Struggling to find nursery place on work days. Advice please.

[R00tat00tt00t]

I will be returning to work PT 3.5 days/week after Christmas. Unfortunately the nursery that we had chosen can only offer 2 days per week until next summer when all the required sessions will be available. We really want DD to attend this nursery and so are thinking of taking the 2 days offered and then finding alternative childcare for the other 1.5 days until all available. We could try and jumble by over the next 5 months by taking A/L and asking family to help out on the days with no place but this could be really tricky as family live hundreds of miles away. Or we could try and find a childminder or other nursery to do the other 1.5 days for that period? Our DD will be 14m when she starts childcare. Does anyone have any experience or advice on mixing childcare providers from the point of view of the child finding it unsettling etc? Any advice would be much appreciated. Bit stressed here!

We did three days nursery and two days childminder for the exact same reason.

We found that actually when the full time nursery place came up we didn't take it. Having the two together was great. He'd be exhausted after three days at nursery and the childminders were a bit more laid back.

Trouble will be you might have to pay a full day with CM, as they're unlikely to be able to fill other half day. Howe er, they're iften a bit cheaper than nursery so you might be ok.

Thanks for that. Need to pull my finger out and get something sorted soon.