Advice requested

[flea]

Could I get some feedback on the following? Does it make us sound like freaks? ARE we freaks, for considering the second set of options? The neighborhood is big old houses, a mix of young yuppie families, faculty, old-time residents, DINK gay couples, that sort of thing. Fairly expensive but not in a soulless suburban way. We've lived there less than a year and don't know a whole lot of people, though I have had casual conversations with some other parents in the park when it was fall and sunny, and the baby was new. I was a little shell-shocked at the time, though, and I'm pretty shy.

Dear [neighborhood-parent listserv],

We are looking ahead for a new child care situation for our daughter. Our nanny will be leaving us in early summer, when [Casper] will be 9 months old. Transportation is a make-or-break issue for us, so we are looking for something close to home. We are interested in part-time care, about 20 hours a week, during the traditional work day. Specific times are flexible. [flea] works weekdays from 8-4, but [mr. flea] is in graduate school and spends a few days a week at home with the baby. (Sometimes he even gets work done!)

Do you have a child in a small, home-based day care in or near the neighborhood that may have a spot opening up this summer? If so, would you send us contact information for the child care provider?

We are also open to creative solutions such as sharing a nanny with another family, trading child care with another family, or paying you to care for our daughter if you are home with your own child /children. If you're interested, let's get to know each other and our respective needs and see if we can work something out.

Best,
us

Comments

[jonquil.livejournal.com]

I think this sounds absolutely brilliant. Do it. I hope it works.

[jesseh.livejournal.com]

That sounds completely normal to me. But of course, what do I know?? (Well, I do know that when I was little, I was involved in a couple of situations like that -- shared sitters and stuff. Of course, it was the 70s, but still.)

[mearagrrl.livejournal.com]

Eh.If they think it's crazy, they're not people you want to be sharing a child-care situation with anyway. Here's hoping it works!

[orthoepy.livejournal.com]

Sounds fine to me. We posted something similar at our local college (by local, I mean "ten blocks away") looking for someone to watch LB. I think we put in "Must like Batman and Superman." And we got two lovely young women, one of whom is up playing Batman with LB right now.

Good luck! I overheard at preschool yesterday that they ARE doing a summer program. Thank you Jesus!