Childminders - would this work for you? What about for DD?

[catsmutha]

I've been looking at nurserys in my area for DD for when i go back to work next year. I'll be full time and wont be able to get back to the area til 6.45, sometimes 7. So i was wondering if i could feasibly get a childminder to pick her up at 6 til i get back from work. I'm going to phone round a few locally but just wondered as a general thing - would this be feasible? Or is it a funny time of day for you if you are finishing the day with other mindees..?

And if you would do it, or have done similar, did the mindees find it ok? I was all set to put her on a list for a nursery and someone has upset the applecart by saying it would be likely to unsettle her to be there all day, then with someone else for an hour, then be picked up by me at 7. What do you think? And what would you charge?

im afraid i have to agree that it would be rather unsettling for her to be in 2 different places in one day. i have done this before for a friend and her ds did not like it atall! he was really confused and unsettled and at the end of a long day at nursery just wanted his mum to pick him up rather then be taken somewhere else.
its quite confusing for the lo's especially as its 3 differnet sets of rules in one day ......home,nursery and cm. this is just my personal opinion from experience.

Is it not possible for you to get a nursery place near where you work, so your child commutes with you? you get longer with DD and she is closer ot you if an emergency arises, and you could pick her up yourself? Might be a bettre alternative. I am a childminder and personally wouldn't do the pickup from nursery at that time - too unsettling for my own children, and the mindee too imo.

Hmm yes i think she might have been right then - the friend that said it would be too much. I am considering a nursery near where i work too but its in the west end, so i dont know if it would be a worse option to take her on public transport than to have her picked up nearer home. And all the ones that open a bit later are just too expensive as they seem aimed at city workers and banker types (i'm not one!) Maybe i'm better off with a childminder but i've got into my head that a nursery is better for her age (she'll be just one when i return to work). What do you think, wise childminding types?

Hmm yes i think she might have been right then - the friend that said it would be too much. I am considering a nursery near where i work too but its in the west end, so i dont know if it would be a worse option to take her on public transport than to have her picked up nearer home. And all the ones that open a bit later are just too expensive as they seem aimed at city workers and banker types (i'm not one!) Maybe i'm better off with a childminder but i've got into my head that a nursery is better for her age (she'll be just one when i return to work). What do you think, wise childminding types?

West end of London that is, it's about a 45 minute bus ride but i would get a seat as i'm near the beginning of the route. I just dont know if this would be more of a tricky thing for dd to deal with when she'll be tired etc.

imo nursery is no good for under 2s and infact if im totally honest its no good atall ! this is MY personal opinion before anyone jumps on my back!
ive worked in several nurserys and am not a a fan of them atall.
which area are you in?

I agree with smeeinit....

you could not pay me to put my own child in nursary! have seen to much bad stuff with my own eyes!

i think the younger they are the even more i wouldnt put them in a nursary!

Child minder (in a nice homely environment) yes, nanny yes, but nursary no way (tho i do think when they are 3 ish and its more of an education than day care then its not as bad!)

i know lots of nannys and nursary workers and we all have the same opinion about what we would do with our own babies... and its NOT nursary

here here nanny nick! i know alot of people who HAVE worked in nurserys and needless to say they are no longer! they are either nannying or totally out of childcare. imsure some nurserys are gr8 ( ) but ive worked in 4 different ones and would never ever ever put a child of mine in a nursery.
prob gonna upset a few people ere but if i can just tell of one of the many things that do happen in nurseries (this was witnessed by a former colleauge of mine)...................the ASST MANAGER sellotaping a 6month olds wrists together behind its back to stop it crawling away from her as she was too damm lazy to keep getting up.
needless to say i rung ofsted.

Thank, all opinions welcome although i'm already so confused! I'm in Hackney and there are what seem to be some really nice nurseries round here although when i've been to visit them i cant shake the feeling that they look a bit like little prisons no matter how nice the staff and facilities are. And they seem a bit hectic and i wonder if it can really be good to have so many little ones together and if they might not get enough attention.

But, and i really dont want to cause any offence to anyone, i also feel a bit like I dont one just one person looking after dd full time - for stupid sentimental reasons like i dont want her to have a replacement mum, and for slightly more practical/developmental things like how do you know that a childminder is doing enough with them and managing to cater to all the different needs of different age kids? I know there are brilliant childminders which at least would put paid to my practial worries but how do you find them? I'm so confused, can you tell?

