The is the itinerary of a 5 month old pregnant mom and her 15 month old daughter
May 22nd, 2003, 05:07 AM
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The is the itinerary of a 5 month old pregnant mom and her 15 month old daughter
Hi everyone, I have posted a month or so ago but since then my travel plans has changed a bit. I will be travelling to london and Paris for 3 weeks with my 15 month old daughter and my husband. Initially it was just going to be us three but now since I am going to be 5 months pregnant at the time my husband has decided to take our nanny to help me with my daughter. Our plans so far are :-
June 13-22 london
June 23 leave to Paris on the eurostar and stay there until the 29th of June
june 30-july 1 london
july 2 fly home
In Paris we might go to disneyland paris for either a daytrip or a one night stay.
Personally, I would love to add one more destination like Edinburgh, brussels or Geneva. DO you think I have the time? Would love any input.
June 13-22 london
June 23 leave to Paris on the eurostar and stay there until the 29th of June
june 30-july 1 london
july 2 fly home
In Paris we might go to disneyland paris for either a daytrip or a one night stay.
Personally, I would love to add one more destination like Edinburgh, brussels or Geneva. DO you think I have the time? Would love any input.
May 22nd, 2003, 05:34 AM
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Why are you returning to London instead of departing from Paris? An open jaw won't really add much to the cost of the ticket (may even reduce it). And if you're bringing the nanny (fabulous idea, just make sure she understands that this is not a vacation for her) then expense is likely not that big an issue.
I wouldn't add another destination that required moving the entire household, but would instead do some day trips from Paris (without the 15 month old for at least some of them).
I wouldn't add another destination that required moving the entire household, but would instead do some day trips from Paris (without the 15 month old for at least some of them).
May 22nd, 2003, 05:36 AM
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I wouldn't knock yourself out to go to Disney Paris. A 15 month old will be too small to go on most rides and won't remember anything. I took my kids to disney world when they were 3 & 5. The 3 year old was amused but remembers absolutely nothing. The 5 year old was in have. I'm sure in both London and Paris there are some young-children friendly things to do. I don't know about those other cities.
May 22nd, 2003, 05:52 AM
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I think this is doable.
I travelled to London and Aberdeen/ Edinburgh with an 18-month old some years ago (well, it was a million years ago, but Mom-and-kids don't change)over a two week period-combined business and vacation.My husband was with us.
What we remember best is that our little one was happiest being able to keep to her routine and therefore staying in the London apt. was much preferable to the B&B and nightly changes of Scotland. Her tolerance for restaurant meals was low, but ice cream cones and tinned spaghetti helped a lot.
What she loved best was parks and zoos and gardens and picnics. Between you and the Nanny and Dad, you should all have a ball.
(BTW, I absolutely agree, skip Disney, its far too soon.)
I travelled to London and Aberdeen/ Edinburgh with an 18-month old some years ago (well, it was a million years ago, but Mom-and-kids don't change)over a two week period-combined business and vacation.My husband was with us.
What we remember best is that our little one was happiest being able to keep to her routine and therefore staying in the London apt. was much preferable to the B&B and nightly changes of Scotland. Her tolerance for restaurant meals was low, but ice cream cones and tinned spaghetti helped a lot.
What she loved best was parks and zoos and gardens and picnics. Between you and the Nanny and Dad, you should all have a ball.
(BTW, I absolutely agree, skip Disney, its far too soon.)
May 22nd, 2003, 06:38 AM
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Hi mommy2becky:
I think your plan sounds fine. My comment is not so much directed at that as it is to Therese's statement that you "make sure (your nanny) knows this isn't a vacation for her."
Ummm . . . OK. I'm going to give Therese the benefit of the doubt that she didn't mean to sound like Cruella DeVille but her statement reeks of elitism and just plain mean-ness. As an opposing view, I would urge you to at least consider providing your nanny with SOME downtime during your three-week trip.
I speak from experience as I am a former nanny (put myself through college that way) who traveled extensively with my employers (now dear friends) during my 4-year tenure. Every trip we took, they made sure to give me some time to myself to enjoy our locale. We usually worked it out so that I had the same amount of time off during the trip as I would ordinarily have had at home. This arrangement was reasonable and fair for both parties. and went a long way towards insuring that everyone got along well, and had a very productive and satisfying experience.
The bottom line is, your nanny is your employee, not your slave. Sure, she's getting to go to Paris and London on someone else's dime but, really, that's YOUR decision, not, necessarily, hers.
Just my 2 cents,
Jennie
I think your plan sounds fine. My comment is not so much directed at that as it is to Therese's statement that you "make sure (your nanny) knows this isn't a vacation for her."
Ummm . . . OK. I'm going to give Therese the benefit of the doubt that she didn't mean to sound like Cruella DeVille but her statement reeks of elitism and just plain mean-ness. As an opposing view, I would urge you to at least consider providing your nanny with SOME downtime during your three-week trip.
I speak from experience as I am a former nanny (put myself through college that way) who traveled extensively with my employers (now dear friends) during my 4-year tenure. Every trip we took, they made sure to give me some time to myself to enjoy our locale. We usually worked it out so that I had the same amount of time off during the trip as I would ordinarily have had at home. This arrangement was reasonable and fair for both parties. and went a long way towards insuring that everyone got along well, and had a very productive and satisfying experience.
The bottom line is, your nanny is your employee, not your slave. Sure, she's getting to go to Paris and London on someone else's dime but, really, that's YOUR decision, not, necessarily, hers.
