What sort of childcare do I need?

[TheRumTumTugger]

When I go back to work after mat leave I will have one child in nursery 8am-6pm, one child at pre school (near the nursery) and one older child at primary school which is a 20 min drive away.

I will be able to drop off the two youngest in the morning but won't be able to drive eldest child and still make it into work on time.

DH is an hour and a half commute away so not able to be much help.

I need someone to do the morning primary school run and wrap around card for all three of them. But they'll need to be collected from different places in the afternoon.

Is a nanny the only option? We really can't afford one. Am scared I might have to give up work if we can't find a solution.

Might there be a local CM who can help you out (maybe the nursery-age child could be with them rather than at nursery)? Presumably you can't start work half an hour later?

Good luck!

My child-minder will only pick up from certain nurseries and schools, in her immediate area. It depends what she can manage and where her other mindees need her to pick them up from. I think you might struggle to find a childminder who could pick up all three, if there is some distance between them.

I think you do need an nanny I'm afraid

Is there a breakfast club at school?

"maybe the nursery-age child could be with them rather than at nursery"

Ah yes. If you take the younger kids out of nursery and pre school and find a child minder in the vicinity of the primary school that could work.

Wrap around cafe works out pretty expensive. Could nanny be an option if the youngest one stayed with her instead of going to the nursery?

Also, could you have all children in the same area? I.e. Move the younger ones near the primary school or move the oldest one closer to home? You'd be able to manage drop offs more easily.

But the whole problem is, i can't get over to where the primary school is, so a childminder or nanny would have to start and finish where we live, not near the school.

I have to be at work for 8.30. It's a 45min - 1 hr commute and breakfast club only opens at 8.

If I can get in for 8 then I can leave at 4.30.

Sorry if this is a bit of a drip feed but eldest child is actually DSC who lives with us half the week. So no option to move schools because current school is where DSC's mum lives and where we used to live. Since we were the ones who decided to move further away it doesn't feel like a conversation we could have really.

Feeling really stuck. I'm worried the cost of getting someone to do that school run and wrap around for half the week is going to negate my earnings.

I'm worried the cost of getting someone to do that school run and wrap around for half the week is going to negate my earnings.

It probably will. You'll have to pay a higher than average hourly rate to compensate for less hours. But of course only half of it comes out of your earnings......

of course only half of it comes out of your earnings

Yes of course. But I mean I could go to work and put £X in the communal pot and then the cost of childcare would come out of that pot and be equal to or more than £X.

Or I could not work and not put anything in the pot but do £X's worth of childcare myself.

Can your DH not do one end of the day, at least some days? Then you could do some longer days (7.30-4.30) and some shorter ones (9-4.30) maybe? That might make it easier to find a solution.

If you keep the two littlies together and then a separate cm for the big one is that more possible?

Is there no option with DSCs mum, with drop offs or anything?

Do you want to go back full time? Could you look at part time in the half of the week you have dsd?
Do you plan on using a more local school for the 2 youngest? If so I would look into longer term childcare like a childminder close to preferred school.

If the children are over 2 would a competent au pair work? I had one several years ago that drove and easily managed three kids. She was a gpdsend! Don't discount au pairs just because they are younger