Childminder V Nursery

[wasaconventgirl]

I am having my 2nd DC in a few weeks and I can't decide wether to use a nursery or a childminder.

My DS went to the nursery I would use and it is fantastic! Low staff turnover, very clean, great food, takes children most of the year etc - more expensive though.

But I know a wonderful childminder, she already has my DS on a adhoc basis, very good with children, good ofsted rating, flexible, kind, porbably would only want DB term time (which is ok although it would be handy to have time alone with older DS), does not include food (but I was planning to take that to nursery for 1st year anyway)

My DB will be around 5/6 months BTW. What do you think?

nurseries shut frequently too! Our local one has closed 3 times since xmas! Over xmas it closes for a week and isn't open xmas eve when lots of mums actually do have to work, and its had 2 incidents of D&V that have shut the place down. Also in adverse weather conditions the nursery is more likely to shut on account of lack of staff being able to get in - with CM if you can get to her she will be working.

I don't agree that nurseries are fool proof re reliability and also they have much much stricter policies re illness - most CMs will take your child with a cold or maybe chicken pox if other parents agree - nurseries will keep you away til all signs are gone....

DS1 had a CM and she had him for me when he had chicken pox - a nursery never would have done. I had a totally inflexible job and I could never have got a nursery to fit in with my early starts and inability to leave work at the drop of a hat

Given notice from nursery because DS was desperately unsettled and they said they didn't think it was the right environment for him.

Mrsg

Why didn't they pick this up during the settling in period?! I have insisted on a longer time to settle in for DD2 as she is clingier than DD1. But it's true they could technically say no or make me pay, but I would be willing to do that.

Nomore
That's great you found someone like that - I'm sure I would have been happy to use that person too, and I'm sure they exist. It's just that in our area I haven't found anyone like that and if I managed to find the ONE person who was close enough for me to walk to and also get to the tube in reasonable time, could take two children including one school pick up, could do the hours I want and five days a week, and had space when I needed etc. it would be like gold dust. I would feel really vulnerable and exposed in the event it didn't work out and while I know you CAN be given notice at a nursery I do feel that it's still a relatively uncommon thing.

Harriet, it WAS the settling in period. I was flabbergasted really (but glad because the place was a hellhole and since they kicked me out, I got my deposit back). It was an extremely large, national chain, BTW in case anyone's wondering.

When you said 'given notice' what I thought was you'd been there for ages and they suddenly turned around and said, sorry you've got four weeks.

I'm glad you got your deposit back. Such a nightmare when a nursery/cm/nanny doesn't work out.Can't even think about it, due back in 2 wks and DD2 still isn't settled on the bottle. Help.

Sorry, maybe that was misleading. Of course if nurseries shut down or go bankrupt they do give notice on people like that, but agree it's rarer than a CM doing it.

I am a cm and dont do school any school runs.
My mindees sleep when they need to with their individual blankets, cuddled up, and we all eat together.
I am very flexible, some children going at 5 and others going at 7.I have had 1 day off sick and that was because I literally couldnt move my shoulder.
I feel they are part of my own large family and my own older dcs love them.
I think 4 is too young for school anyway so dont get me started on the baby room at nursery.....