Lucy, looking for a nanny in Bristol BS6 for the 17 June 2019

Westbury-on-Trym, Bristol.

Our hours are 5/6 hours a day in the term-time and full time in the holidays. Monday to Friday, 1.30pm to 6.30pm, starting June. If possible, we'd also like help with the morning school run between 8.00am to 9.00am. Plus some extra hours, and 9.00am-6.30pm in the 57 school holiday days and 5 inset days.
28 days holiday, pension and mileage expenses covered. Pay rate per hour and hours are negotiable.

We have an unusual set-up. We are both usually around quietly in the background. Five years ago our son was critically ill and I (mum) was diagnosed with cancer. Our son has fully recovered. I underwent years of treatment and have now been diagnosed with another cancer, which requires daily drugs to keep it at bay. I’m poorly in bed most of the time and my brain is slow. My husband (dad) is my full-time carer and currently suffers from chronic migraines and needs to rest all afternoon.

9 year old girl and 6 year old boy.
They're both sociable and playful, they love silliness, making things, cuddles and messing around outside. They value fairness and caring emotional guidance. They are also sometimes vulnerable and sad and need listening to with empathy and care.

9 year old girl - she’s creative, has high emotional intelligence and adores her little brother. She can be quite day dreamy and forgetful and very sensitive, so you’ll need massive amounts of patience for guiding and reminding. She’s experienced trauma, death, long-term family illness, caring and missing out on a lot of ‘normal’ things. She needs lots of genuine warmth and skilful connection from you and to know she is safe for her to trust and bond with you. She’ll enjoy you making time with her for singing, listening to music, dancing, crafts and being interested in her chatting.

6 year old boy - he bonds easily and is quite straightforward and full of beans and loves life. His sister is his favourite person in the world. He has mild issues with separation (traumatic childhood experiences being hospitalised, intensive care and ill as a toddler, and having mummy taken away ill and other carers) so he sometimes doesn’t like to be left alone in a room or go upstairs alone. He has multiple food intolerances, but we have a simple diet worked out for you to follow for him, and medication. He’ll love any time you can give him to play in the sandpit or play Lego especially and company while he plays. You'll need lots of strength and energy for supporting scooting, cycling, climbing, running and bouncing play and patience for producing his special diet meals and snacks.

We have a very sociable, vocal and playful cat. You will have to be a cat or animal lover and enjoy their quirks and be confident to pick him up and handle him. He can’t be ignored, so you’ll have to be happy to give him a few minutes of your time every day or he’ll keep on following you around and asking for cuddles and he’ll get grumpy, but show him love and he’s a loyal friend.

In the afternoon, 1.30 to 3.15, you have 1 3/4 hours before you go to do school pick up to potter and do general housework (cleaners do the whole house fortnightly), prepare dinner, do special diet batch cooking for the freezer, do a bit of laundry or any of those things that are much easier to get done without the children around, leaving you more time together after school. We have a folder with lists of what happens or needs doing each day, we'll settle you in over the first few weeks and we’re always happy to help and answer questions after that.

We'd love to find someone who is kind, loving, playful, energetic, organised, willing, thoughtful, co-operative, sensitive and adaptable, understanding, good listener. It’s ideal if you’ve been a carer, a nurse, in social work or worked with special needs families and children or had people close to you with chronic illness, loss, or high-need children, so you have experience of the impact it has on family and children.

You’ll need to be a driver, preferably with your own car insured for nannying although we have one you can use.

Please contact us for more information or with any questions. We're looking forward to hearing from you.
Lucy and Arran