A stupid question about wanting to have my cake and eat it, probably in the wrong section.

[openerofjars]

Sorry if this should be in nurseries instead but I wanted to ask actual childminders what they thought.

DS (4yo) and DD (will be 7mo) will be starting nursery in January when I go back to work part time (I promise this has relevance to cms) but DS will only be there until September when he starts in Reception. He'll then need wrap round care for 2 days a week for drop off and pick up as DH and I work 9-5 plus commute. Depending on how DD gets on at nursery, I would like her to have a mix of early years environments: DS loved his last nursery and really benefited from being in a large childcare setting and I'd like her to have the same experience including eventually the 3-4 year old pre-school 15 hours.

Would you do or has anyone done 3pm ish pickup from nursery and primary school and then had sibling DC together until parental pickup? Is this completely bonkers? Has anyone had 1 older sibling mindee after school while the younger is at nursery for full days i.e. only looked after 1 sibling?

I can try for further clarification if needed; I am very tired and have been trying to think about this too much for a couple of days!

I look after 1 school age sibling but not the younger brother who attends daycare nursery. I couldn't do daycare nursery pick up at 3 as I am at school, but would if asked collect from daycare after school, but only because I have other early years children leave me at 3. If that makes sense.

Oh but as another point. I wouldn't do 2 days wrap around as I insist on minimum 10 hours a week contracts as less than that just isn't worth me doing.

I have done the one sibling at school. If I had a child for a couple of hours from nursery, I would charge for the full day, as they take up a space. I have a parent at the moment, who has one sibling with me (CM) and the other at nursery, because that was what suited each child.

Just as a side note ... my mindees do meet and mix with a lot of other children and I offer the 15 hrs funding :)

Thanks both for your input, v useful to know in advance if I might have difficulty finding wrap round care for just 2 days (this is why I'm thinking it over now rather than in 6 months!). My mum will have the DC on 1 day as I'm going back 3 days a week but we may need to rethink that if it means we can't get childcare for the other days.

HSMM, they probably mix with more other children than my DC do when I'm in charge! No aspersions cast, just nursery is my preferred option, that's all.

No problem ... just thought I'd mention it :)

So one child will be in school and one child will be in nursery and both will need collecting at 3 and then be looked after together untill parent collects?

Thats a normal arrangement?

or have I misunderstood the arrangements?

I would probably do the wrap around for 2 days if it was at a school i already picked up from but i wouldn't be able to do the nursery pick up because it would take up one of my under 5's places which i couldn't afford to do as would only be getting 2 hours pay iyswim.

FeelingOld, thank you, that is useful.

Nokidshere, in my OP I have said 3pm ish - I am bashing around ideas for when my DS goes to school in September 2013, which is why I don't know anything yet.

I don't know what is and what isn't possible yet so I am asking the experts. You may have been a childcare for decades but I have only ever had 1 child before this summer and making the arrangements for going back to work is now more complicated with two children.

Please note, I did not ask or care if you approved of my choices for childcare, just if they were possible and if anyone has had mindees do similar.

Or am I reading you all wrong and your post wasn't meant to be judgmental and rude?

I think it's worth asking around. For example I do wrap around a child just 2 days a week & on those same days I have a 2yo who leaves at 2.00pm so for me it would be feasible in theory to do what you are asking as the 2 under 5's hours would compliment each other. Obviously this would be subject to the collection times being do-able as the cm couldn't be in two places at once. It's a matter of logistics as much as anything. I'd put out feelers once you have your son's school place confirmed as it will be easier to just search those minders who collect or could collect from that school.

You're being very defensive, OP. This is a common arrangement, so really no need to be.

I had a CM take and collect my DS1 from nursery 1 morning a week, on top of 1 other full day with her. However I paid her for the hours he was at nursery, and she could do it because the nursery started later than the school in the morning and was a noon pick up. I didn't mind paying as DS1 was 3 so his nursery hours were funded, so I wasn't paying twice. However I wouldn't have done it if DS's nursery hours weren't funded at the nursery because paying for two lots of childcare at the same time would have just been too great.

I wouldn't do wrap around care for a baby unless I already had a little one who left at 3pm. Otherwise it's just blocking an under 5 space for the whole day, making it really difficult to fill around those hours.

Good news! The nursery I looked at today was lovely and actually does pick-ups from our local primary school. I hadn't even considered it as an option but there you go: in the midst of confusion there is suddenly clarity.

That almost never happens to me!

Thank you for so much constructive food for thought: if this nursery arrangement doesn't work out I will have this advice to fall back on.