Childminders-does this sound possible/likely?

[Nyborg]

I'm expecting a baby, hoping to take 8-10 months of maternity leave and then return to work which is full-time and full-on, though i dont start until 10am. However, DH is a writer and works from home and tends to get up very early so he has often done 6 hours of work before lunch.

He's going to scale back some of his work and we're wondering if it's likely to be possible to find a childminder 5 days a week but only for 3-4 hours a day - 9am to 12/1pm. Would you be interested in that sort of arrangemen or would it limit your intake too much to have a alf-time minded rather than a full-time mindee? Any flaws I won't have thought of with this plan?

Argh, typos. Half-time mindee.

Some cms will, and some won't. It might suit someone who collected a mindee from preschool at lunch time. It is "blocking" a full time space because it would be quite hard for the cm to fill afternoons only.

That said, if you don't ask, you don't know!

It wouldn't really suit me because I by the time I have paid for activities/outings for the morning, a snack and possibly lunch there just wouldn't be much left over from the 3-4 hours pay. The minimum number of hours that I normally accept is 7 per day. However, it is worth asking around as we all do things differently. I have a childminder friend who has two school age children of her own and she has just decided that from next year she is only going to take on mindees that fit into school hours so that she can have the afternoons free to spend with her own two. Something like this would probably suit her perfectly.

I would do this as I find shorter days quite nice. I might charge additionally for lunch though.

I am up to my maximum capacity after school, so a little one fitting into school hours would be good.

I used to have DS at a childminder 8am-1pm. I did know there was always a possibility that someone would come along wanting a full time place and she would dump us though! Luckily that didn't happen, I don't think there was a huge demand for full time places where we are.

He then went to a nursery that did half day sessions 8/9-1 or 1-5/6, so that might be an option for you too.

I am sure you could find someone and if not, you'll definitely be able to get those hours from a nursery. However, if this is your first I'd leave it a bit before you try and decide what you want to do.

I genuinely believed I'd be able to carry on at work like nothing happened and it really wasn't like that, at all. It's not about the practicalities, it's about how you feel . It's not even about the money, well it is a bit, but it's amazing what you're prepared to do without if it means a few more hours with your baby.

Obviously lots of women do go back full-time, but the one thing that's certain about life with a baby is it's not going to be how you imagine it is! You need to wait and see how you feel once LO is here.

All the best for the new arrival.

Thanks, Department. That's a kind thought but sadly I don't have any choice at all about going back, or the hours I do when I return. I wish that things were a bit different, but we'll make the best of the situation we have. If need be, DH will become a fulltime SAHD and I truly believe he would be brilliant at it.