Will I have trouble finding a childminder for 2 mornings a week?

[ShortBlack]

Opinions and advice needed please! I need some childcare for my DD (18 months) but only really need a couple of mornings a week (at least at the moment). Probably something like 9am until 12 each time, so that's really only 6 hours per week. I was thinking that a childminder would be my best option, but from the childminder's POV, is it worth their while taking my child for such a short time when they could be filling those spaces with more regular mindees? Will they laugh at me if I enquire about these sorts of hours?

It really depends on the childminder, as if they have school/nursery runs, then it wouldn't fit....
However i have a 2.5yr old ds myself and no school runs just yet (just pre school in the afternoon) I would probably charge slightly more as i would be unlikely to find an afternoon child, but i think the hours are nice....And i would see is as a lovely enquiry.

Good luck with your search. You should let us know where you are incase anyone can help!

xx

They won't laugh. We get queries for all sorts of hours - everybody wants something different.

You might find you have to pay for a minimum number of hours per day (or week) or a higher hourly rate for p/t hours. At 9am many childminders are likely to be at a school so you might need to start earlier or later or meet at the school (which usually isn't practical unless you are dropping off an older child and don't have a day bag of nappies, packed lunch etc for the cm to carry home).

you might be lucky and find a cm who already has an afternoon mindee, but I've found anyone wanting afternoon places usually needs to start before anyone with a morning place has gone (our preschool collection is at 11:45).

You won't know until you ask. I would certainly be able to accommodate you for those hours. I have all part time mindees and it suits me very well. I like it that no 2 days are the same. Sometimes I have adjusted parents needs by half an hour or so, so that I can take them to playgroups or do school pick ups etc, but its certainly not an odd request.

I've just taken on a one morning a week 8-12 baby. Normally I'd not take it on as it would be hard to fill just the afternoon, however, I'm very flexible at the moment as I'll be on maternity leave in June for 12 weeks so happy to take bits and pieces for now. No-one will laugh though, they'll just say no if they can't do it so worth asking

Thanks everyone for your messages. That's a relief. I could be flexible re drop-off/pick-up and was kind of expecting it to cost a bit more per hour anyway. Now I just need to start phoning around!