Best type of childcare?

[Soph30420]

Hello . I'm really struggling with childcare options and was looking for other people's opinions. Most people I speak to seem very pro nursery.

My son will be 10 months when I go back to work in March and it will be for 3 days a week , I have already put a deposit down on a nursery but now I'm starting to think he's to young.

I am now considering a childminder or a nanny and wondered what other people thought best.

I work from home so will be at home when the Nanny is here...my son has his own play room so will have a designated space for the day.

Any help , experiences etc would be appreciated! X

It depends on the flexibility you have/want. I chose a nursery as there are lots of other children there and if a member of staff is ill, DD can still attend. However, if you need an occasional change of day or late pick up, a child minder may be more flexible.

There is no harm in going around to visit a few local childminders and see how you feel. With a nanny you will be an employer so will have to pay them sick, holiday pay plus their tax and NI .The nanny will also be in your home while you are working do you think you could work while hearing your little crying or having fun with someone else?

Just a heads up If you did cancel your nursery space you will lose your deposit .

I think it depends on what will work best for your lifestyle and also what suits your particular child best. We’ve done a mix of nanny and nursery in the past, and personally found nanny worked the best. On the illness thing, I think children far more likely to be ill. Our nanny had one day off sick in 2 years but our little one picked up so many bugs when he started nursery that he missed loads of nursery days - our nanny would have been able to look after him when ill if we’d had her full time.

There is no one answer you need to visit a few settings. Childminders are inspected by the same body (Ofsted) to exactly the same standards(EYFS) and the same inspectors. The only difference is in more individual care and the ease that plans and activities can be tailored to individual needs and next steps more easily. Most childminders are rarely ill....you can talk to existing families to check this, but will take holiday (they may work with others and network so discuss with them if this is possible). Many childminders work with a group of childminders so socialization in wider groups is not an issue.

Also depends do you want to be an employer and have nanny

Could you work and leave nanny to it

Or use cm or nursery

Maybe a cm

Also depends on your financial situation

Thanks everyone! Financially we are fine with any options and I have looked into getting a third party to handle all the tax etc with the nanny.

To be honest I think as I have a 'lockdown baby' it's making it a bit more nerve wracking. He's only been left with my mum on one occasion. We done a lot of face to face baby classes when we could but now back in lockdown !

I think I'd get used to leaving a nanny to it as I have an office out the way and the baby has his own play room.

I've viewed all the settings and I'm still completely torn. I'm driving myself mad 🤣

I'm not sure how many nannies would be able to do 3 days so check that out if you haven't already.

I'm a childminder now & in the past I've used nurseries & childminder.

There are pros & cons to both. Mainly, you will always be able to put him in nursery, though as pp says you will probably start with a lot of sick days. If you miss out now, they may get more mild illness at pre school. Childminders May get ill & you're potentially stuck then, (although ime it's rare for childminders to be off casually), same with holidays though- you need to find alternatives.

A good childminder should get to know your baby Better than a nursery worker but depending how many other children they mind, your baby could be doing a lot of car/journey time for school picks ups.

Definitely look around & meet potential childminders, you will get a feel for the place. I went to view a nursery once & before snack the nursery worker asked them all what they wanted to sing. Quite a few excitedly said 'baa baa black sheep', she said 'no, we had that yesterday!' & their faces just fell! It was depressing.

Lots of nannies do 3 days

I did for 6yrs

I was doing 7-7 5 days a week. Never in my house I was paying the mortgage off

So went down to 3 when looked for new jobs. Was perfect

Plus I know nannies who do 2&2. And 3&1

For a 10 month old i'd definitely go for a CM or nanny, especially as your LO will have had very little chance to be left with others due to lockdowns. DS1 went to CM from 9 months to 3yrs old. I did put DS2 in a nursery at 10 months (it was where DS1 went from 3 yrs old so I knew it was good), as I struggled to find a CM. But moved him to a CM when we found a good one after about 4 months as I felt the 1-2-1 care and attention, in a home environment was better for him as a baby. He was much happier at CM and this would certainly be my first choice if you can find one that you like. A nanny wasn't an option for us, but would have similar advantages to a CM, so i'd prefer this to a nursery.

Assuming all options are high quality, then If money is no object then a nanny is best for a 10 month old as they would have one to one attention. They’d also be in their own home and you’d have much more flexibility - no pick ups/drop offs, nanny can care for them when ill and can do some baby related chores as well. Contrary to what many nurseries (and parents) will tell you, children don’t benefit from the company of other children until they are 2-3 years old. Before this the most important thing is secure attachment with one person. Easiest to achieve this with parent/family member, nanny, childminder, nursery key worker in that order.

We have a nanny which I would thoroughly recommend. My DS has absolutely flourished and they have a great bond. It's a lot easier than nursery in terms of logistics. No need to get them dressed/ out the house. Our nanny does DS's laundry and meal prep too. Plus no drama if he is I'll.