FFs smeeinit!..hope she got hung drawn and quarterd!

id def say childminder/nanny for tots under three (school nursery age)..plus theyre usually more accomdating on hours(well i am)

Is an au pair an option? She could pick up from nursery, bring your DD home, give her a bath and then you could have quality time with her whe you get home and au pair to get the back ready for the next day and wash bottle/cups/etc.

I think the ideal option is a brilliant childminder, like you say its hard to know but things like their most recent ofsted inspection, personal recommendation and evidence of training, accreditation etc etc are all good signs.

I am a childminder and do lots with the kids I look after. I love them (tho not in a replacement mum kinda way ) and make sure they get plenty of time with other children whilst still being able to give them plenty of one and one attention.

I am currently looking after a 1 year old who is really thriving - I think he is better off with me as I can alter my day depending on him rather than him having to fit into the strict nursery routine.

Having said that when my two were small they went to nursery and I was happy enough with them.

I cant really afford an au pair, it wouldnt be worth going back to work tbh. Hmm maybe i'll just go and visit lots of childminders and see if i feel more confident after that. If any childminders are still there, do you think 8.30 til 6.45 (occasionally 7) is a reasonable day for you or too long?

I cant really afford an au pair, it wouldnt be worth going back to work tbh. Hmm maybe i'll just go and visit lots of childminders and see if i feel more confident after that. If any childminders are still there, do you think 8.30 til 6.45 (occasionally 7) is a reasonable day for you or too long?

a childminder offers continued care
nurserys have a big staff change over per yr (i worked in a few for 15yrs) as the rest have said i would not send my own children to a privite nursery
i know you feel you dont want to compeat with the cm for your dd attension but when your dd has settled and happy it will be worth it
anyway my mindees talk about me all the time at home and all about their familys at mine

I think it might be easier to find a childminder who is prepared to do a longer day than one who is able and willing to collect at 6pm (there are a number of possible problems, such as other mindies' parents being held up in traffic delaying your cm from picking up up on time.) Also many childminders would charge a higher rate for unsocial hours after 6pm, some don't charge a higher rate until you've gone over 9 or 10 hours per day.

The Childminders I know that do pickups during the day charge 40p per mile for the round trip plus they start charging for their time from when they leave their home and not from the time the child leaves nursery.

It sounds like you've shortlisted a nursery. i would suggest you visit a few childminders before you commit yourself; you need to cost it out as well as looking at the quality of service offered. And if you only end up confirming that your first choice of nursery is best for you, I think its worth the effort.

just kind of crashing this thread, just to let you know Catsmutha, that I am sending my dd to CM, I return to work in Jan and she has been 'settling' in for a couple of weeks now. I have been finding it quite hard and wondering if I made the right decision, but reading this thread has been great to reassure me that CM's are a preferable option for younger babes. My dd is 7 mths old. I have read in several books that under the age of 2 yrs a CM is recommended as they are better off with one to one care, in a more homely environment. I don't think we should worry about our lo's getting 'attached' to CM, surely that's better than them being in a place where they are not treated well and therefore unhappy?? My dd's happiness is paramount. It is hard, allowing someone else to look after your lo, esp if it's your 1st (my dd is).

I have had friends send their lo's to nursery and say they would 'never' send them to a CM. I think CM are more likely to bond with them. I think they would just be 'a number' at nursery.

I say investigate CM's in the area. My CM does long hours (7-7pm) and can accomodate shift work. I think they are generally more flexible.

Sorry for long post

Thanks luckymummy, yes i've read similar, i was originally going to go for a cm for these reasons when i started looking, but i called round a few and was put off by the ones i spoke to (didnt seem interested/couldnt speak english/didnt have places). And now my only issue is that i think i would just be a bit jealous tbh, but you're right, and it sounds like the other childcarers who've posted here agree, that a good cm is a nicer environment for younger babies. Good luck with the rest of settling in dd and going back to work..

Is it possible for one of the nusery carers to bring your baby home? I don't have much exp with nurseries but I do remember a few years ago a friend used to collect a child from the nursery she worked in. I'm not sure if this was a regular thing or not. Soz, not much help!!

Good luck!!