To be surprised no one I know is using a childminder

[Aftermidnightstrikes]

Or a nanny, actually. They seem commonplace here but in RL everyone opts for nurseries. Has anyone else found this?

Oh and the four childminders that we went to visit, three did make it very clear that they had the TV on all the time - they didn't even seem to think this was a bad thing. And none of them were happy to cook for my DS who has food allergies so we would have had to send in packed lunches which would have been a pain.

@MrsMiddleMother

I only know one family personally who has used a childminder and they had the most positive things to say about her, most I know including myself send their children to nursery. Personally I didn't need childcare and wanted the educational and social aspect of a nursery before school.

Childminders provide education and should supply the social aspect.

The first because they have to follow the EYFS to be Ofsted registered and take payment for looking after small children.

The second by mixing with other CMs and taking their mindees out and about.

@MattyGroves my CMs children are all grown up. She isn't the only CM in the area with older children.

[quote RedMarauder]@MattyGroves my CMs children are all grown up. She isn't the only CM in the area with older children.[/quote]
I am sure it's area dependent. In our area it seemed to be all SAHMs who couldn't afford to be at home without childminding.

I considered childminders and nurseries for DD and in the end felt happiest with a really lovely, professional nursery that was also conveniently less than five minutes' walk from where DH and I both work.

I think the big advantage of nurseries is what pp have said - you don't have to worry about illnesses or holidays disrupting care.

I don't have anything against childminders though and if DD's nursery went bust or was no longer working for us for whatever reason, I'd consider them again.

I'd consider a nanny too except that the cost for the hours we'd need would be prohibitive.

@MattyGroves Becoming a childminder isn't as easy or as quick as it used to be many years ago. For many it takes a good 9 -12 months sometimes longer to go through the process which puts a lot of people off. I had older children when I became a childminder but did use the opportunity to expand my family by one more.

I started my first two at Childminders and moved on to nursery as they got bigger. My third went straight to nursery for ease. But they were an extremely reliable Childminders who only too two weeks hol a year and were never off sick and there were two of them so was more like a nursery experience.
I don’t know anyone with a nanny. I think that might be mostly a south east thing. Or a very rich people thing.

I used a nursery. Much better, no issues if one if their staff was ill as there’s always someone else there.

My friend is a childminder and over the last few years she’s taken a lot of time iff due to her kids (hospital appointment/operation/funeral/etc) that causes problems fir parents as its unreliable.

I have no idea how she still works. Shes good but unreliable. That would not work for me.

@lllllllllll You would be surprised by things that small children find exciting when you take them out.

Many small children love being taken out to supermarkets if they aren't put in the trolley all the time and

I think it's very area-specific. DD is now 4. If I now had to choose childcare for her, I'd find it very easy - I stayed at home with her for ages so spoke in passing to parents with kids at all the local nurseries, and saw plenty of CMs (and some nurseries) out and about with kids.

On balance the shit CMs I saw were shitter than the shit nurseries, but there wasn't a whole lot in it. There are a couple of superb CMs locally, and I'd much rather my DC were in those than in the "best" local nurseries. But that can't be extrapolated to any other areas/situations.

Reading this thread most are very blinkered.

I was a childminder but gave up recently.

Childminders follow the same eyfs as nurseries.

I did have a bond with the children i care for but it is very like teachers. I spent time planning thinking about those children when i wasn't working. The children who leave lovely to hear updates but we move on. Some families i am still friends with some i just see on school run, never at all.

I think the family match matters so much with cm's.. completely different approaches to children can be really tricky.

The educational side can be far more tailored to the individual in a childminder as fewer children.

As for favouring own children, one of my reasons for giving up is that i felt my ds was often bottom of the pile.

One thing i fo want to add if i met other c.minders on the park yes we chat - rarely finish a conversation but that may be the only conversation i had with an adult all day.

I am a great believer in trusting your gut, visit nurseries, childminders see what feels right.

It might change as your DC gets older - childminders can also look after school age kids before and after school and during the holidays.

@RedElephants

No actually I was spending time with my kids at the park not sitting on a bench there. I never said that's what all childminders do just that was an experience I had. Thought the point of this was to provide my opinion! God this place is weird sometimes

I don’t like the fact a lot of childminders have dogs! Or they get a puppy thinking nothing of it. I’d rather keep childcare and pets separate.

