Why choose childminder over nursery?

We chose a cm , and the great things about it was:

Location (a neighbour)
Able to change days week to week as I worked pt
Watched her children grow up, they were a great advertisement (still are).
She was fantastic at teaching manners, colours, words etc (professional childcare worker before becoming a cm along with SAHM)
Like an extended family- got visits to cm's mother ( mine called her grandma too). Not to mention trips to coffee shops!
Bigger kids to play with
Exposure to playschool/primary school due to school runs - they already knew the teachers etc before starting
So reliable...never sick in 8 years. Took same 3 weeks holidays each year. Only closure was due to a bereavement (that was forseeable)
More affordable than nursery (way more)
Held place at no cost when I was on ML (I did offer to pay!)
Gradual exposure to bugs, never had the "sick for first 3 months of nursery issue". (They did catch chicken pox there and one nasty tummy bug, but then didn't really get sick when starting school as others did)

Disadvantages were
Finished earlier in the evening than nursery
Some wet days, a bit more tv than I liked (but probably typical for a home)

Ive been in many nurseries baby rooms included where although the whole building is in ratio they count staff in the office doing paperwork and on non contact time.
Im a CM and choose to work with another fully registered and also outstanding cm but we often have 3 between us and usually 4 so that the ratio is 1 to 2 or 1 to 1.5 children then after school we only collect children who have already been through as babies so will have 2 to 3 older children. If babies are sleeping they don't have to go out but a school run is great for education - number hunts, colour recognition, familiarity with school, road safety the list is endless and older children are a fantastic role model. The Ofsted requirement is that children go out in all weathers if they have correct clothing what is the issue with being out in rain etc?????
Other advantages, we only close at Christmas as the other chidlminder can cover, the children get specialised support if they need it in language, physical needs, sleep etc. as we always have capacity to give 1 to 1 support no waiting for funding or pulling the 1 to 1 away for general class work. We do referrals for educational plans, speech, chams etc no visits to health visitors or GPs to get one and TAC meetings are arranged and held in setting.

Drwhy you started that sentence with ‘Not all nurseries are the same’. By that token you must concede that not all childminders are the same.

I personally think that childminders’ 3 under 5 is far more manageable that 3 under ones. Childminders’ ratios are, in part, set up to ensure we can get out and about safely and easily, something that I don’t feel nursery ratios do. But again that’s parental choice. Some parents don’t want their child to leave the building that they drop them off at in the morning, they like to know where they are at all times.

Nurseries assign key workers to each child to assist with tracking who is repsonsible for which kids when, and offer a consistent place (rather than say using other childminder's homes if off sick).

One huge perk of a childminder is they will usually continue to look after your children before/after school when that's what you need - certainly near me, there are almost no childminders who can offer after-school care as they are all booked up by age 2. On the other hand, if your child doesn't get into the expected school, or the parents of the preschoolers they have all day decide to move eldest to a different school, then you may still be unexpectedly lacking in care.

DrWhy

It's too general a statement. Not all childminders work to capacity. It's something that needs to be determined on an individual basis. It's simply not true that a nursery will always offer a better ratio of carers to children.

I think you are far more likely to find a childminder working below capacity than a nursery.

Also, the ratio for children below school age is 1:3, so even a childminder at capacity who also does school runs is offering 6 hours a day at the same ratio as a nursery. Many don't do school runs and keep 1:3 throughout the day.

I’ve not used a CM for a few years but IIRC they could only have one baby under one and 3 under 5 altogether

GeorgieTheGorgeousGoat The ratio in the baby room is 1:3 because all the children are under 2, the ratio at a childminder for your baby may well be more than that because the other children are older. I don’t think many childminders taking babies only have a max of 3 children they care for. On the flip side of course in the big room at nursery the ratio could be as high as 1:15 I believe if they are all over 3 (in our nursery they aren’t so the ratio has to be lower). So it averages out, however I was specifically referring to the baby room, apologies if that wasn’t clear.

actually a better ratio of carers to babies than a CM.

Hmm not strictly true is it? 🤔

I used CM from 2006 until 2013 and never once were they off sick. Holidays were also never a problem. Maybe we were lucky. It actually came into its own mode when I had a child in school and one of preschool age as I could use the same childcare for both.

