Nursery or child minder?

Could you look for ones who co-mind or have assistants?

I agree with this.

That said, I've had a really rubbish recent experience with my childminder having some health problems (involving frequent lack of childcare, often in an emergency ie me having to drop work and rush to collect my child/ren). I think the experience of that period of sickness, coupled with pandemic isolation and family changes for her, has had a lasting impact on her MH and I don't feel she's really able to properly cope and meet the children's needs any longer. I'm sympathetic to her but at the same time it's had an awful knock-on effect for my own MH and my career, and has also affected my children. I know it's not common, but I do now understand why some parents are concerned about the reliability of a childminder.

That said, I know of a couple of sudden (permanent) nursery closures locally too, so neither is risk free!

I don't really regret using a childminder because DD had such a good time there as a baby - definitely second only to being home with me. But maybe I'd have been a better mother lately if I'd had reliable childcare...

Personally I like

Thats really all you need.

This is what you like, so you chose it.

My point about 17 year olds is that as an Assesor I go in to assess their work many dont actually want to do childcare it was just a course they could do at college while waiting to be older....not all but many. The requirement is that the whole building is in ratio not just the room so often staff are left out of ratio obviously some nurseries are brilliant like some childminders and the same for awful settings. Obviously factors like reliability come into it which is why talking to existing parents is useful....in my area 3 nurseries are now shutting permanently and many have turned away due to the chronic staff shortage in early years nothing is a given. But you can get childminders with co minders who don't shut for holidays or sickness you also get childcare on domestic premises essentially childminding with up to 4 other staff there are loads of options across the whole early years sector.
Personally I like mixed age groups the children really fly both physically linguistically and academically holding children back due to birthdays dosent fit with any childcare research but it's easier for nursery cheaper to staff etc.

I personally think it's down to the child. My DS (now 18) settled really well into nursery, initially split with some grandparent care, then fully into nursery, so I naively though my little girl (now 2) would be the same. Sadly she really didn't settle at nursery, she was a lockdown baby so that may have had an impact, but the nursery we're calling me on her settle sessions saying she was just crying throughout. I luckily found an amazing childminder and the fit was perfect. My little girl blossomed, loved being there. Sadly my childminder gave up in August to focus on her sons needs so we have had to find a nursery. New nursery and daughter being older and she has taken to it so well.

I was really lucky with the childminder that I had no issues with her being unwell and my daughter only had 2 bouts of cold whilst there. The nursery is more local and obviously no more worries about one person being poorly. I'd recommend going to see nurseries, meet some childminders. You have to have trust with whoever you hand your child over so make sure you are happy and have no concerns.

I don’t think you should take it personally, @jannier .

Some people feel more comfortable using a nursery.

Some prefer a childminder.

Dismissive comments about seventeen year olds are not going to make anyone stop and think ‘hang on, I’d better use a childminder instead.’

For me, I need 100% reliability. I really can’t be in a position where someone might close due to illness or holidays

I prefer the fact the children are roughly the same age. The school runs do put me off.

The argument it’s a home away from home doesn’t convince me - it’s not his home.

But it suits others perfectly which is great.

Thats really sad I'm very attached to my mindees am god mother to 3 and still in contact with many even the 29 year olds. Obviously I'm not mum but I that them as an aunt would and am much more invested in them then the average 17 year old apprentice that I see in nursery in my assessing role.
Many childminders work with assistants and cominders and all have policies and procedures being inspected by Ofsted just like a nursery to the same standards.

Ohps

Not all childminders do school runs.
Not all childminders work on their own. I have 2 assistants so if someone is sleeping they can stay asleep.

Many of my clients who used nursery for older child have said they wished they had thought of childminders for them and recommend for friends.
The school run can be a positive thing not only getting used to the environment but also looking for shapes, numbers, playing the road saftey game stop and go in s playground, discovering nature and things like builders, fitemen what drains do.....we take photos to use in messy play, crafts, make puzzles and support interests. A nursery environment is very false locking baby into an artificial environment where they only see things in posters not real life. If your home with an older sibling would you not take baby to school. As an assessor I've seen many nurseries and childminders few nursery of school staff have ever visited a childminder so have the idea it's all tv and leave them to play few realise we follow the same EYFS as they do but with lower ratios.

