Childcare for three...

[SuseB]

Looking for any advice!

Come November I will have three children needing some sort of childcare. Oldest DD will be 5 and in Yr1, DS will be 3 and have 15 hours funded sessions at pre-school and DD2 will be 1. I am due to go back to work three days a week.

I cannot get my head around the childcare options. My work hours are flexible on those three days - I somehow need to do 7 hours but it is not critical which 7 hours they are in the day. Before DD started school and I had DD2 I used to work approx 7.45-4.15, dropping DD and DS at nursery and collecting them too. But now DD is at school (8.50-3.30) and DS is at pre-school which is one session per day, currently 9-12.30 incl. a lunch club. I liked the nursery they used to attend and would consider putting DS and DD2 back in for some of the time, but can't see them doing that when DD is off school in the hols... am going round in circles with it.

Anyone with similar age kids have anything to say on the subject?

Am not in London - and earn only an average salary.

[AmberRock]

I would either put the younger 2 into the old nursery and do before and after school club (or only one of these) for older dd or use cm for all three. Although with 3 you may want to see if a nanny or nanny share works out cheaper.

[verybusyspider]

I have 3 ds's and I went back to work in september when they were 16 months, 2 yr 9 months and 4yrs (just starting reception).

I wanted to go back 3 days a week but work said I had to do same hours over 4 so I do 7am-2.45pm each day.

dh does all the drop offs and I pick up. This is only a nightmare when he is travelling away but I make up hours during the school holidays when ds1 is in holiday club for longer.

ds1 gets to school at 8.30am so does 15 mins before school club (£1.50 a day) There is an out of school club after school but I wanted to pick ds1 every day.

ds2 does preschool at the school on a monday (9am-3.30pm) term time only, my friend takes him as her little boy is there, dh drops him at hers in the morning. I pick him up.
Then he does tues-thurs at nursery at my work which has become more affordable now I can get the 15hours funding (he was 3 at Christmas)

ds3 does 4 days at the work nursery 8am-2.45pm

I don't work term time only so obviously nursery is great for us, dh or I take Mondays off during school holidays as thats when both ds1 and ds2 are off. The out of school club do a holiday club (£20 a day) so that is an option and so far we have managed to juggle it with grandparents support and annual leave as well.

Nursery fees are around £900 a month (with vouchers and subsidised nursery places through work), breakfast club £24 a month + extra for holiday care. I'm breaking even and getting a little bit more to help with the food shop.

Sorry to go in to so much detail but I hope it helps, I know thats its not an easy decision and its been a hard one for us to make!
I think a nanny was a more cost effective solution and you would have school hols covered and maybe some help around the house (I'd love that) the reason we didn't go for that was confidence in choosing the right person and we'd been let down by a childminder in the past when we only had ds1 - I like the fact nursery is always open regardless of staff sickness plus it had advantages of socialising and loads of messy play.

[SuseB]

Thanks very much for both these replies, esp. verybusyspider - can totally see why you are very busy :)

I think I will look into the nanny question and have another think about how nursery might work...