Nursery doesn't start till 9am - how to get toddler there?

[crazychemist]

Hi there,

We're hoping to start DD at nursery in September (my very lovely mum has looked after her on work days till now).

We've seen a few, but the one my DH liked (which is wonderful) doesn't do early starts, and finishes quite early too.

I thought someone might know what a workaround for this is? Presumably this is true of most schools, so how do families where both parents work manage? Are there childminders that are prepared to do drop-off, pick-up and a coupe of hours after? Or do childminders generally only do whole days?

OMG shocking typing and phone autocorrects!

I pay my childminder for a full week mon-fri 8-5. DD goes to preschool on Mondays and Tuesdays for a full day, childminder will dothe drop offs and pick ups.
Cabt expect her to use a space she could have another fully paying child for if I'm bot paying.
So means childminder gets paid for time she doesn't have DD but she's still responsible for her if that makes sense ?

I did drop off like that when I was a student, so that might be an option

Would you not consider a childminder? We've used 3 (my DC are 8 and 6, so no longer tiny) and they've all accommodated term time only contracts for us.

Term time only seems very hard to find! We were late to join waiting lists as we didn't know for definite what days we would each be working till fairly late, which means we missed out on quite a few of the pre-school type ones.

We've looked at lots of other nurseries, but for various reasons none appealed, although there are some we could live with if necessary. I think we're both quite picky, and about different things so it has been hard to agree, but we really want to find somewhere we both like.

I'm not definitely against a childminder, but would prefer a nursery setting as it'll give DD variety compared to the days when she is at home with one of us, and will also start to familiarise her with school situation and expectations. Wrap- around care with a childminder would be ideal I suppose, but we can't afford to pay double for a whole day. Great idea about asking the preschool, I'll do that!

Childminders have to prepare for school as well and many school nurseries say that they can tell a childminders children as they are so well prepared and have higher expectations of independence and behaviour. I've had 3 mindees now return to me because the different school nurseries were holding them back whilst they got other children to catch up.
Many childmidners have as good a qualification as nursery managers with first degrees and early years teacher status is increasingly common. The children I care for are taught to separate from main carer by networking they attend groups where singing story and circle time is done every day (typically between 15 and 25 children attending ) and know 20 children that they see in varying combinations several times a week along with their 5 adults who they know well enough to approach for help at groups. They then get small group and one to one support with targeted activities following their individual interests to meet next steps. All have gone into nursery already reading and writing their names meeting all the transition to school goals they have to meet at age 5 and they are 3 to 4.
Being with a childminder is nothing like being at home or with nanny. Which is why I finished with children at 5 today and have only just finished their reports and learning journeys including for one a CHAMS referral and portage report (I;m portage trained).
When I'm not working with children I'm in the nurseries training their staff.

Would a childminder be ok with only two days a week though jannier? Since starting this thread I've looked on some websites for potential child minder, and I'm a little out off that most of the photos look like something I'd expect to see on a dating website! How do you advertise? Or is it mostly through word of mouth?

Maybe I've jut got the wrong end of the stick about what child minding involves. Only one friend of my age has used a childminder, and she stopped because she felt her DD was spending All her time doing drop-off/pick-up/shopping. Seems like she may have just had a particularly bad one.

I'm in the same boat OP. My son has a space at a bilingual nursery. He's bilingual so it would be fab.
I've put an ad on childcare.com and care.com and had a few responses from CM and nannies. Nothings formed up yet but I'm hopeful. Hope you find someone.

crazychemist - Many cm's do part time including 2 days a week so that isn't an issue - I'm guessing by the dating website thing you mean a tv advertised childcare finding website - this allows you to put one profile picture only some put their picture some will put Ofsted grading logo there isn't much room to put photos of playrooms, activities like outings on there and the photo would be so small you couldn't really see it. I would suggest reading the profile and any reviews and ringing to talk to them - not text or email as that can be very cold and not a true picture of what happens.

A good setting will not stay in but will have a balance of community visits and indoor activities - I have set up book corner,, dress up role play area home corner mark making activity area, messy play, free flow with all activities available inside and out and free selection of toys and activities including music construction small world (farm, house, garage, pirate ship, space ship train sets) I have so much I set up a toy library at a toddler group to ease my storage and allow other sot benefit. I have dark dens white dens projectors self record talking books the list is endless.
We go for walks the children see things they are interested in on that day we take picture (some may be child's feet sky etc depending on child's ability) they are printed off and used in messy play, made into puzzles, sticking activity's, play mats, props whatever spports interests and next steps....tomorrow they may have moved onto something else and we start again. Truly child led in the words of OFSTED meeting their interests and next steps, no nursery can do that for every child.

School runs can be educational as well as physical activity we do number/colour/shape hunts look at nature, talk about the school what its about why we go etc. My children will run and find the letters for their names and others like d for daddy using the things printed on the playground. We do stop and go to learn to listen to adults foir safety in a fun way (stop stand on one leg, touch your, jump) an occasional shop trip is the same heres your list, what are those fruits, shall we buy and taste some? find three green vegetables, handing money it snot a trip with a stressed parent around the supermarket and crying child. We also teach table manners (often missed at home as children eat at childcare and not done at school with too many children to sit at once so eat and leave).
The list of what we can do better than a nursery is endless including for special needs where we can give much more one to one.

TheLionRoars1110. you could try childcare.co.uk as well. Have you contacted your local families information service at the council?

I didn't know about the local families information service. Thank you Jannier!
I'm already on childcare.co.uk - I keep getting ppl telling me they are interested and then disappearing when it comes to arranging a meet up. Fingers crossed I'll find someone.

Not sure if anyone's made the suggestion yet but I'm sure there would be some Childminders that would do drop off/ pick up, just like they would if it was a school aged child. Worth a try if it's definitely the pre school/ nursery you want.
Or is there any chance your mum could help with that seeing as she's Been helping with whole days, could she do drop offs?

I was very lucky that my mum would come over at 8am to takeover from me and then she would take to pre school and pick up. Would your mum do similar?

Well janine, you sound amazing! Hope I can find someone like you . I've opened an account on childcare.co.uk, hopefully I can find someone. I'm starting by looking for someone to do pick-up/drop-off/afternoons, but if I find someone amazing maybe I'll just go the whole hog!

My mum is happy to help in the short term and with settling in, or if my DD is ill, but she (perfectly reasonably) doesn't want to make a regular commitment as she and my dad like to travel and also she wants to be able to see my DSis more (who lives a couple of hours drive away). She's been absolutely fabulous this year, but I don't want her to feel restricted any more.

crazychemist - In my experience there are many out there how do what I do, but I wouldn't answer and ad for a nursery drop and pick up only as it takes up a space and I would have to charge a full day. As I do what any other registered EYFS setting does I would feel like I'm treated as a fill in not as good option so wouldn't be interested. If your ad is for drop up and collection only many will feel like me and its probably the less busy minders who would consider it.

I paid a sensible local teenager to do this before school, but it was an 8.30 start - 9 may be too late for them to then get to school. The other option is to approach staff from the nursery to work for you early mornings then take your child in - some nurseries allow this, some don't.

I don’t know why some nurseries have these kinds of opening hours. There’s a Montessori near us that takes from 2 years but only term time and only 9-3 or something. Exactly who does this help? Is it just for those parents who don’t work - ie. the richest and the poorest? Not everyone else?

All actual nurseries we looked at were 7.30 or 8. Our current nursery is 8-6. Some pre- schools I know do quite inflexible hours but the one we’re going to go to next year does breakfast club and after school club too adding up to 8-6.