We chose a nursery over a childminder primarily at the time because we had no backup for CM sickness or holidays. However it was absolutely the right choice for DS and he’s a lovely happy boy who’s learning a huge amount there as well as having fun. Nurseries are not all the same, ours is 30 children total, the baby room is 6 babies and 2 adults, there are one FT and two PT staff so he got to know them really well and actually a better ratio of carers to babies than a CM. There are 3 rooms total and he’ll be in the big room from just over 2 to nearly 5 so definitely not being constantly shunted between rooms. Some activities are differentiated by age in that room some they do together. They do all sorts of home like things like baking and they serve themselves their meals.
The only thing I dislike about our nursery is that their location means they hardly ever go offsite, they have a lovely garden and some other nearby green space but they don’t for example go to the library, a shop, a park etc. So we tend to do a lot of activities at the weekend to compensate.
I like the nursery and the staff there so much that I am putting my 4 month old DD there for two KIT days at the end of the month, the staff are really excited to have her and I think she’ll spend the whole time being cuddled!

Totally agree/ in principle I was seeking a cm not nursery but the local ones all max capacity after school

WingingWonder that's why it's good to see we're all different. I don't do school runs and I take holiday in term time. My DD is an adult, so no tie to school terms.

Each CM is different, so worth visiting to see what fits. For some people the best fit is a nursery. For some it's a CM.

I chose childminder as wanted DD to be in a homely, family environment. There were 6 kids in total so plenty of social interaction and they attended toddler groups daily. The Childminder's genuinely loved her and DD enjoyed 3.5 years with them starting when she was just 9 months old.

Nursery's have changing staff which I wasn't keen on. And too many kits, also the setting is less relaxed, not ideal for really little ones who are still in the baby stage. But each to their own.

There is a much greater level of accountability with a childminder. They alone are responsible for keeping your child safe and happy. All communication is direct with this one person. You're much less likely to encounter problems with communication breakdowns/mix-ups. If you do, you know exactly who to blame!

In a nursery environment you're really buying into the 'brand' rather than any individual person. On any day any staff member could be on holiday/off sick/on a course and a different staff member will take their place. Maybe one from within the nursery or maybe agency staff. You have to trust the nursery management that this person is competent and had been fully briefed as to your child's needs.

As in any set up where there are multiple members of staff communication breakdowns do happen. The person you talk to isn't necessarily the person who will be caring for your child and messages don't always get passed on. Sometimes these can be minor issues like a vegetarian child being served meat at lunchtime or a Muslim child getting Pork. Other times they can be more serious in the case of a food allergy, for example. Very, very, very occasionally these can be extremely serious or fatal. There have been several cases where a child has slipped through the net because member of staff A thinks the child is with B and B thinks he is with A. In the very worst of these cases the child is outside drowning in a puddle or freezing to death (that was in Russia, not the UK) or being strangled because their coat is caught on the climbing frame. The point is there is no one adult who is specifically looking out for your child. That is one benefit of a childminder that hasn't been mentioned yet.

I chose nursery because all the cm near me so big school runs so

1. I had to be there for a certain time otherwise not till after school run (nursery whenever)
2. Said school run x 2 day meant I was really only getting 930-230 of care, the rest was with many many other kids whilst shoved in a buggy on said run in all weathers
3. Holidays- when I wasn’t stuck to school hols there was no bloody way I was having 2 weeks forced leave in middle of summer for cm hols!
4. On that- summer holidays definitely saw a different mix of older kids which wasn’t for us

'Not very clear invoices. Daily Actvities are not very varied no daily feedback on child , no parents evening no way to raise a complaint if had any issues.'l

I used to work in accounts, so my invoices are very clear. Activities are varied. A note every day for every child and WhatsApp photos and videos during the day. Parents evenings every term and feedback forms.

Just goes to show everyone is different.

Well, maybe my childminder was an exception she was very flexible . But I am aware that isn't the case for everyone . Or maybe I was to laid back and never demanded the ins and out and totally trusted them with my children so didn't feel the need to ask to much information .

To also add my CM didn't see my children as cash cows but as children that they cared for as they were their own . Nursery staff seem business focus and only ever done what was needed or expected of them to remain open .

mummyof2 you don’t describe a usual childminder arrangement.

