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Original poster

Child care setting with a newborn

29 replies

Ada117 · 17/07/2023 09:43

Hello,
I am a bit confused on what to do for childcare options when our second newborn arrives in September.

As both me and husband work full time our our daughter (4years in September) she goes to the childminder 2x a week (mon-tues) and 3 days at the nursery (wed-fri).

I will soon go on maternity leave from August for low risk pregnancy and we were thinking to keep the current childcare settings. However we’re not sure about September: I am considering to cancel contract with childminder and am only send my daughter to nursery 3days a week. My husband, on the other side, thinks that it’s better to keep the current childcare setting (childminder and nursery to cover the full week of 5days) as he thinks it will not be easy to manage a toddler of 4y old at home and a new born alone.

If anyone of you was in a similar situation with 2 children, can you please advise if I should consider my husband option to keep our eldest on a 5 days childcare setting and if so, for how long would you recommend? I am conscious t that it’s difficult to keep the eldest entertained while I am recovering at home, exhausted, lack of sleep etc, but maybe I am too optimistic to think that when 2nd baby will be ~2 months old I should be able to manage both of them at home alone?

Childcare costs are exorbitant and It means using our savings. But as our families live abroad we can’t rely much on their help and I struggled a bit with 1st baby during Covid, anxiety etc.

Thank you 🙂

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BernadetteRostankowskiWolowitz · 17/07/2023 09:52

Fairydustandsparklylights · 17/07/2023 09:49

Do you not like spending time with your eldest? I can’t see why you would keep them in childcare for 5 days a week when you’re on maternity otherwise. Unless you have a reason why you can’t cope with looking after 2 children. 3 days in childcare to allow you quality time with the baby and 2 at home to do fun stuff together is a good balance.

It's nice for the elder child to keep a bit of consistency. It's also worth considering that ending your contracts with providers means you have to find new ones when you go back after Mat Leave.

tweener · 17/07/2023 09:52

My biggest consideration would be whether you'd need the childminder again for the two days when you go back to work. Childminder places are like hens teeth here and I'd be weighing up the risk of taking the 4 year old vs will there be a place somewhere when you (if you?) go back to work. I had a great childminder and there's no way I'd risk losing that place.

Fairydustandsparklylights · 17/07/2023 09:49

Do you not like spending time with your eldest? I can’t see why you would keep them in childcare for 5 days a week when you’re on maternity otherwise. Unless you have a reason why you can’t cope with looking after 2 children. 3 days in childcare to allow you quality time with the baby and 2 at home to do fun stuff together is a good balance.

Oceansinourway · 17/07/2023 09:46

My DS attends nursery for three days a week and we will continue this throughout my maternity leave. I do think I deserve a ‘break’ (ha!) and like you I don’t have any family to help. I will be honest, I don’t think I would keep him in for five days if I had worked FT beforehand though. But that’s not to say you are wrong to do so either - I think in your shoes I’d keep things as they are for the first six to eight weeks as they do tend to be a killer and then review?

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