nursery opening hours

[scottishgal09]

I need to go back to work so will soon be putting my 9 month old in nursery, only thing is that the earliest I can find any nursery open is 7 am to 7 pm. The 7 pm closing time is fine but I really find I need a opening time of 6 pm. I also work Saturday mornings so need something that is open 6 days. Start time should be at least 6:00 pm but I struggle to find this. Do these type of nursery’s exist? What are the opening and closing hours for your nursery’s? Why don’t nursery’s take into account that some parents need to work 6 days 🤨?

@Didimum none of the doctors in my family work 80 hours + when they became parents. And given their study they understand that parent time is absolutely key to well balanced children.

Therefore I find the op reference as being misguided and if she is trying to attain what isn't possible she is only heading for a wall.

I was that soldier with very unreasonable predicted future in law. By not opening up herself to taking a step back and identifying what is the priority, her child and working from that she isn't in for a very happy future and sadly neither is her child.

By all means have a career, but ensure that the career works for you not the other way around. Sometimes we are blinkered and can only see things as remaining as they are, by having others challenge us we start to identify possible other alternatives.

Why do people keep ignoring that Saturday is just Saturday morning? Not 12 hours.

Can we give it a rest with 12 hours a day 6 days a week when it isn’t even accurate?

Op, I understand you are ambitious and that's great, but when you have a child, something's got to give. Life cannot be lived like it was pre-kids. It just can't.

It's not fair on the child to be woken up so early and to spend so long in childcare. You say you earn well, so can one of the 4 jobs between you be dropped?

I don't think the plan is realistic. As another poster has already said, there'll be a lot of sick days to come and juggling long hours with a child will be really hard work. I also don't think you'll find childcare for 6am starts other than possibly a nanny, but I think you'd struggle to find one prepared to start at that time.

Time for a re-think.

Mine were both in nursery full time. Please read the OP's response to me. She has considered it but would prefer the nursery option. Which is her right. Please don't make up the reason I've advised something.

It's 11 hours, 5 days a week. The 6th day is morning only.

It's very clear that many posters are continually exaggerating in order to make OP look worse – why?

@scottishgal09 back to your original question about if there are nurseries that open at 6am - there aren’t any - what will you do next?

Can you negotiate with your employer a slightly later start time?

Also childcare for Saturdays is pretty much 99.9% gonna be a no go, so what will be your solution?

There's needing to work to keep your career but your focus on nursery versus childminder for the reasons you've mentioned doesn't seem big enough. A nursery setting is noisy and can be quite chaotic. At 9 months that's a long day for a baby let alone in a noisy nursery setting. Not all babies thrive in nursery so do you have a plan B if your little doesn't? Childminder has been suggested because it's a calmer more home like setting, and they do day trips and visits out so your child won't be getting anything extra at nursery in the way of toys.

If you cant compromise with your job and working hours you could try and compromise on your focus on nursery as the only setting you want your baby in, to find the best possible fit for the little one as they will spend most of their waking hours in this setting. A mix of the two could work, particularly as you aren't likely to find a nursery or even conventional childminder on a Saturday. A 6 to 5 day is still a very long day, so the more homely it can be the better for your baby?

Came on to say exactly this. Of course families where both parents work is the most common setup now and I fully support women going back to work but this would be an awful outcome for your baby. DC's childminder changed her hours to stop working by 5.30 because it did not benefit the child to be away from their parents for so long.

Fastforward a few years when they start school and wraparound hours will be even more limited

Because she’s an ambitious woman who wants to work full time.

It’s that simple unfortunately.

I don’t understand why you can’t have more of a balance with your partner so either one of you can be around more.

I’d also make sure you look at the hours you both do and the cost of childcare to see what is feasible. For me it made sense to go part time because I’d have only been £20 a week better off back at full time after child care, and I’d happily sacrifice that extra £20,- week for time with my child.

I completely disagree about how you need to work full time to get ahead at work. That’s a very outdated view. I dropped down to part time after my first child and have since had two back to back promotions, despite having another child and going up against child free people in the interview. More and more organisations are recognising the importance of flexible working, if you’re somewhere that doesn’t I’d suggest you start looking for somewhere that does because you and your partner will both need it when it comes to sick days etc.

