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Original poster

Childcare set up

58 replies

CocaCola445 · 21/04/2024 16:57

I am set to finish maternity leave in two months time, by which point baby will be 11 months old. Both my dh and I work full time, looking for opinions on how realistic / practical our childcare set up is.

We plan to both condense hours at work meaning we work 8-6 four days a week (I will finish about 3pm on Friday) with one day off each, dh off on Friday and myself off on Mondays.

This would leave three days to cover for childcare. Our plan is for ds to go to nursery on Tuesdays, this will be a long day from 7.45am - 6.15pm with dh picking up. Then on Wednesday for ds to be dropped at my parents in the morning and stay there until after we finish work on Thursday so staying overnight.

My parents are besotted with him and would happily take on more than this. I think this will also be a good opportunity for dh and I to spend some quality time together during what will be a busy week.

AIBU to think this a great set up and will allow us to maximise quality time with ds, have him spend plenty of time with his grandparents whilst reducing cost of childcare for us?

OP posts:
Youcannotbeseriousreally · 21/04/2024 17:15

That sounds like perfection tbh, cheap and no bedtime one night and you can go for dinner etc. your parents are amazing!

HamSandwichKiller · 21/04/2024 17:14

I'd book him in nursery for another half day, that way he settles in nursery quicker (1 day a week isn't enough as the gap in between means he'll forget he's been there) and the grandparents get a bit of a break too.

AloeVerity · 21/04/2024 17:08

Most nurseries have a minimum of two days.

InTheRainOnATrain · 21/04/2024 17:06

1 day at nursery will make it really hard for him to settle as it’s too infrequently to bond with the staff and learn their routine. I’m surprised a nursery is actually willing to do it, I’ve never come across one that will anyway!

Sunglassesweather · 21/04/2024 17:03

I imagine this is the kind of set up most people dream of! Currently having to pay for 4 days of childcare on an 80% salary (not allowed to condense my hours) so am very jealous!

LuckysDadsHat · 21/04/2024 17:03

1 day at nursery will make it very hard for that age to settle in my experience. You are coming up to peak separation anxiety period and 1 day a week at a setting can exacerbate that. They forget about the place from 1 week to the next.

Nollie12 · 21/04/2024 17:00

You’ll get people that will say it won’t work, but I had a friend who did almost exactly this and it worked really well!

Dont underestimate two things:

  1. how much you will miss them on that night! You’ll adapt but it will be a shock

  2. how often grandparents get wiped out by the nursery bugs. My parents get ill much more than I do and seems to be worse for them too

Peonies12 · 21/04/2024 16:59

Sounds pretty ideal to me, nice you each get a day with DS and it must be very cheap 😂 obviously consider how you will manage will DS illness or illness of your parents, or if your parents find it harder work than they can manage, or they’re away.