How many hours do your DC do at childcare each week?

[WhatcanIdoplease]

At the moment our DD (3.5) does 9.15-3.45pm 3 days a week at pre school and the grandparents do pick up each of those days, look after her after school and bring her home at 6ish so I suppose that counts as 27hrs childcare in total a week (19 hrs ish at pre school and 8hrs ish with grandparents)?

The reason I’m asking is because we’re trying to work out what to do from September. DD has a place at the local school nursery from Sept for mornings 5 days a week but that’s only 8.30-11.30 each day (15hrs provision). I’m a musician so do a mixture of teaching and collaborative work (mainly teaching as there’s not exactly much else around these days!) and so my teaching work is mainly after school. The grandparents are happy having DD in those after school hours 3-6pm 3 days a week which covers my teaching kids bit but don’t know whether DD needs to go to somewhere else in the afternoons?

Please no judgement on childcare hours, just a mummy over here trying to work out what’s best for a 3.5yr old (will be 4 in October)

My daughter is just over 3 and is currently at preschool 18 hours a week (we stretch her 30hr funding), come September she has a place at a term time school based nursery and will be attending for 30hrs (9-3 daily).

My 15m old does 3 short days (8-3), my husband just skips lunch and then catches up when I finish work and a day with my DM 8-5, so 30?

Does your current preschool do wrap around? Some of them will collect and finish the day there?

School nursery is basically not designed for working parents. I would stick with the private nursery

My just over 3 year olds do 15 hours a week (free funding). I’d love to increase their hours up to the full 30 hours a week their nursery is open - maybe in September term they’ll have space for the two of them!

Mine (just 3) does 8.30-4.30 ish m-f

We both work ft so not much choice.

About 45

Why are you switching her to the school nursery ? Don't you need childcare in the afternoons?

Mine did 3 full days in nursery whilst I worked - about 25 hours a week.

@yummychoccy

Why are you switching her to the school nursery ? Don't you need childcare in the afternoons?

Mine did 3 full days in nursery whilst I worked - about 25 hours a week.

Because the school nursery is closer to our house than her current nursery and we know that she'll go to that school from Reception so we want her making friends and getting to know the school itself and the staff. Plus it's really highly regarded in the area. And no I don't necessarily need childcare in the afternoons as my teaching is mostly after school. I don't currently do any teaching between lunch and the after school period but have that time free in which to do performing (when those opportunities return)

@LemonLemonLemon

My 15m old does 3 short days (8-3), my husband just skips lunch and then catches up when I finish work and a day with my DM 8-5, so 30?

Does your current preschool do wrap around? Some of them will collect and finish the day there?

No they don't, they're only open school hours too so it only really makes sense sending her to the school nursery and then potentially using grandparents for afternoons/after school where needed

Mine does 9-3ish at school nursery 5 days a week then 3-5 childminder, so similar to a PP 45 per week

Not sure what the Q is really, everyone will do different things depending on work hours etc

*3-6 not 3-5

@pitterpatterrain

Mine does 9-3ish at school nursery 5 days a week then 3-5 childminder, so similar to a PP 45 per week

Not sure what the Q is really, everyone will do different things depending on work hours etc

Thank you, that's really helpful. I think I mainly posted to relieve that mum guilt of being a working parent and to know there's others using childcare for pre-school years!

My nearly 4 year old (will be going to school in Sept) does 1 day with GPs 4 days at nursery 9-5, so about 40 hours. Sounds a lot but she has additional needs and it's great for her, and me. And I work full time, single parent, so don't have any other option.

At that age, 45+ hours a week.
Covid (DH at home) plus kids quite a lot older means DS2 (10) does about 3 hours a month. DS1 (12) does none.

My dd does school nursery 9-12 every day, and childminder 2 days a week 7.30-5.30 (childminder takes her to nursery). It works really well for us and I’m really pleased she’s getting the preschool experience (she can read a bit and is doing simple sums, plus learning about how to behave in a classroom) rather than just childcare, which is all the private nurseries round here do.

My daughter is 2.5 years and does 5 days a week 7.30am to 6pm at nursery.. I'm a single working parent with a very busy job in the public sector. I don't feel guilty because she absolutely adores nursery. She's thrived there. So no judgement here. Do what works for you re childcare but I'd stick with the private nursery and not school attached nursery.

DD goes to school nursery plus wrap around. She is dropped at breakfast club at 7:45 every day and goes to after school club two days a week. On the other three days DH and I have flexed our hours to collect her at 3, although I don't know why as she has requested to go to after school club every day

8:15-16:45 3 times per week. She’s 3.5 and will be staying at the private nursery until reception. School nursery hours are shit for parents who work.

Zero. I work 9.30- 2.30 so no need.

19 month old does 2 days (8:00-17:30) at nursery, we pay £46 per day. Grandparents help if we need other days. Both shift workers

My DD is 2.5 and does 8hrs in nursery a week over 2 mornings, and she usually goes to my mums for a few hours one afternoon. I'm a SAHM though and only send her to help with her speech and because all baby groups were closed in lockdown and I worried about her not socialising. If I worked she would do a lot more and thats nothing to feel guilty about when youre providing for your child.

Up to 42hrs over 4 days. She has a 7.30-6 place 4 days a week. Due to WFH and Covid only going 8.30-5 at the moment, but will eventually be a full day once commuting again.
DD isn’t yet 2 but will be on these hours until school.

@WhatcanIdoplease and we know that she'll go to that school from Reception so we want her making friends and getting to know the school
That’s completely pointless, may have its benefits for the first couple of days if reception and that’s it.

WhatcanIdoplease there are lots of others using childcare no worries there

As easy as it is to say - there is no need for “mum guilt” - we all do our best and from my POV as long as their childcare setting is one they enjoy all will be well

They have such interesting memories at this age - my youngest DC age 4 seems to have no memories of me travelling for work 2-3 days a week pre Covid and my eldest considers it to be years ago since we did this - so from my thoughts they won’t remember it that well, so the important thing is the feeling they have day to day of enjoyment, care and safety from the setting they are in - not the hours / where it was etc

11 month old does 8:30-5:30 5 days a week. 5 Yr old is in school 9-3 then childminder until 5:30 🤷‍♀️ we do what we have to do.