box lights where you can change the words around. Worth a look!

I hope this has helped. A nicely written card is also a good addition to a present. After all, you want them to comeback after Christmas!!!

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Services

Creative Childcare From Bea & Co

There is usually is a heavy influence of women in a young childs early life. Mothers, female childcare & teachers make up a team of primary carers. So other than Dad & wider family, where do young boys in particular glean from other good male role models?

When I heard about Bea & Co who offer creative sitters, both men and women – I opted to try a manny. As try as I might to have pushed for a male au pair in the past, it has always been a big fat no from my other half. Fair enough, but a few hours childcare – who can say no to that?

Jamie breezed into our house on Wednesday afternoon and after politely introducing himself and taking his shoes off, immediately cracked a gag with the boys and the rest is… a very quiet afternoon for me! All I heard were squeals of delight from upstairs as they did a treasure hunt around the house, an assault course and some imaginative play.

This is the benefit of having an actor to look after your children. Their senses were engaged from the off and Jamie’s magnetism had them all enraptured and engaged. They finished off the afternoon in the garden throwing a ball about, bounced on the trampoline and had an archery competition, before he sat with them at supper and distracted them through to completion of their burgers. Result! (Yes, mine actually have to be coaxed into eating BURGERS!)

Bea & Co offers babysitting (but note – these guys & gals don’t sit!) both day and evening, chaperoning, days out, International travel assistance and if you think your child has it in them – coaching (singing, acting, dancing). Both team members and clients are personally recommended (if you phone Bea & Co, you can say you heard from me!) so all the creatives are CRB checked and experienced.

Once you sign up for the yearly membership fee, there is the same very reasonable hourly fee, day or night. After Amy, the lovely founder meets you and your brood she will introduce you to a few creatives, who you will have access to use at short notice & who know your routine and family, so no awkward familiarisation process as with a traditional babysitting agency.

Try them and you won’t look back!

beaandco.com

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People Services

5 Services To Simplify Your Life

As I mentioned in my previous post, I have been feeling a bit overwhelmed with the current task in hand (perpetuated by the looming 12 week summer holiday). I have been day dreaming about a fairy Godmother entering my domain and waving a magic wand over my (first world – let’s keep some perspective) problems, so that we too, can look calm and happy like 95% of the Instagram accounts that I (@thelondonmummy) follow. Simplify my life. That’s all I ask.

Below are 4 business’s that have been set up to help people like you and me.

Sort Your Help

This company can help you find that fairy Godmother to help you with ‘domestic’ duties such as looking after the children or the housework. If you aren’t sure what you need, start with a consultation to decipher what sort of help you need to begin with. I know that sometimes when my children are being uber sweet, I want to be sole charge and delegate the washing to a willing pair of hands however after a few blue smarties and a late night (them not me) I would prefer a super nanny to take them off my hands and for me to put my marigolds on. This is why I know I need someone flexible who allows for my indecision, but I think I need to know more than that!

Catherine or Alexa can give an objective opinion on what they think might be right for your personal situation at the time and then begin the hunt for you.

Contact Alexa or Catherine Sort Your Help

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Alexa and Catherine

Emergency Childcare

Emergency Childcare allows parents to book an emergency nanny or child minder across the UK with as little as 30 minutes’ notice. Childcare can be booked for whenever you need – today, tomorrow or in 3 months’ time (on a day-at-a-time basis).

Here are just a few examples of when parents use them:

Their usual nursery is closed for the day
Their permanent nanny is off sick
Their childminder is going to be on holiday
The school has (another!) inset day
They want some time for themselves (hmmm might just book in that emergency weekend nanny now…)

Contact Venetia at Emergency Childcare

Venetia with Tabitha and Francesca

Teatime Tutors

Tutoring, homework assistance and a healthy tea? That’s the best 3 in 1 deal I have heard of in a while. Tash Rosin has cornered a gap in the market to help alleviate that sometimesstressfulwithallthechildrenathome time of homework and tea. Can’t quite justify it yet (colouring half circles and days of the week at prep time – I can just about manage) but I am definitely ‘bookmarking’ Tash for later on.

Contact Tash at Teatime Tutors

Tash mid tutoring

Quintessentially Education

There has been lots of coverage in the news of late about consultations with professional advisers on ‘where would be the best Public School for your unborn child’ (OK, I exaggerate but I am not that far off the mark). However, for those new to the British system or indeed to London, I can see that it could be mighty helpful to lift the fog on what’s what in terms of the British education system. Atleast it will give you peace of mind if you are unsure about your next step.

Rose is a lovely girl who works as a nursery consultant for Quintessentially Education and can help advise what nursery may suit your child, especially if you have a clear trajectory of education in mind. Get the nursery right and Ox-bridge here we come…

Contact Rose at Quintessentially Education

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Family Life Services

Word On The Street

It’s that time of year again. The Au Pair search. Our lovely Spanish Au Pair is leaving at the end of the month and I need a ~~Mary Poppins~~ replacement.

Earlier this month, I wrote about the advantages of having an Au Pair and questions to ask a prospective one. I am going to heed my own advice and start by putting up a profile on Au Pair World This will hopefully narrow down a couple of goodies that I can ask this list of questions to!

These are current positions available that I can recommend, so drop me an email if you want to be put in touch.

CURRENT

Available

~~A1. Lovely 29 yr Venezuelan nanny, looking for two full days on Mondays and Wednesdays. Greater London.~~

~~A2. Delightful and hardworking 24yr Spanish girl who has completed a year as an Au Pair and deserves to become a become a Nanny. From September. London.~~

~~A3. Excellent experienced 30 yr old Turkish nanny looking for a new live out nanny job. From September. 7 years experience. CRB Checked and First AID.~~

A4. Experienced part time midwife available for adhoc days and nights with newborn. She is a great help with siblings too.

~~A5. Spanish University student wanting to come to UK to be an au pair for two months in the summer to practice her English.~~

~~A6. Early 40s Filipino lady. Qualified nanny – firm but very fair and adores children. Free Available Monday’s, Tuesdays and Fridays.~~

~~A7. Jessica, Spanish, 23 years old. Looking for work as aupair/live-in. She only speaks Spanish. She is a very honest helpful girl.~~

A8. Julia, from Macedonia, 27 years old. She speaks English fluently, always has a big smile on her face, and is looking for work in the mornings (she works in the afternoon). She can do housework and take care of children.

~~A9. Afternoon nanny/housekeeper available. Cleo is fabulous and comes highly recommended by her her employers who are moving to the country. Pref Fulham.~~

~~A10. Wonderful Argentinian Au Pair available from 3rd August – 3rd February.~~

Let me know if you can recommend a person for Word On The Street.

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