What childcare arrangement would you use for this?

[Duggee]

I would like to go back to work maybe next year working 9-5 style hours. We would have 2 children in school and one at pre school. Everywhere looks so expensive!

Nanny may work out cheapest and easier for you. You leave them all at home and come back to them all at home. No pick ip/drop offs and if they're sick you have childcare sorted

The other alternative is a Childminder who is able to take/collect from the school and pre-school, so would depend on location of those.

The big problem time is School Holidays and other days that school/pre-school are closed. On those days you need all day care. You will take a lot of your annual leave to cover the school holidays. You may share that between you and your partner. It may still leave some times when you need care all day for all 3 children.

A nanny would be based at your home so that means they can do things that a childminder would not - such as all the children's laundry, a general tidy up, plus you would not have to get all the children ready in the morning - nanny could start at breakfast time so they get the children ready for school/pre-school.

With 3 a nanny is often cheaper.

An au pair will be the cheapest solution if you have room for one.

In the school holidays you will need to supplement that with holiday clubs etc. or pay the au pair for the additional hours.