And some seem to have so many children to keep tabs on eg I see them walking to school with 3 older kids scooting ahead, 2 toddlers in a double buggy, one toddler on reins and a yappy dog on a lead. Usually shouting at the older ones to slow down!

I love our childminder and so does DC. I'm happy she's attached. I'm still mum. DC has just gone to school so she has that continuity of care. Older siblings can also go which makes life easier (one pickup).

She is poorly right now and closed but this is the first time ever in almost 4 years I think.

Saying that when I had 2 of pre-school age I used a nursery because many CM are term time only and private nurseries are year round. The nursery was great too (but expensive, you pay for that convenience!)

I used a childminder when my kid was a baby. She was great and it worked out well, but to be honest the main reason we went that route was that it was much cheaper than a nursery.

@FateHasRedesignedMost my CM has pets but not dogs. They knew to avoid my DD when she was smaller.

My DD does know a lot of local dogs though. She's met them when out with the CM. She will say "Hello" to the owner then go and stroke their dog. (The owner is always a woman.) She stays away from dogs where she hasn't met the owner.

We have a dog and fish and a cat that's been stolen! All the children love our pets as most of them don't have any of their own at home. Having a dog doesn't have to be a negative thing all the children have bonded with our boy but he's never ever left alone with them and never around at snack or meal times. Some parents love the fact their children get to experience pets, some are wary but soon soften when they see how comfortable their child is around him.

Having a dog doesn't have to be a negative thing all the children have bonded with our boy but he's never ever left alone with them and never around at snack or meal times

Agree that it can be a positive thing, just not one I’m comfortable with unless the dog was a trained PAT (therapy) dog.
It’s more the childminders I see walking to school with dogs that worry me eg trying to grapple a double buggy, toddler on reins, dog that’s straining to run the other way and the older kids scooting ahead while she tries to manage naughty dog as well as the littler kids.

Childminder suited us better. Guess it depends where you are.

I used a childminder DD1 was 3 years old but I was doing shift work then and she was flexible. She went to a nursery when she turned 3 as luckily, I didn’t do shift work then. The childminder was lovely.
I use another childminder now with DD2. She’s rated outstanding and always have lots of waiting lists. I mainly did this because of the cost (the childminder cost £380 for the hours we do but it’ll cost almost £800 with the nursery). I love my childminder, my child is not set back in any way. There are 3 childminders on the street and they are always taking the children to places together, etc, letting them meet up (before covid) so they had lots of interaction . This is a mother and daughter run establishment so there are more children for my child to interact with.
I’ll move her to a nursery when she turns 3 though as then, the nursery will cost around £320 with the funded hours so it’s much more affordable.
Childminders are very popular around here for smaller children but most people take their children to nursery or pre school when they turn 3

I've used a childminder since my children were 6 months and 10 months respectively. My eldest is now at secondary and no longer goes.

She is an absolute godsend. For me, nursery was a pain. Slight temperature they would send my son home. The only illness my child minder wouldn't touch (understandably) was D&V. I don't have to worry about school runs or holidays as she covers these and the children love her.

It's always been a win win for me and I don't understand why more parents don't use them. Get yourself a good one and it's the best money you will ever spend.

I think there are a lot less childminders now since it all became so bureaucratic? Our area has very very few.
For me it was the reliability of nursery that won over. I take enough time off for my kids illnesses without having to accommodate a childminders sick leave and holiday dates.

Our childminders (from hanging out with them at various baby groups) are dire. If a kid got hurt, they were the last to see hear or know, stuffing them full of junk and biscuits so they'd clear off and leave the CMs in peace etc. Eye opener indeed.

I used nursery for my first, when dropping them off at school I saw a van for a local childminder, thought I'd maybe consider her when dc2 was ready as it would fit in with work.

Anyway, on the two days per week I was working I'd sometimes arrive at the school to pick dc1 up 30mins early as that's when I finished work.

The nanny was already there, with kids in the van waiting for siblings to finish school or parents to pick up at 3. No way I'd send my dc to someone who'd sit them in the car for that long, I was there 30mins early, maybe they'd been there 31mins or maybe 45 but in my mind that was time they could be playing or doing other things