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Discuss everything related to paid childcare here, including childminders, nannies, nurseries and au pairs.

Original poster

anyone swopped nursery for childminder????

30 replies

Chepstow1 · 29/08/2005 08:19

Hi there, would really appreciate some advice please.

My Ds is nearly 12 months and for the last 3 months has been spending 2 half days a week increasing to 2 full days. The nursery we go to is reputed to be the "best" in the area. The staff are very pleasent and professional etc, and I have absolutly no worries that he is be "cared for". However when I ask questions like " how is doing with his self feeding" (my son will not take a spoon from us), the staff look at me blankly. The same type of reaction is given when I ask anything about his development.

Whenever i go into the nursery the carers are sitting observing the children, but not really interacting and encouraging development. I also do not know the names of any of the other children which I'd like to, so I can talk about his little friend freddie or whatever when he gets home.

Am I expecting too much??? I am seriously thinking of taking him out of nursery and trying to find a good childminder who will get to know my son, his moods, and have more of a family environment. I go back to work next month and I'll be leaving him for 3 days and as all Mums do, want to get the childcare right.

Any thoughts anyone, am I expecting too much??? Is he getting what he needs now from nursery?

Sorry, one last thing, I have also been called twice in the last week to come and pick up my son early with a message that he was "unwell". Both times he was grumpy but no temperature etc, and a day later a new tooth came through. This also really cheesed me off as I felt when it got a bit hard, the nursery just got on the phone. Again, am I being unreasonable??

Worries I have about childminders are reliance on one person, what happens when they are ill?

Thanks Mums and Dads that resond to this!!

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Original poster
Chepstow1 · 29/08/2005 08:46

Hi Mommie, yes I too have these concerns too. Nurseries are open all year, always will be available to look after your child and when children get a bit older, I think off an ideal environment. Right now however I just don't feel that my son is being encouraged to develop and he is isloated from older children, which I understand is essential in a nursery environment, but i kind of like the idea of him have older kids to interact with.

Is he getting what he needs though??? Last thing I want to be in having expectations of what I think he should need versus what he actaully needs as a child of 1 year.

Tough one eh?!*

OP posts:
mommie · 29/08/2005 08:40

sorry to repeat myself. my laptop has gone bonkers

mommie · 29/08/2005 08:39

hi; i read yr message with interest as i have wrestled with this one too. I totally sympathise with yr comments about yr nursery. I find this also. They tell me everything is down to teething with my dd, and when I look at her she has a sore eye for goodness sake. Am changing nurseries in the new year, partly as a result.
My feeling re yr question is that my biggest fear about a childminder is that she will simply plonk my dd in front of the Disney channel all day. (the experience of a friend of mine). Is that being unfair? Some, i know, are brilliant but they are always booked up. The nursery is also open 51 weeks a year.

mommie · 29/08/2005 08:39

hi; i read yr message with interest as i have wrestled with this one too. I totally sympathise with yr comments about yr nursery. I find this also. They tell me everything is down to teething with my dd, and when I look at her she has a sore eye for goodness sake. Am changing nurseries in the new year, partly as a result.
My feeling re yr question is that my biggest fear about a childminder is that she will simply plonk my dd in front of the Disney channel all day. (the experience of a friend of mine). Is that being unfair? Some, i know, are brilliant but they are always booked up. The nursery is also open 51 weeks a year.

goosey · 29/08/2005 08:39

As self employed people childminders are not generally ones to take 'sickies' or to cancel work unless they really are unwell eg flu or broken bones. In these circumstances (and touch wood I have never gone sick as childminder in 2 years) they often have a local network of childminding friends who they can call on to try to arrange emergency care, and these minders and their charges are often already known to the child due to toddler groups and local meetups etc

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