Apologies for what has become a marathon post!
Just starting to think about going back to work. I have a 3yr old who has been blissfully happy in a private nursery since she was 6 months old. I also have a baby who will be 6 months old when i go back to work. My husband used to work from home at least 3days a week and did the majority of the pick ups from nursery as I do not finish til 6pm at the earliest. He has just secured a consultancy contract for 18m-2y where he will have to leave the house at 7am and return at 630/7pm. Nursery is about 3 mins drive from work/5mins from home
My week is complicated in that i work
Mon 820am til 550pm (1 in 4 weeks this is til 630 or 7pm) alternate weeks I have a work meeting 730pm til 10pm as well
Tues day off
Weds flexible day from which I can always escape by 530 and usually a lot sooner, often flexible working from home and DD only usually goes to nursery 1pm-530pm
Thurs 815am-550pm most weeks but sometimes finish at 1pm and once a month work 4-9pm and off in the day
Fri 815-130pm most weeks but 1/5 weeks 8-630/7pm and 1/5 8-550
DD1 starts school next sept.
Am considering trying to get a p/t nanny and thinking about both going to nursery Mon, Thur, Fri mornings and weds afternoon and trying to find a nanny to work from 1pm til 7ish mon, thur, fri with occasional monday evening babysitting and the understanding that she/he would be paid for the 3 afternoons but I would usually be home and let her go early on the thur/fri when I finish earlier (ie 18hr a week contract but usually actually working 14hr or so but paid for the full 18 regardless). Plan would be nanny picks girsl up from nursery at 1 has them all afternoon and when DD1 starts school nanny will pick DD2 up at 1 and then collect DD1 at 320.
DD1 loves nursery (and 15hr are free) and the nursery have been amazingly flexible and perfect up til now so I don't want a f/t nanny as I would prefer the girls to do some nursery time as well also I cannot imagine a nanny being cheaper than nursery as I pay £32 a day for nursery (and 15hrs are free for DD1).
Have I a hope in hell of finding anyone for this sort of job? Am desperately trying to negotiate with my colleagues for a more fixed rota pattern to help out with childcare but as I am not an employee and the others do not want a change I am not holding out much hope (I suppose I could resign but that is not on the preferred option list right now!)