OK, CM question that may be really dense, but be kind!!!....

[Becaroooo]

...ds2 (3 in 3 weeks) is NOT settling at nursery at all - crying, genuine distress, waking in the night and then yesterday vomiting

He was only doing 2 mornings per week and has only done 2 sessions and its a disaster.

So, am thinking maybe a CM would be a better option for him? He has 2 years til he starts school so dont think it matters that he isnt at nursery yet.

My question is;
Do CM's provide the 15 hours free care from the term after age 3 that nurseries/pre-schools do? As I said, this is probably a very dense question but I have no experience of this.

Should add that I really dont want to push ds2 re; nursery as I did with ds1 and deeply regret it.

Thanks

Yes OP I can totally emphasize with the knackered thing!
I work and actually find it gives me a break, when I was at home I cried at least once a day. There is simply no break, EVER when you SAH. Unless you have family around.
A mothers help sounds good or even a nanny. My nanny used to do one afternoon a week for another family. In fact we are in the east mids and have just dropped our lovely nannies hours by half a day per week and I know she would like extra work.
Pm me if you want more info or I can help anymore.

Empathise not emphasize !! Bloomin I phone!

I just wanted to let you know my experience with my DD to reassure you a bit. My DD is almost three but I started her 1 day a week at pre-school when she hit two. I'd been working from home but it was increasibly difficult so i opted to put her in one day per week. She took ages to settle, became very very clingy with her key worker and would sob if she left the room etc. I was getting extremely worried. Her keyworker is actually a childminder and so I explored moving her to her setting instead.

Her notes suggested that the only areas of development were to boost her confidence, social skills etc which broke my heart as she's extremely vivacious and spirited at home. I was tentative at taking her back after the summer but opted to put her in for an extra day hoping it would help her to settle as more time in the environment.

She is a different child, the difference since July to just a couple of weeks in, is massive. She begs to go, runs off without a glance and gushes with stories about it.

I'm not saying you shouldnt take DS out if thats what you think is best, or get a mothers help. But I realised that for my DD one 5 hour session in a week wasnt enough to settle in, to get familiar with the place or the people. It's a long time for an almost three year old to go 6 days without revisiting somewhere and it may be similar for your DS with short sessions and only a couple in hand. I was very very upset at the end of term before summer, my daughter to me was emotionally affected and I felt torn. This term she is now asking when she can get to big school and she doesnt start until 2013!!!

*thedoctorswife" glad your dd is happier now. We just cant afford any more sessions atm...I realise 2 morning sessions isnt much per week but even from Jan they could only offer us 3 morning sessions anyway.

knackered Will PM you, thanks.

Hmmm i understand the cost. Ive had to cut back on loads to afford the extra session as dd doesnt get funded til jan. Its heart wrenching to know your child is so upset. I sent dh to do the drop offs sometimes as i couldnt bear the screaming. What was worse was the day when i collected her, she cried 'please please mummy just take me home' that was awful. Amazingly they said she didnt cry on dh's drop offs prob as she was used to seeing him go off to work.

Have you spoken to nursery? What do they say happens whilst he's there? My dd was apparently ok and they showed me lots of photos of her playing. But she wet herself three times a session there despite being out of nappies day and night since april so i knew she wasnt completely at ease.

They say he cried for me but played happily...not sure about that, when I collected him (early) after his last session he was with the same key worker he had been with 3 hours earlier and seemed very withdrawm

I think he is just not developmentally ready tbh...

Got to ring the nursery and say he isnt coming back for a while!

and remember this is all temporary, he will all too soon be denying your presence at the school gate and say as mine did, 'mum no kissing me, god how embaressing'.

all part of the journey so keep that in mind and dont worry.