Childminder vs nursery

[summeryet]

Morning!

Does anyone know the pros vs cons of a child minder or nursery? We'd be looking for two set days per week to cover working hours for a one year old..

Any tips would be appreciated!

Childminder, hands down for that age. Being in a group of children all the same age with a bunch of 17 year olds is not my idea of who I'd want looking after a 1 year old. With a childminder they're in a normal home, walk out and about every day, visit interesting places and do normal everyday stuff that's good for them. Also, especially for boys who are more likely to be affected negatively by nurseries.

Nursery all the way.

I felt I could have a really good root around when visiting nursery's to check them out. I always felt a bit weird about looking in someone's front room and wanting to see the facilities etc.

Like your dc my dd only did two days a week from 10 months. It was an amazing setting she still visits then now at almost 8.

My friend used a CM who was sometimes sick or her dc were sick and she was left in the mire a few times. Her dd used to get dragged out on school runs etc too. I think this particular one had bitten off more than she could chew though.

Certainly not a 'bunch of 17 year olds' at the nursery we used. A wall with 10 year plus service awards and pictures certainly made us realise the nursery we chose had something special to offer.

We opted for nursery. I felt safest and most comfortable with putting DS in the care of several qualified staff.

I love DS’ nursery. The girls who work there are really warm, the setting is fab, the cook makes lovely meals. And as above - it’s reliable.

Visit a few local nurseries/childminders and go with your gut?

2 boys at nursery from 9 months, both loved it. No idea why Mrs Jam in says boys are negatively effected at nursery. Look in to both options in your area, pro's and con's of each and you may prefer one option over the other.

For children under 2 I would recommend a childminder if it's an option for you. I have used and liked both types of settings but preferred CM for mine when they were babies

@MrsJamin what a ridiculous thing to say. You have no idea how passionate workers are at a good nursery.
Find a good nursery or child minder through recommendations x

Nursery, definitely. The ratios are much more geared towards proper supervision at nursery.

We went with nursery because it worked out cheaper (in fact we're paying as much now for 3 hours wraparound care, 4 days a week, as we did for 5 full days at nursery). The staff were lovely and the care and attention they provided for my children was great. My children were happy and relaxed and they enjoyed going. The staff were certainly not a bunch of 17 year olds; they were a range of ages from early 20s to nearing retirement and everything in between. They seemed to enjoy working together and made a great team.

We use a childminder now both children are in school. The current lady is lovely and my children have bonded with her nicely, but we did have issues with the previous person who suddenly decided to quit just as the summer holidays were coming to an end and I had to take 2 months off work before we could sort something out.

Childminder very time (I have used both from first child was five months). Nursery’s were never bad as such, but my daughters adored their childminder and are still in regular contact. She took them on days out, really genuinely nurtured them, and was 100% reliable. It was comparing night and day.

A childminder offers a home from home environment.

Look at as many settings as you can to get an idea of what is available in your area.

Agreed with @marthasginyard. My little boys room range from a young student to a 40 year old mother of two with 20 years experience.

Incidentally, one of the nicest nursery workers my son ever had the pleasure of being looked after was 18 and unbelievably good.

OP - my son is 19 months and has been at nursery since he was 11 months. He adores it. They have a huge garden, home cooked foods, crafts and things like British sign language circle time. There are pros and cons of each but I am pleased my son is where he is.

Thankyou so much for the replies!

So much to think about :)

I used a nursery and wish I used a childminder instead. So much more 1 on 1 time with a childminder and the children get outside and out and about all the time going to farms/parks/playgrounds - I found that my children at nursery stayed in the same room all day, and had one or two plays outside a day.

At a childminders they mix with other ages groups (including school age) which is really beneficial for children. At nursery they might be a room with 0-2 or 3-4 yr olds, or in my son's nursery there were many small rooms so he was just around children of the same age. My daughter definitely would have benefitted from a home environment and more nurturing. My son loved nursery but it was the lack of variety in the environment that concerned me and if I was to choose again, I'd choose a childminder.