Help - not sure what to do!

[flutterby12]

Hello everyone.

I'm new here and a bit stuck. I have a DS and returning to work in 3 months time. I have found a wonderful CM who lives local and she currently has availability. If we decide to go with her she charges half the fee x amount of weeks until I go back to work. I completely understand why she does this as it means the place is secured and she has an income etc, I can imagine she has been let down by time wasters etc

The thing is, is our house is up for sale so I don't know what to do for the best. Do we still go with her to secure the place or wait and risk losing the place? I don't expect to sell fast, there have been houses up for sale for months and months on the estate.

I am finding this very stressful, as truth be told I don't want to go back to work at all but we can't afford for me not to, such is life. I know it'll do him good to go.

Any words of wisdom? When do you usually look for child care? She has had two enquiries about the day we would like so she has kept me in the loop so we don't lost the place.

How far are you moving? You don't say you would be changing job so is the move very local, if you sell the house?

What else have you looked at? In some areas it is hard to find childcare, in others you can find something quickly. So you need to try to gauge how much demand and supply there is in the area and have second and third choices of provider.

When you are ready to commit then you see which of your preferred providers has space available.

The move would be local-ish. We are just looking round at the moment, have had very little interest in our house. My work isn't changing.

I have looked at a nursery but I just didn't feel DS would be happy there. I have enquired with other CMs locally and they don't have availability, another lady said to leave it closer to Sept to see if they had space. I'm just worried the space will go, it's ideal because she literally lives across the road too. Although, if we move it wouldn't be as convenient but not a disaster. I'm not making much sense, am I? 😅

You like her, she's very local, you didn't like other places, I would secure the place as soon as financially viable. September is not far off.

Ask about doing settling in hours, could those be done during some of the time you are paying for the space?

You say she is "wonderful" and that would be enough for me to sign up! (I'm a CM myself) If you are local and you like her and its convienent at the moment go for it. Plus if you do sell and need some time for packing etc then it would be good to have her on hand wouldnt it? If I had to send my children to a childminder I'd look for one that I clicked with... and that I liked the feel of their set up, and that got on with my child/ren!

Thank you, both. You're right. I think we are just stressing about money as my SMP has stopped now. I think I'd rather that than be stressing about where to put him though!