Oh sorry, it was the bit about it being 'interesting' that Mumsnet is pro childminder's but you'd never experienced that in 'real life', just was a funny way of phrasing it....as if Mumsnet isn't a reflection of real life 😂. Of course many people in 'real life' do use childminder's!

I didn’t find that point strange - unusual way to look at things perhaps - but it was a bit odd you thought that my belief was that childminders were a conspiracy theory!

Anyway, no matter. I think people just choose what suits them, and their child.

No, not regularly of course not! But it's certainly in the news more than similar cases happening at a childminder setting. I don't know whether that's because it doesn't happen or it just isn't reported in the same way. It's something to think about though when assuming that more than one carer is definitely safer.

I think it also happens with parents. When one of you has the child you know who is responsible, that person keeps a close eye. When you're both there it's easy to think the other is watching the child and an accident is more likely to happen ime. It's counter intuitive, but worth thinking about. That's all my point is, apologies that you found it strange.

@NuffSaidSam … I’ve had some strange things extrapolated from my posts before, but that is probably the strangest!

I mean you hear about children being abused in nurseries, choking to death in nurseries, drowning, strangling themselves

Erm, do you? Regularly?

We felt a nursery would suit ours better but childminders can also be fab. Our jobs also meant it's very hard to have days off in term time so nursery offered more reliability for us.

Does the evidence support that though?

I mean you hear about children being abused in nurseries, choking to death in nurseries, drowning, strangling themselves. It could be argued that as well as watching each other they're chatting to each other...getting distracted maybe. It's also true that no-one has full responsibility for your child, so much easier for them to slip through the net, which is often what's happened when kids choke/drown, everyone thinks someone else is watching them. Maybe one specific person with sole responsibility is more likely to keep your child safe?

But you do acknowledge that childminder's exist in real life? And are widely used? You're not claiming it's a Mumsnet conspiracy are you?

Exactly my thoughts!

I'm quoting someone who is describing a nanny. That's why I've said 'this is a nanny' at the bottom!

My personal concern with childminders is that I didn’t want my DS spending chunks of the day in the pushchair or car seat on school runs.

..........and yet I saw this as a real positive. It meant my dc were out of the house, every day and not in the same 4 walls. They would often go into the park then on the way home (even on the grey days when you might not be tempted) but it meant they were out in the fresh air, noticing things, talking about things, doing all the "learning" that comes through outdoor play. On other days they might do something like walk to the Post Office or a shop - again with all the learning and language that comes in to play. They were used to the concept of school and the playground before they started. My brave CMer even took them into assembly a couple of times. Then on different days they would walk to different groups / stay and plays etc.

Which reiterates the point that it is down to personal choice.

Childminder with a big enough business to essentially be a small nursery. So they have dedicated space eg building in garden, play area, staff etc. Or small nursery, they do loads of local trips, library park etc in my experience.

We did child minders until Ds was 3 and then on to a nursery for pre school! He adapted fine to the change! He went in to the childminders house perfectly whereas he was more cautious going into pre school but he comes out pre school happier and more excitable whereas the childminder felt like dropping him off at a family members towards the end! The child minder was amazing with him though! Don't regret a thing!

My personal concern with childminders is that I didn’t want my DS spending chunks of the day in the pushchair or car seat on school runs.

MN tends to be quite pro childminders, which is interesting as I don’t know anyone who uses one in real life.

Child minder for under twos is the best option, assuming they are good.

It's personal choice, but a CMer for me.
Closest to a home environment. More flexibility. Tend to be slightly more mature women which can be reassuring. My experience is that CMers get out and about much more - not sitting in one room for 8 or 9 hours a day + a spell in the garden (someone will come and say their Nursery takes them out, but you can't be so spontaneous when you have to sort 8 or more dc at a time).