Whats more important, close to home or work?

[oakleaf21]

I am debating between two nurseries, but im not sure what is more important, to have a nurseries close to home, or one close to work? there is probably 15 miles between my home and work.
I can see they both have good points, but wondered if anyone could speak from experience what works for them?
Thanks

[HSMMaCM]

Close to work means less hours in Childcare, but more hours in car.

Close to work means less likely to make friends with children they might (possibly) go to school with, but nearby for a quick pickup in case of illness.

There are pros and cons to both

[BikeRunSki]

Close to home.
Your child will get to know children locally.
Nursery may have links with local schools (ours does, even though is private day care)
Much easier when you are ill to drop your child off close to home.
If you have a live in OH, then easier for them to pick dc up close to home.

Unless saving the travel time from home to work is crucial to your working day, then I would choose close to home.

[ScientistwithoutWhiteCoat]

Close to home, for all reasons above and when you have a day off but want kid in nursery for precious adult-only time.

[oakleaf21]

Great, thanks. I think near to home it shall be!

[17leftfeet]

Close to work was a better fit for me due to my finish time at work -I finished at 5.30 and getting back for 6 was touch and go

I used to enjoy our time in the car, time for a chat about dds day before we got into the evening routine at home

[ReallyTired]

I think that a lot depends on how close to work is to home. Generally its more convienent to have nursery close to home, however if work is more than hour's journey then its sense to have nursery close to work so you don't get delayed in traffic between leaving work and picking up lo.

The cost nursery care varies dramatically between different towns. This is because business rates are higher in some areas than other. For example childcare in Luton, bedfordshire is substantially cheaper than Harpenden, hertfordshire because property in Harpenden is so expensive. (even though the two towns are really close together!)

[bigwellyfucker]

We opted for closer to work, theis was because I needed to be near DD1 when she started. She was srill breastfeeding ans completely refused a bottle, and she suffers seizures and so I wanted to build up my confidence at leaving her.

I would however switch her closer to home in a heartbeat if I could and when she starts local school DD2 will go to a CM near home.

Reasons are the amount of time spent in the car, DH doesn't do any pickups or drop offs, just me, I'm on maternity leave and every day DD1 is in nursery I have to make four trips across the city, awful with a new baby that loathes her car seat.

[Beveridge]

Close to home if only for the reason that when you are off work ill, you could probably manage to drag yourself there to drop them off before scuttling back to your deathbed.

Or, like my really close by nursery, they might even come and get them!

[Wallison]

I went for close to home and was really glad that I did. As others have said, it makes for more local playmates who will eventually become school-friends, so it's kind of rooting your child in the community around them, which is a very valuable thing. When my son eventually started school, he was already friends with quite a few people in his class having known them since they were all babies/toddlers, which I think helped loads with the transition.

[TreaterAnita]

Close to home for all the reasons that have been suggested (especially making local friends) unless your working hours mean that you are likely to be late for work or (worse still) late for pick up (ours fines vey heavily, husband got stuck in traffic once, ouch!)

I've changed my start time at work as I have a 40ish minute commute by train and was regularly missing the one that got me into work on time. 8:00 drop off and 8:07 train over the road seems fine, but then suddenly toddler refuses to get into pram, or you have to sign medicine form because he's on antibiotics, or he's clinging to your leg crying and before you know it you've missed the train and late for work.

Our nursery is great at realising that you've got to make a move, but at the same time, you don't want to spend the rest of the day feeling like a shit mum because you didn't try to settle your distressed child (although they seem to do this entirely to induce mummy guilt, my son has grown out of it now, but when he was at his worst, they used to phone me 15 mins later so I could hear him happily giggling away).

With my job, I can only do local to home nursery because husband does 99% of pick up, if I had to pick up too, it would have to be closer to work.

The ill thing is a good point too though. I never suffered from stomach bugs pre-child, and thankfully it seems to have now passed, but there was a period when he was a baby/little toddler where he would either have a but of diarrhoea and a little sick (so off nursery for 24 hours) or just actually a slightly runny nappy and 2 days later I'd be floored by a horrible bug and just be so grateful that I could stagger into nursery and drop him off for the day.

[FamiliesShareGerms]

Home if you have a reliable journey, otherwise work. I've done both, and quite enjoyed the time with DS when we were commuting together when he was little, but it made it a long day for him. But it was sooooo stressful when the trains were delayed and neither DH nor I could get back in time to pick up DS from the close to home nursery on time.

[Horispondle]

I'd go for which one you feel is the best nursery regardless of location!
We went for a local one despite its bad reputation for the many good reasons listed above. Was fined for being stuck in traffic once after leaving an hour before pick up town for a journey that usually took 20mins. Eventually left after witnessing a staff member mishandle our child in front of us...
She is now in a nursery close to my work which me and her both love!
I do love our chats in the car and especially our singing sessions at the traffic lights, but now I hate my job and the nursery is in the same building so I just couldn't see myself dropping her off then having to drive even further to a new workplace. It will break my heart taking her out but I think I will try find a local childminder to give us more flexibility.

[CatHackney]

Agree with Horispondle! I wouldn't just pick a nursery on location. I'd choose the environment that I thought would be happiest for my LO.

[Mandy21]

I agree that close to home is preferable, depending on your commute.

We moved house about 9 months before DC started at school but kept them in the same nursery and had a 40 min drive from nursery to new house. Much as previous posters say they love their time in the car with their DC, talking through the day / singing lasted about 5 minutes before they invariably fell asleep, so would be grouchy having food when we got home, wouldn't want to go to bed etc. It was horrible. Had to resort to making loud noises, tickling their feet (not ideal whilst I was driving!!), being silly to make them giggle, it was the worst 40 minutes of each day!! I found it very stressful.

Not nursery now but after-school care where I know I need to be home for a fixed time, 60 miles away from where I work on a busy stretch of motorway. For different reasons, that is stressful too, any hint of traffic or congestion and I know its going to be tricky to get back in time. I suppose its therefore a question of which would work best in your situation (now and in the future) and also which nursery you are most comfortable with.