help! Childcare!

[sjdahlcarruth]

Hello, I am looking for advice/recommendations for childcare. My little girl will be around 10 months in January 2010 when I go back to work and I would like a childminder or a nursery place for her, probably for 3 days a week. We are based close to Oval tube so either north to Kennington/Vauxhall or else Stockwell. Visited KPCC but wasn't sure about it, ditto the Asquith nursery. Have heard good things about Bishop's House but they won't allow me to drop in and have a look until their formal open day in September which makes me suspicious...any thoughts or tips? Thanks!

Don't have experience of any of these but just wanted to ask if have also considered a nanny share as there seem to be lots of families in the area who arrange their childcare this way? I think it works out about the same cost as nursery.

Hi there - we live VERY close to you - and I have a 10 month old now, went back o work in May.

WE looked at Asquith but I just felt that the nursery environment wasn't right full stop - looked great for the over 2s though. So I got a list of local childminders from the local authority and interviewed three. We chose one but aftetr a few weeks I just wasn't happy (my son is only in paid for childcare one day a week and perhaps unsurprisingly I felt she was just too low down the CM's priority list).

Then, through attending Busy Babies at the KPCC I met a nanny doing a few days a week for a family across the road. She now looks after my son and the other baby in our house. I pay her more than the childminder (was ws almost too cheap IFYKWIM), but she is just lovely and very qualified and experienced.

So you could consider a nanny share if you was working - get on the local NCT email list because they ar on there a lot.

'if you was working' ??? God knows what that means...

sounds like somefink my DS wd say, he corrects my Northern accent now, this morning he said, "it's "miwk" mummy not "milk"".

and he says "oh my days" and once he also said "rastclat" luckily DH is native Sarf Londoner and so understands him - he's got it all from nursery

'oh my days' - LOL!! I always laugh when I hear the kids on the bus saying this - they look all intimidating but that makes them sound like old ladies.

Rastclat is pretty rude isn't it?! Not that I'm an expert, just a local!

"Rastclat" is quite strong, yeah, so we sort of brushed that one off and he hasn't said it again. I'm told it comes from "rust clot" meaning "blood" meaning "blood of Christ" and I understand it is pretty offensive, maybe it means someone who drew blood from Christ and that is why it is so bad?

We quite encourage "oh my days" and "oh my gosh", it sounds really cute.

Yeah, I love 'oh my days'! I grew up in South London but don't remember hearing that when I was young - I wonder what else my DS will say that I didn't?!

Sorry for the delay in response! Quick question charitygirl - when you say you have a nanny are you her employer, i.e. contracts for sick days and maternity leave etc etc? Asides from the money side of things that is what has scared me about a nanny share - quite a lot of responsibility really!
I called 21 childminders listed on the local authority website yesterday - only two answered/were interested and one of them just cancelled on me...getting desperate...
Thanks for your help - appreciated.

Hallo. I'm very near you and have been through this process.... Definitely go and look at Bishop's House, it is imo by far the nicest nursery in the area. As I understand it they only have a few open days to minimise disruption to the children. I also really liked St Patricks in Waterloo. Is Coin St too far from you? It was for us, but people do seem to like it (I must say I wasn't overwhelmed). I also know people who have been happy with KPCC. The baby group they have there would be a good way of looking for a nannyshare.

I sent ds to a childminder at that age. He now does a day with her and three at a nursery that only takes over twos. Would you like me to ring her and see if she knows of any good childminders with vacancies? Am very happy to if that would help.

Tattycoram, that would be really kind of you thank you! I would be happy for her to go to a childminder, maybe even prefer it to a nursery. I have been to see BH now and have applied however they cannot tell me if we have a place until a few weeks before we need it so...not sure I can really go down that route. I did call Coin Street however they told me that the waiting list was over 2 years, lol! It would be great if your childmiinder does know of anyone - much appreciated!

Okay, I'll do that. I would definitely go with a childminder over a nursery, everything else being equal

Do you still want 3 days a week, and are you on CAT?

yup, 3 days a week, preferably a run of days rather than off and on. What is CAT??

Here: www.mumsnet.com/InTouch

It let's you get messages from people.

Anyway, good news, my childminder thinks she might have a vacancy in January . So, if you register for CAT I can give you her phone number and explain where she is etc. Of course you might not click, but then again you might.

ah, I see, thanks (novice). Ok, I have signed up for that now so please go ahead and send the info and I will contact her.

It is really kind of you to go to this trouble for me - I appreciate it. None of my friends with babies are going back to work yet so I have felt a bit adrift: nice to have some help ;-).

I know, I was in the same position, so I'm very happy to help. WIll cat you now, I think it can take a little time for mnet to pass on the message, post back on here if you don't hear anything