BigRuss

My wife and I will likely travel to London in April '09 with our son, who will be 20 mos. old at that time. We will also likely get an apartment to stay in for our trip, not a hotel.

Any suggestions for babysitting services or reputable nanny agencies?

Thanks.

Carrybean

The flat rental agency should be able to help with this.

walkinaround

we call a 'babysitting' service a 'crèche'. might help with your search for one.

usually we shun french words but this one we like.

Cholmondley_Warner

we call a 'babysitting' service a 'crèche'. might help with your search for one.

usually we shun french words but this one we like.>>>

"We" might like the word "creche" but "we" don't seem to know what it means...(it isn't a pile up in Kensington either)

To avoid confusion; a creche is somewhere you park a baby/kid while you go somewhere else and there are people to look after it. ie you take the bay there.

We use the word baby sitter to mean someone (usually a teenage girl) who comes to your place to look after the rug rat in your home/room.

walkinaround

i agree with cw. it's an on site baby sitting service rather than the person that comes to your home. i was not clear in my post and i do apologise.

nytraveler

My understanding is that a creche is actually a day care center - for numerous children, where moms drop kids while they go off to work. (And in the US day care centers are that - day care - and usually close at 6 pm or so.)

A babysitter is a person who comes to your house or apartment - usually in the evening - just to take care of your child - generally at an hourly rate.

At home these are typically teenage girls (usually neighbors) - but in a foreign city I can understand why parents would want someone with credentials.

And in the US a "creche" is usually the nativity scene with Christ child under the Christmas tree.

Agree that the rental agency should probably have a list of nanny or sitting services.