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Original poster

Childminder V Nursery

32 replies

wasaconventgirl · 13/02/2009 09:53

I am having my 2nd DC in a few weeks and I can't decide wether to use a nursery or a childminder.

My DS went to the nursery I would use and it is fantastic! Low staff turnover, very clean, great food, takes children most of the year etc - more expensive though.

But I know a wonderful childminder, she already has my DS on a adhoc basis, very good with children, good ofsted rating, flexible, kind, porbably would only want DB term time (which is ok although it would be handy to have time alone with older DS), does not include food (but I was planning to take that to nursery for 1st year anyway)

My DB will be around 5/6 months BTW. What do you think?

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IwishIwasmoreorganised · 13/02/2009 14:12

Well I'm going to offer a different point of view!

I prefer nurseries for younger children as I don't like the idea of babies having to go out on up to 4 school runs a day with CM's. My eldest started at 11 months at a nursery but now he's at pre-school nursery every morning he is with a childminder for 3 afternoons a week. My youngest will start off at the same nursery as his brother went to and graduate to a CM once he starts pre-school (due to logistics really).

I like the fact that at nursery they can take their naps whenever and for however long they need without being disrupted to take or collect older charges to/from school and also a good nursery with low staff turnover gives more opportunities to socialise with a wider variety of other children and adults.

susiey · 13/02/2009 13:55

I had my DD at a cm from when she was 4 months because of the home environment that they get and she loved playing with all the kids of different ages like in a family.

I have since used a cm again for my DS and I love knowing that he has the care of 1 person.and love that he has loads of cuddles in the day and smells of the cm perfume at the end of the day.
I vote cm every time

nomoreamover · 13/02/2009 13:51

I would go with the CM too - nothing against nusrseries at all but i think for teeny tinys CM is better

JemL · 13/02/2009 13:48

Having visited lots of childminders and nurseries when intially going back to work - and then again 2 years later when I had to change childminder (just becuase of circumstances!) I would recommend a childminder everytime. My son absolutely loves both the childminders he has been with, and I much prefer knowing that he is with the same person all the time - even in nurseries with low turnover, there is still change, days off, sickness, moving up to different rooms, etc - if you have already found one you love, I would definitely go with that

JenniPenni · 13/02/2009 10:38

For their first years I always think a childminder is best - and if you already have one you love, you're sorted

colie · 13/02/2009 10:21

If you think childminder is fantastic then I would go with childminder. I think a home setting is probably better for a baby than a nursery. Although in saying that my dd1 was in a nursery by 7 months old.

FantasticMissFox · 13/02/2009 09:56

IMO, I would go for a childminder just because DC2 will be quite young, nursery may be slightly overwhelming? HTH