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 🤨?

I think having a nanny in your own home is different to being in a nursery and probably why some people have suggested that.

Because the more answers she receives, she will find out whether it commonly exists, uncommonly exists or is unheard of. This is a parenting support forum, people use it to ask questions they don't know. No question is a stupid question if you don't know the answer.

Having a nanny for 60 hours per week is entirely different to using a nursery for 60 hours per week.

With a nanny, the child is receiving individual attention 100% of the time, is able to go on trips to the park, the library, and playgroups, and can also spend time in their own home. With nursery, ratios mean that there is one staff member to three babies (even higher as the child grows), and the child's experiences are limited to the nursery. There is no opportunity for the child to have a lazy day at home or just to relax and unwind.

I understand why OP might want 60 hours of childcare, even if it's not something I would choose for myself. But wanting a child in a high-stress nursery environment 60 hours per week is not developmentally good for the child. A nanny or childminder (unlikely with the hours wanted) is a far better option, but the OP is not considering this. It seems as though the child is the OP's lowest priority, which is why so many posters have been harsh.

No one is saying having a nanny is equivalent to nursery. We are saying some people have their children in childcare for 60hrs per week. Even so, it would depend on the quality of the nanny and the quality of the nursery provision. Not all are created equal.

Irrespective, is someone less entitled to their career because they cannot afford a nanny?

If it is common is irrelevant if it isn't available where she lives. If I say oh yes in Edinburgh every nursery does this and the OP lives in London how does that help her?

Because she will know it does exist and then she can extend/prolong her search. Someone may have said that 'X' chain offer these hours and then she can find her nearest branch of that chain.

You seem to have a real hangup with someone asking a fairly simple question. I'm not sure why.

That's what Google is for, not AIBU. She just wanted to have a rant about nurseries not catering to 6-days-a-week workers.

She quite plainly asked 'Do these type of nursery’s exist? What are the opening and closing hours for your nursery’s?' – she is allowed to ask this simple question and should be entitled to do so without receiving a barrage of vile condescension.

I'm sure many shift workers wish weekend childcare provision was more prevalent without the premium cost.

Clearly you are just annoyed because you don't like the question.

You can’t consider what you can’t afford.

I went with a nursery over a childminder for many reasons. Not all childminders are automatically better than all nurseries, it’s variable.

None of those are AIBU? questions. Maybe if she's posted in the childcare or nurseries section, she might have gotten answers to her childcare questions. Everyone knows that if you post in AIBU? you will receive a variety of opinions on your situation.

Yes, it seemed a very odd choice to post on AIBU!

"A variety of opinions" – what a deceptive way to describe someone receiving a torrent of vitriol.

If you wish every post on AIBU to ask a direct AIBU question then you must be exceptionally annoyed at 80% of posts on this board.

Regardless, the AIBU question is implied – 'Am I being unreasonable to hope to find these nursery hours?'

But she ended on ‘why don’t nurseries take into account that some parents work 6 days a week?’ I.e. she KNOWS already that they don’t - this was a post intended to rant about that fact. And the answer, of course, is that most parents adjust their lives so that they can be with them as much as they can, and that this means NOT working 6 days a week (or apparently 7, if you are the father). It does mean reducing hours and/or coordinating days off between both parents to increase time spent with children and to reduce the hours they are in a care setting. They do this knowing it may impact career progression for a few years, but accept this. OP does none of these things.

There is clearly a cultural issue here, as in Thailand people may value this time with younger babies far less than they do in Western society, where research tells us that children develop better when raised by a small number of constant care givers. In Thailand, where OP originates, some of this extended care is likely provided by older relatives/extended family. In fact, it often is in the UK too, but she has none here (exc perhaps the aunt).

She is complaining because what she wants does not exist. The simple facts are that she will not be able to continue working the hours she does and certainly not on weekends. Even if she gets a nanny, there are rules as to max hours worked a week/day and - I would guess - it is unlikely that OP’s salary in hospitality after PAYE etc, would actually cover the cost of a 5.5 day/week nanny and holiday cover.

She asked more than one question. One being, "Am I being unreasonable to think that nurseries should cater to people who want to put their babies into childcare for more than 60 hours a week?"

Which many people have answered.

Are you seriously trying to convince anyone that AIBU isn't full of posts that only exist to rant? Or is it just something else to kick OP, over? Add it to the list – it's getting pretty long.

She has already said she can't afford a nanny. I suggested she looks into a nanny share which significantly reduces the cost of a nanny. There are not rules to how many hours someone can work as long as they voluntarily agree to.

No, she didn't ask this question. She asked about starting hours and weekend hours.

No woman on earth would nanny share with this woman. The nanny would be knackered working those hours and put the other children at risk.

And I have no comment to make about the nature of AIBU posts - and did not do so in my post. I addressed precisely what she said - and pushed back against your dogmatic and aggressive response to another PP

It is not kicking the OP to tell her REPEATEDLY that what she wants does not exist. She will have to do what every other mother in the UK does when exploring returning to work after a baby: find out what hours ARE available in the local nursery settings and then speak to her employers about reducing/changing her hours. Same for Dad.

"Why don’t nursery’s take into account that some parents need to work 6 days 🤨?"

It's implied.

Look for one in a hospital site. Ours was open 6am - 8pm. But not weekends.

It is not kicking the OP to tell her REPEATEDLY that what she wants does not exist.

No one said it was.

No woman on earth would nanny share with this woman. The nanny would be knackered working those hours and put the other children at risk.

My nanny worked 7am-7pm 5 days a week for her previous family. I also interviewed one who worked 5am-6pm 5 days a week for a single mother. Yes, nannies like this do exist for specialist roles.

Why bother criticising the OP specifically for a ranting post unless you have a problem with ranting posts on AIBU? Do you comment critically on a number of them for that reason? Probably not – you just have an issue with this particular one. Which again suggests the criticism isn't about posting to have a rant, it's the nature of the rant.

She did ask this question, it’s in the original post.

Why don’t nursery’s take into account that some parents need to work 6 days 🤨?

Yes – to encompass weekend workers, not necessarily 60hrs a week. A nursery will commonly open 55 hours a week, this to encompass weekday workers at standard, core 9-5 working hours, not necessarily every child for those full 55 hours a week.

Again, I am sure many shift workers wished childcare provision was more readily available at non-core hours without the premium cost.

Some people are finding A LOT of time to post on here and nitpick over everyone else’s posts. I wonder if they’re making the most of the kids being in nursery or if they have their noses in their phones during “quality time” 😂

Haha, the op hadn't posted for hours but still it is going.

My nanny worked 7am-7pm 5 days a week for her previous family. I also interviewed one who worked 5am-6pm 5 days a week for a single mother. Yes, nannies like this do exist for specialist roles.

Aye and its not hard to imagine why.both those nannies were back in the job market.