Also worth thinking about now how you will manage school drop offs and pick ups as it will be here before you know it.

Even if you find that magical nursery, you need to be aware your child will pick up all sorts of bug’s & illnesses, you will get numerous phone calls to pick your child up when they are unwell with a temperature or loose nappies, & then will be expected for them not to come back for 48hours, how will that work for you?
Sounds like you need a live in nanny.

It is not about the hours of one doctor or another, and OP does not work 80 hours – so why is that relevant. My comment was illuminating that some careers are deemed more worthy than hours, hence posters hounding her for details of hers.

She is not asking for your moral opinion on childcare. That really is all you need to know.

No I don’t. But i have done research like others, talked to friends, seen nursery’s and they are great for children. Lots to do, toys, games, puzzles, friendly workers. At home and at a childminder this is not the case. I am only looking for full time and Saturday. Not as many hours as possible.

Restaurants and hotels tend to be open at times e.g. bank holidays when most people are off.

The OP isn't the only mother who has to work those days. However most parents ensure that at least one parent is available to look after the child(ren).

Children under the age of three don't play or necessarily socialise, so there's no evidence that nursery is better for a 9 month old to a 3 Yr old. Many professionals in the nursery settings say this too. At your babies age what they actually will gain from is a core caregiver, be it mum or dad, or other family, or a single childminder etc. There's getting a headstart of education but this scenario of a 9 month old in nursery 6 days a week isn't it. That comes later when the cnild is developmentally capable in an educational setting. I have a 10 month old myself, I just cannot imagine what it would do to him to see him one full day a week and on other days just an hour or so before bed.

Indeed. Standard unjustified moral superiority complex of the bitter MN user, who knows best, does better and appears to have the unflinching belief that bestowing it on others will save each and every child they come across.

You know you as a parent and as an adult can learn quite easily what to do with small children so you can keep them learning and entertained?

There are some nurseries that don't take their children on trips including to the local shops or on a bus so they learn how to interact with shop staff, bus drivers etc. You can do this with your child yourself and they will learn a lot.

This. A female doctor (working in paediatrics actually) I know well was absolutely determined she was going to avoid putting her children in nursery.

She and her husband both went down to 3 days a week and for the first few years the children went to a childminder (for more focused attention by a consistent adult) for the one overlapping day. Her husband did the childcare for her night shifts.

Once the children started school, they dropped the childminder and grandparents took over pre and post school care. It means the children (now in their teens) were mainly cared for by family who do love them (not just provide an acceptable standard of care) and all of whom are still in their lives.

It takes two high salaries + nearby family to do this so I’m not criticising people who have to use nurseries 5 days week to keep a roof over their children’s head but I find it boggling that anyone would spend so little time with their child by choice.

Yes, and employees of business like this get time in lieu, so she would still get them off.

The only way you’ll find any care for your child starting at 6am or on a Saturday is a private nanny or childminder. If you’re not willing to do that then unfortunately you’re wrong in saying you don’t have to give anything up, you can’t have it all. I do also think being in childcare 6 days a week isn’t in the best interests of any child especially one so young.

OP isn't asking what you personally find mind boggling.

As you want to keep referring to doctors - I am a doctor. Neither me or my colleagues (or any other doctor I know) put their child in nursery 11 hours/day for 5 days and then also in childcare on a Sat morning.

None of us even did 5 full days - we juggled shifts and DH work so they did max 4 long days at that stage.

Nursery workers maybe trained but all evidence firmly points towards a child forming a secure attachment with a caregiver under the age of 3 - if you have them in nursery 55 hours a week, there will not be a single staff member present across all those shifts. They do not socialise that young either.

You are deluding yourself this is best for your baby

I disagree these days. With more and more jobs offering wfh the typical setup does seem to be 9-5 with one doing drop and one doing pick up. It's besides the point though. It is cruel to have a baby and send them to nursery 6 days a week..end of!

You will definitely struggle to cover those hours at nursery, they will be few and far between that start at 6 am and Saturdays even more so. Plus I think you would want a really really good nursery to leave your child in 55 plus hours a week. I’m sorry OP but you’re looking for a needle in a haystack.

And I wasn’t asking your opinion of my opinions but you seem to think you get to comment anyway? The word hypocrite comes to mind.