dilemmas re childcare

Hi there - can anyone out there give me some advice?

I am a mum of 2 boys aged 3 and 5.We live in London and I have accepted a 2 year assignment in Hong Kong.

I am coming out first in June and my husband is going to follow 1 month later with our kids.

We both have jobs so I have about 3 weeks to find some help to look after our kids between school and when we come back from work.


If there is anyone out there with both parents working I have the following questions:

Some people I know have 2 maids one for the general household and one to look after the kids- how does that work? None of the flats we have seen have maids quarters for two.

Does the concept of a nanny exist and do people ever share them.In the UK we have clubbed together with a friend together to make it more affordable.I understand they are very expensive in Hong Kong.

How long should I allow to find, interview and appoint a maid.I'm coming out later this month so is it too early to start the process now.

Oh and I also need to find an appartment but that is another story...

Sorry to sound so green but any help gratefully recieved.

Thanks

Hi


Briefly on the nanny front you can hire a nanny/babysitter part-time. Check out www.thenannyexperts.com. I believe they may be another more babysitting agency around but not sure of their name.


Re: helpers - there are various agencies that can help you and one lady on the boards here recommended getting one (with a permanent visa) directly from the labour department job search board. You can find then that they do not need to live in. I do not have the web address but you can google "labour department job search Hong Kong" I would set up a few interviews for the first week you are here so that you have time etc. If you start the process only then it may be a little tight.


There are a few relocation firms that can help you with the whole finding an apartment school etc. But I am not so clued up on those. Many people seem to start off in a serviced apartment.

You can put another notice up regarding that.


Good Luck

I can't help with questions specific to Hong Kong, but your five year old will start school soon and so I'd suggest you figure out where you want him to go to school then consider apartment location based on that. The school should be able to help you out by telling you the main areas where other students live. Here in GZ one of my friends hired two women who were best friends to work together. One comes in at 7 AM and works "half time," the other comes in an hour or so before that one gets off and then stays until 7 at night. You may have heard that nannies are expensive, but surely not nearly as expensive as in England.

Wow, mumofeleanor posts such good advice. Serviced apartment on a short term lease would really give you time to get your feet on the ground before you start making such major decisions. Word of mouth is also definitely the way to find a helper. Also, bear in mind that's it's easier to negotiate good allowances up front than to have to come back later and ask for more when (because you are already here) you have less negotiating leverage.

Also bring up copies of the children's birth certificates/school reports from kindy and any vaccination reports with the passport photos so that you can put in applications for schools etc. I advise bringing up one of those expanding fileswith a handle (like a mini cardboard briefcase) the paperwork starts to get overwhelming at times. You might also bring documents for your husband and yourself so you can get a bank account started whilst you are up here and then there is the mobile phone thing as well. It all helps for when you come back and need to hit the ground running.


Mot peopel do not have two helpes with the ages of children you have. However if this would change if

1. You have a huge house to look after and extremely high standards for cleaning and cooking/shopping.


2. Both of your jobs require travel out of the country.


3. The children need lots of taking out of the home for outside activities that will eat into the time your helper is available to work inside the home or you don't want your younger one dragged around via taxis and public transport for the older ones commitments and vice versa.


Some people hire a driver instead so that everyone can travel around to committments such as playdates, haircuts, doctors, preschool, games activities (which you tend to do more of than in UL/Aus because you won't most likely have a garden where the kids can potter). The drivers/maids can even sometimes come as a couple and therefore sharing the small space become a bit easier.... on that point many helpers sleep in bunk beds even in the ridicuoulously small spaces. The drivers often do lots and lots of domestic chores and childminding/shopping errand running as well. They are not allowed to drive you or your husband however (this is for overseas domestic helper/drivers - not local drivers) just the kids when you are not with them and the errands etc. Many couples who are both working really appreciate this service as it cuts down the amount they spend on taxis, school buses and the time that the kids spend on public transport.


Although expensive there is also an agency called rent a mum which you should be able to find through the A-Z section of this site for when you first arrive. Alternatively put an add on the message boards of the Wellcome and Park N Shop notice boards in areas like Parkview, Repulse Bay, The Peak and see if there are any Nannies out there looking for some part time or holiday time work as it will soon be June/July/August long holidays when many expatriates are out of the country and do not need their nannies. Or advertise on this site. Parkview is a good serviced apartment for your sized family and good facilities for young kids like play rooms and indoor pools as well as a great supermarket for shopping, babysitters (local ) available and good network of expatriates. Bus/taxis at door to central and a preschool and lots of activities that the children can join in at the Parkview Residents club (paid). Very convenient and a the places that many expats stay when they first arrive. www.parkview.com I think!

wow that is such good advice - this site is so great. I can't believe how helpful everyone has been. both of our jobs will probably take us out of the country from time to time. I'll take a look at the sites you mention.

thanks once again.

I am the owner of Rent-A-Mum, and not only do we provide short term care for your children during that busy settling in period, we also provide permanent native English speaking nannies (from UK, Australia and NZ) who are qualified and experienced in their field. Of course this service is more expensive than a Domestic Helper, but then again it is a completely different kind of service. You would be getting someone from a similar cultural background to yourselves, who would be familiar with the educational/emotional/developmental needs of the children in their charge. The role of a professional nanny is, in essence, to perform the role of a parent,in their absence. This is especially useful when both parents are working and are travelling a lot. Please email me on rentamum@netvigator.com. I would be happy to speak with you by phone to discuss more thoroughly your childcare needs.

Dear RAM

I am coming out to Hong Kong w/c 24th April - maybe we could arrange to meet so I could discuss our families requirements with you.

Do you want to email me direct to the message board and let me know your phone number.

Thanks

Dear jslc66, I have sent you a msg to your msg board. looking forward to hearing from you.