General advice, please!

[FalseWidow]

I have been a SAHM since DC1, and have always planned to return to work when youngest is 2.5 ish. That point is now on the visible horizon, so I am trying to work out which is best, nursery, or CM. I don't have any idea about either, really.

I have 3 DCs, two will be at school by Sept next year, the other, 2.5.

This may sound like a ridiculous question, but I honestly don't know the answer to it. What do childminders do with children all day? Do they play and read with them, or simply give them toys and a safe environment? Is the tv on a lot? Would they ever attempt to 'teach' them anything - like colours, numbers, etc.? Do children get attached to CMs to such an extent that if you were to move they would be very upset?

Thanks for any answers.

With 3 children you may be better looking at a nanny than a childminder or nursery.

A good childminder will read to your DC, play with them, take them out and teach them through play. They follow the same curriculum as nurseries.

I don't think any child with a good bond with his parents would be unduly upset about a change in childcare. I'm sure they'd miss the childminder, but not to the extent that it's a problem.

Outraged why do you say nanny? My first reaction to that is 'Eh???' since I have assumed that with two at school the maximum requirement for those two will be about 2.5 hours each per day... As I say, though, I know literally nothing about any of this, including relative costs.

A CM educates pre-school children, according to EYFS, the same as a nursery. This is done by learning through play. The school children will normally need a chance to eat and wind down after school, so it might be a different environment for them - play in the park or garden, some quiet crafts or reading, or even TV. You will need to visit different CMs to see how they manage different ages. Some do school pickups, some don't, some do holidays, some don't. Get a list from the council and visit a few.

I was thinking;

1 x full time care
2 x before and after school, school holidays, illness and any unexpected school closures (strikes, snow etc).

I don't know prices in your area, but you might find a nanny is comparable in cost or maybe even cheaper than a childminder. Factor in the extra benefits of a nanny (will look after sick children, more flexible, no need to do drop off/pick up, will do children's laundry and other household tasks etc.) and it's probably worth looking into.

If you don't need the holidays etc. then a childminder is probably cheaper.

I always used a nursery when my eldest were young. Never had any huge issues, kids were always happy to go. Lots of structured activities, messy play and other kids to play with. I had a very good relationship with the nursery.
When dc4 came along, nursery was too expensive. I looked into local childminders, found one via personal recommendation who lived right by the school. She is fantastic, home from home environment, lots of activities but with a more personal touch and cheaper. She reads with her, messy play, nature walks. TV is kept for quiet time before naps.
Both have their pros and cons, but I can say that if I had met my childminder years ago, I'd have gone straight down that route.
However, youngest dc is very attached to her and would be gutted if we changed.