To wonder about childcare

[Shirehorsesworkhardest]

I have a long commute (45 minutes) and need to be in work before 8. This is a problem as nurseries don't seem to open until 730.

When I go back to work after maternity leave, is it better to look at nurseries local to me or local to work?

Cms more flexible, I am anyway, it's a mine field op my sympathies.

Closer to home means on a day off you don't have to go all the way to work. Nanny might be a better option for you.

I definitely can't afford a nanny.

Nanny share?

Look, I appreciate the suggestions but nannies aren't really a thing round here. I have a 1 bed flat and I think baby would be happier in a nursery for now.

The 2 main disadvantages of nursery near work are:

1. Grouchy child in car for a long time, or falling asleep just when you don't want them to and thus not sleeping at bedtime.
2. When DC2 comes along, you end up making a ridicule commute to take DC1 to nursery.

If you're on your own and dc2 not likely for a while, then just go with nursery close to work. Advantages are - more time with dc on a working day, easy to get to the if they're ill, no stress at the end of the day as to whether you'll make it through rush hour traffic in time.

Can you look for a nursery that offers TT only?

Yanbu.

Possibly four, but it's just really the question of opening hours; I just wish they opened a bit earlier!

Thanks picca and mintyy

Also, check out nurseries attached to hospitals. They usually prioritise staff but may have spaces. Most open at 7am to support nurse shift patterns.

You won't find a nursery opening at 7am unless by a train station or hospital as the demand isn't as high but the costs remain the same,
Are you rural or city?

Go for one near work.

Thanks witch - hope baby will be OK with being in the car so much.

Rural or city - definitely not rural but not intercity either. Motorway mainly!

There are nurserys that open at 07:30 (all the ones round here are 08:00 to 18:00).

I went with a nursery near work. It was the only way to keep working FT. It worked brilliantly for me.

BTW - you may not want to hear this, but childcare gets much more complicated once they hit school age. So it may be worth continuing to look for a childminder (as you will probably need one for the school years). Assuming you aren't planning on moving, a childminder near your home is probably the best long-term solution.

Do you, or could you befriend a local mum who has a dc at a local nursery? You could very nicely ask if you could drop off your DS at her house at 7.15am in the mornings? You could then repay her by say, babysitting one evening a month for her?

I don't know anyone - maybe if I meet someone but I think I'd want to drop the baby off to be totally honest.

I will possibly be moving jobs but certainly house before school age. But we'll see what happens!

You're options are pretty much listed below. I've been there and it's hell, total hell

• Get a nanny or early start child minder
• Get wrap around care to drop DC at nursery
• Ask for meetings be rescheduled to 9am
• Get partner to do drop off's
• Move closer to work
• Move job
• Put DC in childcare close to work

No, don't ask a relative stranger if someone can have your baby every single morning! They will be posting on Mumsnet before you know it .

Who is going to be your back up child carer/emergency contact for when your child is ill, op? Could you ask that person to do the early morning shift?

I don't have one Mintyy. I'd just have to take the time myself.

Oh

I used a teenager who lives near me to do the drop off when I needed to get to work early. But I was not doing it every day.

You could request flexible working to start work later, everyone has the right to do this (assuming you've been employed for 26 weeks or more).

I wouldn't be given this but thank you :)

I will just have to take baby with me to work and do the drop off there. It isn't the end of the world; I just feel guilty because it's a long time in the car for them.

I think childminder is your best bet, realistically, and then you could also potentially ask for TT only. My (excellent) CM used to do both early starts and TT hours for teachers' DC.

Are you asking the right questions of childminders - where have you looked for them? Really think nursery in your situation might be rather inflexible. You need a plan for illness etc., and illnesses do go around a lot more in nurseries until your DC develops a stronger immune system. CMs can be a bit more flexible with a "watch and see" approach for mild illness symptoms. If you are on your own, you need to be prepared!

Of course you do.

A good childminder would be ideal; unfortunately there are long waiting lists and I do need to prepare for the fact that I may not be able to use one.

As explained, a nanny just isn't viable financially and so nurseries are my only other option - it's the opening hours that's the problem.