Nursery for Summer in New City - am I crazy?

[MizZan]

Would appreciate ANY advice, especially from experienced nursery users...

Our family is moving to a new city in mid-July. I am considering trying to continue my current part-time, mainly-from-home job for the first few months we're there, primarily because I'm expecting a baby in November and want to try to stick around long enough to get maternity leave & pay.

However, we have a childcare dilemma. No summer programmes or playschemes available for kids of DS's age in this city (Cambridge), and he won't start "proper" nursery school till September. Already tried the school for suggestions and they were fairly useless. We may have, by chance, found a day nursery that would take him for 5 half or several full days, for the 6-7 week period we need care.

My question is - is it way too disruptive to consider putting a kid of this age through a big move, then into nursery for long(ish) hours (minimum 5 hrs/day) immediately on arrival, knowing that he'll only be at this nursery for a short time and then will have to adjust to another new nursery school in September? He has been going to Montessori school here in London 4-5 afternoons a week, and likes it well enough, but it's been a long settling-in period, and it's only 3 hours a day. We've been using a combination of that and nanny/babysitter to cover childcare here.

thoughts, anyone? and before anyone suggests it, no, we unfortunately do not have any relatives who could/would help out, even for a day or two...

[redshoes]

What about seeing if you could get a nanny/au-pair for the summer? At least he'd then be in his (new) home - I personally do think it would be an awful lot of stress for him to do 2 new nurseries and a house/city move within a couple of months - sorry.

[MizZan]

thanks redshoes. really not sure what to do. considered summer au pair, but since we will have only just arrived and moved in ourselves, not sure we'll be in a position to provide an au pair with the kind of support and surroundings she'd need to be happy with us. maybe a part-time nanny though I'm a little afraid of the cost...also thought nursery might be nice just so he could be with some other kids and have some activities rather than sitting home in piles of boxes, just not sure about the slotting in and out so quickly though.

anyone else have thoughts on this or been through similar?

[AnonymousMum]

Welcome to Cambridge!

Went through exactly the same as you 2 yrs ago. Unfortunately pre-school care is not widely available / flexible here. We went for summer au-pair option (thru friends) then f-t nanny. Never thought we would but seemed only decent option. I know Kids Unlimited have places in Wolfson Ct nursery (off Grange Rd). I am not convinced that I would use them l-term, but they could be a stop-gap for you?

[Marina]

Might a student say, from Homerton, be interested in a summer job?

[MizZan]

hi marina and anon - thanks for suggestions. we are also thinking summer au pair though since we don't even have a place to live yet we're waiting to see if we'll have room! also don't quite know how I feel about finding someone off a website. wondered about Homerton - may try giving them a call.

I have no idea what we'll do in the fall - would like to find part-time out of school childcare, is this just totally unrealistic in cambridge? cannot afford a f-t nanny (as I do not work f-t myself and will also be on maternity leave from Oct.).