How do you decide between childcare options?

[kalidasa]

We are expecting our first baby at the end of November/beginning of December and I'll go back to work officially after Easter. Given the nature of our jobs (both academics with marking but little teaching in summer term) we will need some childcare, but probably not full-time, from April and then a full-time option from September/October (so when baby is about 5 and 10 months respectively). We live in North London (NW3) and research I have done indicates that you need to book nursery places nearly a year in advance so we are viewing nurseries next week in case we want to take that option. I understand that childminders, nannies and nanny shares could all be arranged a bit later on.

So maybe this is a stupid question but how do you decide which option is best, especially when you have to make a preliminary decision before the baby even arrives? We could just about afford all possible options (though a proper nanny would be pretty tight). As it's our first I also think it might be nicer for him to have contact with other children. We will be a bilingual family so an option that could support that (e.g. nanny share with another French-speaking family) would also be great though not a priority immediately - DP is more concerned about this a bit later on.

I ordered a guide to childcare which was helpful in that it set out what each option entails but it hasn't really helped me work out which would be best for us. How do other people work all this stuff out?

If you are settling into a year round routine of less care required in the school holidays a childminder would work as lots scale down in the holidays as they have their own children around more. I prefer CMs to nurseries, but that's very personal. However, if you can organise the bilingual nanny share, that would be perfect, especially if you and DH's mutual language is English. It would help so much with the minority language if you live in the UK.

Look at overall annual cost. Look at timings - if you need childcare 8am-6pm then you will find that nurseries and childminders are an option. If you need childcare before 8am or after 6pm then that will limit your options as less providers will provide childcare at those times.

Thanks both. Several really good points. Beehaving I hadn't thought about the school holidays point but you're quite right - apart from half terms (which don't coincide) school holidays are always in the university vacations so it's true we could be a bit more flexible then. Will think more about the childminder option.

I had a look on a nanny share website for NW3 and there were actually several ads for French or French/English families which was encouraging. But it's quite a specific thing to be looking for so I don't want to set too much store by it at this stage. I do speak French but to be honest we speak English together for the most part as we met here. That might change when I hear him speak French more with the baby though.

nannynick good point about timings too. Our jobs will mostly allow us to stick to conventional 8-6 times. Both of us have seminars which go on later than that about once a week, but not usually on the same nights, so I think both nurseries and childminders (with the odd bit of babysitting in addition) ought to be viable.

My DS goes to a lovely nursery that let's us do a term time only option - it might be worth seeing if that's an option?

Find a local babysitter, they could then possibly cover the time between childminder/nursery and when you get back if having a late seminar. Also handy to have someone you know so you and your DH can have time out alone from time to time. Sites like www.childcare.co.uk list babysitters.

pottering thing is that we will still need childcare in the school holidays I think, as we still have to work, it's just that our schedules are more flexible then. Will look into this when we view nurseries though.

Thanks nannynick. Have just pre-emptively joined childcare.co.uk and it does seem to have loads of entries for childminders/babysitters very local to us so looks like it will be useful.

Hello - any advice or suggestions on childminders in NW3 (Hampstead/Swiss Cottage end in particular) ?

I wouldn't worry about him having contact with other children at nursery too much. It means he'll get less attention and to be frank he won't care about other children/making friends until he's at least two and more like three. For flexibility and a quieter, less stressful environment than a nursery but still some contact with others, I would go with a childminder.