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 🤨?

No one needs your blessing. They need you to keep your unwanted opinions to yourself.

My opinions are in the majority here. Im a child care professional simply stating fact.

A majority because many women are pushed out of work because quality childcare is unaffordable. The clue in an unwanted opinion is that OP did not ask about your opinion on childcare.

I wouldn't say the hours are longer, they're just at different times (except for those shift workers that do 10 hour shifts) but nurseries are much more shift friendly.
But you're right it's a big contrast to the short school hours.

Where did OP say it was 6 hours on a Saturday?

Or 12 hours a day 🙄

OP, to answer your question, I’m in SE London and our nursery is open 7am to 6:30pm. I haven’t seen any local nurseries that open earlier. Our toddler is up at the arsecrack of dawn and our workplaces are both flexible around hours worked, so we often take our daughter in just after 7:30 and pick her up around 5 / 5:30. She attends four days a week - it’s quieter on Mondays and Fridays so I think a lot of kids do this, although there’s definitely many children attending five days a week. There are no options on a Saturday - I don’t think there would be the demand to sustain it tbh, with the exception of certain professions people doing shift work on weekends often can’t afford afford full-time nursery in this area.

As lots of people have said, your realistic options are family (or likely very expensive!) childcare around the gaps, or de-conflicting your schedules so that less of your shifts overlap.

@LittleTiger007
Going off on a tangent
They (media, schools etc) keep going on about anxiety in teens. Much of it is blamed on mobile phones etc etc.

Do you think attachment disorders could be partly to blame?

Do you have any qualifications on this stuff, you seem to talk with knowledge 🤔

She came on Mumsnet and asked the question. Does she just want answers only from those who agree with her? 97% don’t.
I have stood up for her child in this. She should stay in work but the hours 6 days a weeks she’s advocating for WILL damage her child in the long run. I would be failing professionally and as a human being if I didn’t say that in the strongest possible terms.
i say it as someone with post grad qualifications in child development. 20 yrs as an early years teacher, as a parent … and now as one who travels widely advising. I’ve done my research. I’ve seen the effects.

OP you keep talking about Doctors putting their children in full time nursery, I just wanted to say that I know three families where both parents are Doctors and not one of them puts their children in full time nursery. Family 1 have a live in Au Pair. Mum of family 2 reduced her hours as a GP to 2 days per week. In family 3 Dad works day shifts and Mum works night shifts in an A&E department and looks after the kids in the day and her mum helps out too. God knows when she sleeps!

My children are teenagers, nearly all my friends have children, I don’t think I know one family where at least one parent hasn’t had to adapt either their hours or job role to fit around their children.

I understand that you enjoy your jobs, that’s great, but you’re still able to request flexible working hours. All employers have to consider your request, they don’t have to agree but they have to have good reason to disagree. If you need any help with this speak to ACAS.
I can guarantee you that these long hours aren’t sustainable with young children, you’ll burn out. Even if you found a nursery that opened at 6am, what about when he’s at school? Don’t be thinking things get easier at school age, in some ways it gets harder.

Also, you’re getting defensive towards anybody who suggests you change / reduce your hours but the fact of the matter is, you don’t really have a choice. You won’t get childcare from 6am, so either you or your husband will have to change your working hours, or you get a nanny.
So yes YABU, you’ve totally failed to plan and prepare for returning to work and now blaming nurseries for your predicament.

Partly for sure although of course teens have a whole raft of other issues these days such as porn on tap on their devices. But yes those who were shoved in daycare all hours from early on … it’s part of the reason there’s a huge growth in autistic spectrum disorders. Sometimes it’s attachment disorders misdiagnosed (when on the lower end of the spectrum). Attachment disorders can be overcome but they are huge in society today.
abive post for my qualifications

It is not required for you to agree or disagree with her, because that is not the question she asked. She asked if nursery hours were available from 6am or Saturdays.

For what it's worth, I have found @LittleTiger007 's posts very interesting and informative. They were not unwanted to me.
They clearly have extensive knowledge in attachment theory and is sharing this to help the OP to make an informed decision about her child's future, not bash her for being a working mother.

OP why do you have such a negative view of childminders. I have friends whose children go to childminders and they have just as many games, toys, activities… and lovely home made food as my children who go to nursery do. In fact childminders can sometimes offer more of a home from home setting as they have less children to look after. They most certainly are not all just being dragged around to pick ups and drop offs. Your view is very warped.

She’s getting defensive because people aren’t just suggesting to change or reduce her hours, they are asking her why she bothered having a baby, questioning her love and bond with her baby and more.

Of course she’s getting defensive. Some of the comments have been awful.

@Natsku just because people do it, doesn't make it good! I have to get to work for 8am. I think it would be better if I could start at 9am but I can't. My husband has a job where he can start later but also finishes later so we do take it in turns for drop off and pick up so our son isn't there too long. One of us went part time when he was younger too.

@scottishgal09 you've mentioned on several occasions about doctors and what they do.

I'm a doctor. In order to minimise my child's time in childcare, I slashed my hours in half, accepted that for the next few years career progression is on hold, and I use every scrap of flexibility I can in my work pattern. My DH did similar. We didn't want our DC to spend the majority of their time in childcare because, as great as childcare professionals can be, for a small child it simply isn't a substitute for stable and present primary caregivers. We're fortunate that we could do that and make that choice, and I'm very aware that many people aren't in that situation. Just don't think that long days in childcare is something to strive for, for your child, when what they really need, when it's possible, is you.

You aren’t the one posting a thread and asking a question. The thread isn’t for you.

But it's ok for you to take the place of the OP and start giving defensive replies ????

OK then.

Yes, because this thread is vile.

Thank you. That’s exactly it. The op needs to know all the facts.

I think this thread has triggered you and I’m sorry for that. But this thread is attempting to empower the op with fact and anecdotal opinion.

I find it amazing how some posters have deluded themselves into believing that children don't need consistent, present primary caregivers and that anyone suggesting that they do must hate women. You are denying reality and creating a fiction to justify it to yourselves. No, actually, most women don't want to work full time. The problem isn't lack of affordable childcare. It's that women often want to actually spend time with and care for their children themselves!! You can see that in the strength of the reaction here - most can't fathom why you would want to spend so little time with your baby.

She said a half day on Saturday, which would mean at least 5.5 hours if you take a full day to be 11 hours (the 6am to 5pm she wants to leave the baby there for). Could be longer if she means half the time the nursery is open for.

Well why did you respond? The inference is clear, unless you struggle with comprehension.