2pm-5.30pm, 3 days a week - what kind of childcare do I need for 6 month old baby?

[Saffra]

DD is currently 9 weeks old and I'm researching childcare options. I work from home and hope to increase my hrs when DD is 6 months old.

Ideally, I would need childcare cover for 3.5 hrs per day (2pm-5.30pm), 3 days a week. My mum will help out 1-2 days a week.

How do these hours fit in with childminders? Would a babysitter be a good option?? (I'm thinking that a babysitter would come to the house, which would make my life easier - and could bring DD to me if she needs me).

Any advice would be much appreciated!

Or a part time nanny, It depends on your budget

Would prefer not to pay extra for nanny - esp as only working PT (and I'm paying for a permanent PT employee already in my still relatively young business). But, if this was the best option, would certainly consider it. I guess I need to think longer term too... I.e. DD will have more needs when she gets a older so prob better to think about that too.

Nursery, Childminder, or nanny could all work depending on them having childcare spaces available.
Childminder and Nursery are your lower cost options given you have one child.

Care at your home on a 1:1 level is the most expensive form of care and would mean that you were an Employer, so you would have to get to grips with some of the legal side of that - we have lots of info on here about employing a nanny.

I'd suggest you contact local childminders and nurseries and see what is on offer. You can get their contact details from Family Information Service (often run by your local or county council).

I would consider out of the home childcare. I work from home sometimes but find it hard to focus on the days ds is at home with dh.

I would say go and visit some nurseries and childminders and see who you like. After chatting to ds's keyworker at his nursery for a few minutes I knew I had found someone who would look after ds in a way I was totally comfortable with, and they are so wonderfully attached to each other now

I would consider out of the home childcare. I work from home sometimes but find it hard to focus on the days ds is at home with dh.

I would say go and visit some nurseries and childminders and see who you like. After chatting to ds's keyworker at his nursery for a few minutes I knew I had found someone who would look after ds in a way I was totally comfortable with, and they are so wonderfully attached to each other now

I received a list and did actually visit a childminder from the list whilst still pregnant. I have subsequently ruled this specific childminder out as was just unsure about her.

The main reason why I'm asking is that someone said that my hours are prob the worst times for childminders - as prob wouldn't fit in around school runs and things. I prefer the idea of a home setting - although someone else's house is probably better as less inclined to keep checking everything's ok! I suppose I was thinking that my home would be less of a transition for DD.

At that age I would say that the transition isn't so much of an issue. The problem with a CM may well be that your DD will spend the time doing school runs and will be taking up the single under 1 space for less than half a day. It's not a great prospect financially.

What about a nanny share or finding a local family who want morning help? Is there any chance you could reshuffle your hours so your DD needs care in the mornigns? That could dovetail nicely with a nanny who has an afterschool nanny job or a CM who has a full complement of under 5s in the afternoon but not in the morning due to preschool hours?

There isn't any difference really between a babysitter and a nanny btw. Babysitters tend to care for children in the evening after they've gone to bed or on an occasional basis, nannies during the day on a more regular basis.

Although there is a little flexibility, the hours are based around business cover so need to be in the afternoons. I have cover in the mornings, but none from 3pm onwards. I wouldn't be able to change my employee's hours in the afternoon to suit me as she has school age children.

Not esp keen on DD spending all her time just in car on school runs...

I could always do proper half days, I suppose - although this wouldn't particularly to my benefit.

Hmmm.... Need to do some more thinking about this...

Unless you're in the middle of nowhere it needn't be a car school run, but it's still not ideal obviously.

What's your budget and approximate location?

due to your hours it could be difficult for some childminders but you may be lucky if she has a nursery child that attends afternoon school...that way if she has a morning child then off to school for 1 then your child will start at 2...that way as you wouldnt be taken up the whole day space .

ask around x x

Still phone around, because not all CMs do school runs (I don't). Some will be happy with half days, others will prefer full days. You might have quite a few phone calls to make and a few visits, before you find your perfect match, but I'm sure it's out there.

I am a childminder and have just taken on a baby for 3 days a week from 8 am - 12 pm so another baby on the same days form 2pm - 5:30 pm would be ideal for me

You should be prepared to have to pay a higher hourly rate for such short hours for a baby. My normal rate is about £4/hour but for those hours I would charge about £25/day.

Fraktious - I'm based in Warrington, Cheshire. Don't have a budget set, as such. Would pay what's reasonable for a service that suits both my business and little family. But, don't want to pay more than I need, obviously, as need to balance finances!

Thanks... I am definitely going to do more ringing around and see what's available. Hopefully there's someone perfect who doesn't do school runs, is v local and has availability...and DD loves being around. Not much to ask for then!

If you only do three hours a day could you do it once she's in bed? She also will eventually nap in the afternoons for a couple of hours

If you're going to be home maybe a Mother's Help would suit? Someone wants experience? Try your local college and higher education places, they often have childcare students who need placements, people on the uni-level course I was on were sent on unpaid placements with families, not sure if the families paid the uni but it's worth looking into.

chrimblycompo - I am already working around her morning naps (with DD in sling) and really hope to continue this when she's older. Although, perhaps she will be in her cotbed by then! The problem I'm finding with this - even now at the sleepy new baby stage - is that the naps aren't 100% guaranteed. And it can be stressful if DD isn't 'complying'! So, I'm hoping to have the option to work in the morning - DD napping allowing - and then have 3.5hrs in the afternoon to properly focus and be able to make calls, etc.

Confusedpixie - hmmm... That's interesting, there is a local college and also Uni campus that might run such courses. I guess there is the downside in that it's only short term? Perhaps the mother's help is an idea... Will look into this. Thanks for the suggestions.

Do you have any friends who have a nanny who wants to earn a bit of extra cash? That could be a good solution for you, a very part-time nanny share?

No... Unfortunately I don't. All my mum friends who are back at work use a nursery or childminder. My NCT friends are on maternity leave still...

Afternoon sessions at a local nursery? May need to do, say 1.30-6pm, as that may be the time slot, but you could drop DD off at 1.30 and use the spare time before starting work to do something for you, eg swim, haircut etc, or catch up on foodshopping, jobs around the house that DD prevents you from doing?

I used to work afternoons from home. I used half day sessions at a nursery. I found it much easier to work without DC in house. Walk to nursery was nice to delineate my work time. I've twice started a baby in nursery at 6mo - one went very easily, the other took about 4-6 weeks to really settle there. Once settled, very little transition problem at drop of with babies, I think.

Nursery aslo has the advantage of being more flexible if you increase hours in future? I've gone up from 4 afternoons to 3.5 days over course of a few yrs (spanning 2 dc)

I wouldn't jump to rule out school runs for your little one. I have always taken "my" babies to pick up the big kids, usually on foot, and often incorporating a trip to the park or other diversion into the outing. I have to say that the little ones absolutely look forward to and love picking up the older children, and get a a lot of positive experiences from the opportunity to discuss what school is like, get familiar with the route and the school surroundings and environment. I've had many little ones who have gone on to start school and become the big kids themselves and I honestly think it takes a lot of the anxiety and strangeness out of the experience of starting school and helps them to settle in readily, especially for children who don't have older siblings of their own.

Thanks, will let you know how I get on once I've had chance to make some enquiries this week...

When my DD was this age we had an absolutely brilliant "rental grandma" - a retired nursery nurse - this was in Germany, but there may be an agency for this in the UK? Or you could advertise? Given you don't need many hours...

I did go out and work in a café though so they could get on with it undisturbed at home. And you should do the same checks you would do with a nanny of course, police etc.

Look at some more childminders. You should find someone who like those hours.