Remember Lynette in the Desperate Housewives looking for a nanny in the park? I was nearly about to do a headhunt like that...
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Yes, I am going to be back to a 'career woman' (or a crazy scientist if you prefer) and little Gaston's daycare need to be arranged. Judging from his I-need-a-LOT-of-attention personality and overwhelmingly-scary (except to his parents)-when-angry character, we think a nounou (nourice/ assistante maternelle, nanny in french) is more suitable for this little cutie (yeah, still is..)
From the thick list I got from various sources, I was at first very confident of finding one but the odd feeling started to mount after dialing the first dozen and none of them were available for our son. Each registered nounou has a maximum number of kids she could welcome, depending on their accommodation, equipments and etc. But they also have requirements for the hours and age,i.e. half time, nights, weekend, not before 9h, not after 18h, more than 18 months, and so on... I was even told that Gaston is too old because they were looking for a 'baby'. (Later , I gathered their baby means those laying-whole-day newborns.) I admit I was at one moment depressed a little and started to use a 'french way' to get me out of this ordeal, or even, let's be exaggerate, calvaire (calvary). What is this magic way? It's not the rigologie I am doing these days (eh..I shall explain that sometime), it's, I termed it, 'let's just complain it out loud and be so chatty even this person is not whom you are looking for and even you are just wasting precious time.' So I started to explain and chat everything to every nounou I phoned of our situation, my life, my job, french education system, language learning method, and you name it. And guess what? It worked!
Just when I was again chatting on the phone with this nice lady who lived literally next door (I was at the moment complaining that it would be really nice if it were her coz she lives so close). She proposes that she might know someone who is looking for a kid (who needs be able to walk). And later this being-introduced-someone phone me back, and now it's HER!
Thank goodness we don't have to be like some couples here who started to find a nounou even before the baby is conceived!
3 comments:
Wow Wow nan Chin I am so excited. Bob said he was 'schooling you' for a new submission...is this the one???? I am SO happy for you. now the time is right to be again a working scientist and a mother too. Good luck with your nounou (a very silly French name but what can you expect :-D) and I hope she is as good as Junie was for Cleo..
Not that one (but I hope that will be the next.)
--just spent 2.5 hours with the nounou going through the contract.. exhausted..
Wow going back to work?! Are you excited? What job is it? Congratulations on finding a nanny! It's not easy here either...
Shoyi
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