I returned to work when DS was 2. I was living on my own all week, full time 'big' job. No family backup.

I chose a child minder with 30 years experience, very close to my office. She was brilliant, for flexibility, for support in an emergency and for everyday advice. In return, I tried hard not to take advantage of her, always paid in advance, flexed around her holidays etc. My DS stayed with her until he went to school at 4.

We made a great team but I wouldn't have got through the early years without her. A nursery wouldn't have worked for us.

Every option has pros and cons in terms of cost, flexibility, access.

In terms of quality and consistency of care a nanny is probably the ideal option for a baby, if you can afford it and are willing to do the admin of being an employer. I have nannyshared for 5 years which creates built in buddies and makes it more cost-effective. Ps plenty of nannies work 3 days for one family and 2 days for another, or similar.

I would say if money is no object, IMO nanny is best up til about 2-3 years old, then when child is ready for more socialisation and structured routine probably a mix of nanny and some mornings/afternoons at nursery or pre-school building up to maybe 3 days a week the year/6 months before they go to school.

Nannys are def the most expensive option but are more reliable than childminder or nursery because they can still look after your child even if they are unwell (avoiding that horrible thing when they first start nursery and get a constant succession of bug/temperatures for the first 6 months and end up more often at home ill than actually at nursery!). Some nannies are able to be flexible with their hours and quite a lot will be willing to do some occasional evening babysitting or extra day cover if given enough notice which is a nice extra.

Yes nursery do a lot of 'activities' but as others have said for young babies these don't do a lot and they are better off in their home environment being cared for by one consistent care giver - also a good nanny won't just sit with the child, they'll do a range of things with them in and out of the house at an age appropriate level - they can take out to classes as well as local trips and craft/sensory/outdoor type activities at home?

But TBH nanny, childminder or nursery all good options and arguably the money spent on nanny can be then spent elsewhere for the benefit of the family so don't feel it absolutely 'has' to be one or the other!

@HarrietM87

I agree quality is the most important factor then a close bond for young babies.
I dont agree with children not needing other children before 2 or 3 having watched many 18 month olds join in with others wanting to copy their play attempting their words and to do things like dress up young children get lots from other children and come on faster all things being equal. What were noticing now is that children and under 1s included coming back from lockdown are much more insecure than groups before them once they have been mixing for a couple of weeks they really have come on language and independence included in these times were groups are largely closed or distant so children sit or play apart nannies are finding it much more of a challenge to provide for sole charges.

@jannier a good nanny will take their child to play groups, baby classes, soft play etc so they will see and mix with other children that way. Numerous studies have shown that the benefits of a nursery environment in terms of peer interactions do not override the downsides until 2-3 years old however. Until that point, as I said, secure attachment to a primary carer is best for a child’s development, including their social and language development. Obviously in the case of an individual family the best option will depend on the quality of the nanny/nursery options available and multiple other factors including financial however.

@HarrietM87

I didnt disagree just pointed out that this year thoes groups have been shut or very socially distanced so this year the Nannies havd struggled to provide the same experience. Social interaction is very important for under 3s.....normally children dont need daycare and I advocate parents are perfectly capable of providing every experience

I would try a nursery. If everything is okay keep using the nursery. Just try to consult with nurses working there and maybe they will be able to, no, I suppose they have to give you any feedback at the of each day. My kids went to the child early education in Brooklyn and their favorite was littlescholarsnyc.com. I know they improved much more. They have a good meal and wonderful activities and education program. Maybe you can check them, too. Anyway, I think kids should be better among their peers to get some communicative skills. If your kid does not feel well in a nursery, maybe you should wait for a year and then try again. Good luck, dear!

I vote childminder all day long at that age. Ours is like a part of the family. Then Nursery from 3 really prepares them for school x

I would do nursery - you're at home so that you don't need to have very long days and they will be open when you expect them to be open and the setting will be geared up for a 10mo. We found with a childminder our son wasn't getting the naps he needed at the right times due to pick ups.
Nannies don't usually like being at home at the same time as their employers as it can make their charges less settled.

We used full time nursery from when they were six months. The staff were brilliant and DC’s did so many activities that I would never have thought of. They made friends there that they still have and the transition to school was very straightforward
My suggestion would be to visit several nurseries to see which you like best although some have a waiting list. We put DC’s name on the waiting list as soon as they were born as the one we liked best was very popular.

@underneaththeash

Not all childminders do school runs.....although school runs are great learning opportunities and fresh air with many children happily sleeping on them.
Not all childminders work alone sometimes having up to 4 adults working so naps can easily be catered for, childrens naps are a small part of their baby hood and change over the first 16 months good quality care is more important.
Not all nurseries allow individual nap times many sleep to a schedule in a community room where as a childminder can more easily follow individual needs and interests with children doing activities that they are interested in rather than the theme of the week planned on a year basis.