Just my 2 cents,
Jennie
May 22nd, 2003, 06:50 AM
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Well said, Jenny; I have downloaded this for a young friend of mine who was a Nanny to a well-known (Canadian) comedienne and was mistreated in precisely this way while "assisting" the family on an enforced vacation. She arrived home and promptly quit.
Now, having said that, I don't suspect mommy2becky of any such capability: her posts sound like she is a thoughtful and concerned wife, Mum and employer who deserves to have a break before number 2 comes along!
Now, having said that, I don't suspect mommy2becky of any such capability: her posts sound like she is a thoughtful and concerned wife, Mum and employer who deserves to have a break before number 2 comes along!
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May 22nd, 2003, 07:07 AM
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LJ:
Yes, absolutely. Thanks for pointing that out. I hope I didn't come across as insinuating that mommy2becky would treat her nanny anything but fairly. I'm sure they will all have a fabulous time on their trip.
Jennie
Yes, absolutely. Thanks for pointing that out. I hope I didn't come across as insinuating that mommy2becky would treat her nanny anything but fairly. I'm sure they will all have a fabulous time on their trip.
Jennie
May 22nd, 2003, 07:29 AM
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Having both worked as an au pair/nanny and employed same, I'll point out that the expectations of both parties should be made clear. It's not a vacation for the nanny because she works as many hours as she normally does, and has as much time off as she normally does. So she's not on vacation. Her time off will be perhaps more interesting (if she enjoys travel, though many people don't), but she's still not on vacation.
It's also not an opportunity for the employer to dump all over the nanny and expect her to take over for the child 24/7---if parents want to do this then they need to leave the child at home with a 'round the clock caretaker.
As for whose decision it is whether the nanny travels to London or Paris, it is most definitely the nanny's. She is not a slave, and if she doesn't want to go she doesn't go. If travel was not a condition of her employment that's the end of it. If it was, then she's looking for a new job.
It's also not an opportunity for the employer to dump all over the nanny and expect her to take over for the child 24/7---if parents want to do this then they need to leave the child at home with a 'round the clock caretaker.
As for whose decision it is whether the nanny travels to London or Paris, it is most definitely the nanny's. She is not a slave, and if she doesn't want to go she doesn't go. If travel was not a condition of her employment that's the end of it. If it was, then she's looking for a new job.
May 22nd, 2003, 07:40 AM
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Hi mom,
I would also suggest leaving from Paris. We have done the "return to London for a night", and it wasn't that much fun.
I also suggest skipping Disneyland, and doing a day trip out of London or Paris.
You can take a morning train to Edinburgh and come home that night should you wish to. You can visit Versaille from Paris, the kid would like the gardens and fountains.
I would also suggest leaving from Paris. We have done the "return to London for a night", and it wasn't that much fun.
I also suggest skipping Disneyland, and doing a day trip out of London or Paris.
You can take a morning train to Edinburgh and come home that night should you wish to. You can visit Versaille from Paris, the kid would like the gardens and fountains.
May 22nd, 2003, 07:54 AM
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Thanks for clarifying, Therese. Obviously I was right to give you the benefit of the doubt! 
We seem to be pretty much on the same page with the whole nanny/employer relationship. I guess I just looked at the situation differently. For me, when I'd travel with my family, it actually WOULD seem like a vacation in a lot of ways. Probably because if, for example, they went to the Louvre, I went to the Louvre. I mean, I did enjoy myself while doing touristy things even though, technically, I was "working." In fact, I used to joke with my family that not only was I getting to go to, for another example, Fiji (where I would sit on the beach outside our hotel with my charge and build sandcastles or stroll with him along the seaside picking up seashells; both of which, to me anyway, seemed like very "vacation-like" things to do.) but I was getting paid for it! Ha-ha!
I guess my concern came from the impression I took from your comment that, mommy2becky should make sure the nanny understood that, since this was not a "vaction" for her, she was not to enjoy herself while in London and Paris. I'm sure that that was not your intention.
Jennie
We seem to be pretty much on the same page with the whole nanny/employer relationship. I guess I just looked at the situation differently. For me, when I'd travel with my family, it actually WOULD seem like a vacation in a lot of ways. Probably because if, for example, they went to the Louvre, I went to the Louvre. I mean, I did enjoy myself while doing touristy things even though, technically, I was "working." In fact, I used to joke with my family that not only was I getting to go to, for another example, Fiji (where I would sit on the beach outside our hotel with my charge and build sandcastles or stroll with him along the seaside picking up seashells; both of which, to me anyway, seemed like very "vacation-like" things to do.) but I was getting paid for it! Ha-ha!
I guess my concern came from the impression I took from your comment that, mommy2becky should make sure the nanny understood that, since this was not a "vaction" for her, she was not to enjoy herself while in London and Paris. I'm sure that that was not your intention.
Jennie
May 22nd, 2003, 08:48 AM
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Exactly, Jennie. Another pitfall is the employer's treating the experience as a "vacation" for her employee, along the lines of "Aren't you lucky that you get to go all of these cool places for free". It may well be very cool, but it is most certainly not "free", and there's no point in the employer coming over all self-satisfied that she's treating somebody when she's not.
None of my childcare jobs were as posh as yours were, Jennie, but they were nonetheless enjoyable. I'm now beyond the point of needing an au pair for my own kids, but chances are good that my daughter will someday consider a similar position.
None of my childcare jobs were as posh as yours were, Jennie, but they were nonetheless enjoyable. I'm now beyond the point of needing an au pair for my own kids, but chances are good that my daughter will someday consider a similar position.