I used both .
Benefits with CM are flexible with payments and hours . So I wouldn't be expected to pay all year around which was a bonus , plus if I went away I didn't pay to keep a place but saying that I wouldn't anyways. Able to pick up children from home or bring them home .
Cons - if car breaks down , staff fall ill than you can find yourself stuck . Not very clear invoices. Daily Actvities are not very varied no daily feedback on child , no parents evening no way to raise a complaint if had any issues.
Nurseries pros. Structured team such as a manager or senior staff etc days are more varied . More learning, daily feedback . A food menu more children to interact with.
Cons with nurseries
Usually expected to pay late fees if even 1 minute late , late fee for late payments, although never happened. If you fall into issues such as waiting for first pay they less sympathtic and expect you to pay up front fees etc. Also administration charges for signing up can cost upto £50 . Don't start earlier enough also usually don't offer pick up or drop offs .

There are some misconceptions of cm's. Many will have backup minders, assistants and co minders so they don't all work alone and not all will have school runs and random closures. Often it is possible for you to chat to previous and existing parents to get a feel from them on any issues etc.
Most children enter school better prepared than at nursery because they have had more support in self care, speech, venturing into new environments, early writing skills, table manners and cooking/serving they also tend to attend large group events for things like circle and story time and networking with other childminder's allows for a large social groups as well as separation from main carer. The children enter school with an established peer group and are then collected by familiar adults taking them to a familiar safe environment not another new large room.
A good childminder will see you through to your child no longer needing and care and ill support you through life crisis big and small.
The training is typically that of a nursery manager with an increasing number having early years degrees and early years teacher status, unlike in many nurseries where the main contact your child has is with an apprentice who may well be moving on to a new job after qualification, apprentices in there first year or under 21 only have to be paid £3 something an hour and many nurseries can not afford to pay them once qualified. So worth looking at the staff if you consider a nursery.
Children are allowed to grow and develop at a natural rate not held back by an age restriction so many are more advanced as they learn from older children, similar to a natural family unit. Age restricted rooms are about ease of staffing and supervising in large numbers not about child development.
You will find good and bad in all settings just like with everything else, see a selection talk to hem visit when they are free to talk to you but then go back to see them working and the children they care for.

i just wanted to add that a quieter setting would be beneficial if you think your son has a speech delay. all the background noise of a nursery wont help whereas a home environment will help his delay.

Different settings work for different children and families. Visit a few childminders and you will know when you find the right place. I look after children from 6 months to school and they are like a little family together. We go out and visit new places, as well as attending some local toddler groups, where they can mix and make friends with other children and adults. After they've gone to school they can come back in the holidays and see all their old friends (I don't do school runs). I have worked with speech and language therapists and other specialists where necessary. My mindees have all been confident when they've started school and their reception teachers have given me feedback about how quickly they've settled in. I give plenty of notice of holidays, so parents can plan around them.

Good luck with your search, you will find the right place sooner or later.

I’m a childminder so maybe a bit biased! I offer a service to various families, so the children are part of a small group, with no more than 6 children under 8 years old (normally only 3 of them are under school age). We also join with other childminders frequently, so the children have chance to be part of a larger group and take part in activities at groups where other childminders might help them with what they are doing (especially with the preschool children), which helps them communicate with other trusted adults and make relationships within a larger group of children.

I haven’t had any days off for sickness at short notice for 5 years. I’ve had one day off for an operation and three days off for funerals. Each time I have helped find alternative care for the child required. But, I have helped parents out at very short notice on my days off when their family members have been seriously ill, had the children overnight when parents have been rushed into hospital, dropped everything when a mum went into labour to have the older child, had children on different days for family funerals, so it’s swings and roundabouts and a bit of give and take (I help them out in emergencies, often for free and in return, they are gracious when I need a day off for similar reasons).
All holiday dates for next year have been given out so parents can plan their leave and family holidays.

The children I look after get such a wide variety of activities, both here and when we are out. We do crafts, play dough, sensory activities,reading and all the activities you’d expect from a childcare setting as well as spending a lot of time out of the house, at the park, groups, in the woods, going to the farm, library and all the other places you’d expect a toddler/child to be taken. The children love being in a mixed age group. The older ones like playing with the babies and helping to feed them (I never expect this, but they want to do it) and the little ones love having the older ones to look up to and play with/follow around. They are really tolerant of each other and it’s lovely to watch them all together.

All 3 of my children went to a childminder (the same one). I liked the fact it was a home setting, it was a small group of children and they got to go out and about doing lots of different things. My older 2 are at school now and the youngest has just moved to a nursery as the childminder is now on maternity leave. All 3 of them adore the childminder and still see her regularly.

I didn't find the holidays a problem - we got enough advance warning and she only ever took holidays during the school holidays anyway, so we often just planned our own trips for the same time.

Worked really well for us.