anyone swopped nursery for childminder????

[Chepstow1]

Hi there, would really appreciate some advice please.

My Ds is nearly 12 months and for the last 3 months has been spending 2 half days a week increasing to 2 full days. The nursery we go to is reputed to be the "best" in the area. The staff are very pleasent and professional etc, and I have absolutly no worries that he is be "cared for". However when I ask questions like " how is doing with his self feeding" (my son will not take a spoon from us), the staff look at me blankly. The same type of reaction is given when I ask anything about his development.

Whenever i go into the nursery the carers are sitting observing the children, but not really interacting and encouraging development. I also do not know the names of any of the other children which I'd like to, so I can talk about his little friend freddie or whatever when he gets home.

Am I expecting too much??? I am seriously thinking of taking him out of nursery and trying to find a good childminder who will get to know my son, his moods, and have more of a family environment. I go back to work next month and I'll be leaving him for 3 days and as all Mums do, want to get the childcare right.

Any thoughts anyone, am I expecting too much??? Is he getting what he needs now from nursery?

Sorry, one last thing, I have also been called twice in the last week to come and pick up my son early with a message that he was "unwell". Both times he was grumpy but no temperature etc, and a day later a new tooth came through. This also really cheesed me off as I felt when it got a bit hard, the nursery just got on the phone. Again, am I being unreasonable??

Worries I have about childminders are reliance on one person, what happens when they are ill?

Thanks Mums and Dads that resond to this!!

You are right really, I should have. I worried & ummed & aaahed over it at the time. But I was worried that they would know it was me.

Oh and prisoner, I have to say that I think there are definitely lots more advantages to going with a Networked childminder. Just everything which you wrote really. I think maybe it should be the norm as it's voluntary at the mo.

I hated the idea of a childminder and sent ds3 to 'the best' nursery when he was 14 months. He didnt seem too bad at first (I put the grizzling down to settling in). One day though, after a month, a nursery assistant told me that she had 'isolated him and given him a good telling off for biting' (he was teething). After that he wouldn't go back without a screaming fit, and I gave in and removed him. I could only find a childminder at short notice so decided to give it a go- wow! She was great and he loved her! When we moved here, I looked round the Nurseries, but decided that until he goes to pre-school he will go to a chilodminder, and have found yet another great one.

You are right really, I should have. I worried & ummed & aaahed over it at the time. But I was worried that they would know it was me.

Although it is voluntary to be part of a network, this doesn't mean that you would be automatically accepted. You do have to commit to ongoing training etc., and a lot a childminders don't want to do this.

I don't want anyone to think that a childminder who chooses not to be on a network is not any good at their job. They may be just as professional and caring. (It does mean that they probably have a better social life than me!!)