Childcare

[namechangeaga1ne]

It's sooo hard to find childcare to go back to work! No after school clubs and only afternoons available at nursery. That leaves me 1.5 hours of worktime a day. On a normal day if we are lucky, we have dinner, tidy kitchen, fold laundry and load dishwasher by 10. An hour downtime to shower or tidy or chat. 6 hours sleep. Can't see how to fit in work hours in evening. I need a to find a childminder that drives or can cope with two pickups. They seem so hard to come by. How are others doing it? Kids are 1, 5 and 6.

It's bound to be hard with three children so young. Have you considered a job that fits around your partners hours or do you definately want to stay in your current role?

Do you live in the sticks so that limits your options?

Are your children at different schools? Why would the childminder need to do two pick ups? If they are at different schools, you might need two childminders. Or do you mean pick up from nursery and school. Get the child minder to have your one year old all day and then collect from school (although I accept it will be tricky to find 3places with one cm, but you might be lucky). Can you widen your search Locality for a nursery? Speak to other local parents at school, what do they do for childcare? A nanny/nanny share with another struggling family might work.

For a while I had my baby with one childminder and school children with another one.

You're really going to struggle to find anyone who can do all that who's not a nanny.

Could you find a childminder just for the 1yo and go back part time school hours (it sounds like your employer is pretty flexible if you're considering working in evenings etc?)

I was hoping for nursery as she hasn't really had opportunity to mix with other kids her age. I will share pick ups / drop offs with partner. Two other kids are at same school, staggered drop off and pick ups. I'm only intending to do part time until youngest is in school. I already had to cancel job starting in jan - due to kids being home and now have another opportunity and (stupidly) assumed after school clubs would be running this term. I've looked further afield for nurseries - there are some but not with availability about 70-100 on various waiting lists. I had a lovely childminder, who my others went to after school, but she's temporarily stopped as she's pregnant. There is another childminder, who I used to use, but at £20 per hour (for two kids), plus nursery fees, it's a lot more than I had assumed I would need to budget. I've used the emergency nanny thing before, but it's £250 per day, so not sustainable. I'm not in the typical catchment area of the school - we were quite lucky. There are some that have someone going to pick up kids and going back to house on some days - not keen on walking a few miles back to mine and don't drive. Another was keen to help, but doesn't drive and says logistics are too tricky. Some are sahp, some have parents to help with pickups etc. I don't really know what people with babies are doing as nothing has been open! I used to see childminders at play groups etc for my others so you got a feel for who was good.

Our school do staggered pick ups and drop offs but if you have children in two different years they let you just do one, have you spoken to them about the possibility of this?

I know you’d rather nursery but if it’s the choice between nursery/childminder/working I’d pick the one that let me work.

Alternatively, could you work around your partner so you don’t need childcare?

Where do you live that childminders are £10 an hour??
Do you have a spare room for an au pair for the older two?
Nurseries might be your ideal but childminders are usually cheaper.

@DarcyLewis north london. Been ringing childminders all morning. No availability! Many more to try...
Au pair would be great but no spare room.

@MiloAndEddie looking at childminders to see if can get one for school hours.

Unfortunately you've left it a little late - I had to put my twins name down for a childminder when I was 12 weeks pregnant as there is so little availability this year and lots of childminders have closed it seems in the last 12 months

We're in south London and we used a childminder for our wrap around care. When DD1 was the only one at school, I'd drop her and DD2 off in the morning, she'd do the school run and keep DD2 at home with her, then the same in the afternoon - I'd pick them both up at 6.30 after work. Now they're at school, I drop them at 8 and collect them at 6.30, works fine. She had other kids around as well so DD2 got well socialised before she started (school) nursery. We paid £5/hr per child (and used the tax free childcare scheme).

One thing I would suggest is ask the school office if they can suggest a local childminder. They know who does pick ups and drop offs there - our childminder is in her 60s, knows EVERYONE at the school, her 4 kids went there etc - she's part of the furniture, and she has never advertised as she gets all of her mindees via word of mouth.

Thanks. I tried school - they just directed me to childcare directory on council website. Have tried class WhatsApp group, but only suggestions couldn't do the logistics. I tried last night to see if they could do school hours only, but one is at another house until 230 and the other studies in the day. Have found literally one nanny share at £17 per hour, but only during school hours. Financially it doesn't make sense for us. I'm taking a pay cut for flexibility but still need to be around for a few office hours. Partner and I can take it in turns to work evenings to top up, but it seems like a struggle for peanuts benefit.