Advice needed- which days!?

[Skeppers]

Hi,

I'm entering the minefield of nurseries for the first time. Our baby is due in August but places for 2016 are already filling quickly (!) as our first choice nursery has a great reputation (my mum works in the childcare/SEN field and this place comes highly recommended) and is very popular.

I'm going back to work either part-time or full-time compressed hours in June, depending on what we can afford. DH can also switch to compressed hours (4 day week) and MIL can definitely have baby for one day per week. So we'll only need nursery for 2 full days. But we don't know, or won't know for some time which days! I won't be speaking with HR re: my return to work until at least January, but the nursery need to know now for us to book a place. My not working isn't an option as I'm the main breadwinner and we really need both salaries to get by.

Should I book the 2 days provisionally and then just have to try and persuade my employer to 'work' around them? They have form for being pretty accommodating in the past, but I'm moving to a new dept just before I go on maternity leave and I don't know my new manager. It's more likely that if DH and I have a day off it'll be a Monday or a Friday, so should I book a Weds/Thurs for example, as those are days we're more likely to have to be in work?

It's so confusing! I'm not blummin' psychic!

What would you do/have you done if you've been in the same situation?

Thanks in advance!

[RhinosAreFatUnicorns]

I would speak with your organisation now actually. I did just that - arranged my part time hours before I left on mat. leave. That way you know what you're doing and so does your manager. It gives them plenty of time to plan for recruitment.

[drinkscabinet]

Speak to work and see if they have a preference, but also speak to nursery to see what days are available. FWIW if you have a choice take Mondays at home, otherwise you'll have to use annual leave for the bank holidays (not an issue if you work a compressed week though).

You're in quite a good situation if both of you are reducing your days at work, it means you'll both have greater flexibility assuming both employers are happy for you to change your days about (DH and I have swapped days if one of our employer requires us to, but my boss is very flexible and there are a few people approaching retirement who work part time who are in work on different days every week it seems!)

[Crazycatlady27]

Can you not book for a full time place, then drop the days you don't need when you know what days your working?

[ShadowSteam]

I booked a full time place at nursery, and then when work had confirmed which days I would be working, I dropped the nursery days I didn't need.

[Skeppers]

Now, that's a good idea. Didn't you have to pay a deposit though? Did you lose the money?

[ShadowSteam]

I didn't have to pay a bigger deposit for booking a full time place than I'd have had to pay for just booking a part time place from the start. So no money lost for booking a full time place and then dropping to part time.

Other nurseries may have different rules about this of course.