Nursery..childminder..nursery..childminder?

[NewMamma21]

Looking into childcare options & needing some advice.

DD will be 1 when she starts in summer. I’m torn between a childminder, a nursery or a combination. I’ve jotted down a few of the pros & cons I’m thinking about but would love others experiences & advice.

Nursery
easier to drop off later & pick up earlier (flexible work hours)
more children for her to play with
no commute as walking distance (I often wfh)
more staff around (but others have warned about staff being occupied with one child or sickness etc impacting ratios)
no worry with sickness or holiday

Childminder
more homely setting
go on day trips
wider variety of activities
less children so more focussed care (but less staff so no one else to keep an eye out?)

combination
best of both or confusing for DD & she’ll be less likely to settle?

Are you thinking this summer? Because you might be too late for either.

IME they pick up every bug going at nursery whereas childminder is a bit more gentle on their immune system!

I started DS1 at childminder at 2 and then he started at a local preschool so he would go there in the morning and then she would pick him up from there, so that was quite a good best of both worlds set up.

Walking distance is a really good plus though

No experience of childminder but we've been really happy with nursery. I suspect the amount of attention and care they get largely varies by how good the setting is, not so much whether it's a nursery or childminder. And FWIW, as long as the nursery is nice I doubt the babies care about the homeliness of the setting - I suspect that's mainly important for making the parents feel better about leaving them

I went with nursery as it felt more practical in terms of hours and cover - some childminders seem to close for holidays whereas our nursery is open except for bank holidays. I also thought I’d be putting him in nursery at some point and didn’t like the idea of moving him unnecessarily once he was settled.

With hindsight, I also think the child’s temperament is important. My eldest has thrived in a busy environment with lots of other children. It’s a brilliant nursery though and the staff really bond with the children. Other children might enjoy a childminder more though.

A child minder can continue to provide before and after school care when your child is older which is something to consider if you know what school would be likely. I have used a very experienced cm for years and it's been great.

I really preferred a nursery setting, I felt it got my eldest (who’s august born) well prepared for school. Lots of different kids to interact with, no worries about sickness, clearly defined rules, regulations etc. True they didn’t go on day trips but they held sports days and carol concerts etc.
Many people prefer a childminder because they want more of a mother type figure and home environment, tbh I wanted the opposite, I’m the mum, this is home and that is nursery/ school.

DD goes to a wonderful nursery. It's a very small independent, no chain, run by three sisters and is very homely and loving. We saw some other nurseries that really just didn't vibe with us, but this one had such a lovely feel when we walked in the door. It's open all year except two weeks at Christmas which is a big plus for us too. They do trips out too. I sometimes see them walking down the village high street and have to duck into a doorway so DD doesn't see me

I think it's probably less a matter of either or and more of finding the right one, whether it's nursery or childminder, so whatever you choose, have a good look around the various options. We saw some expensive 'outstanding' nurseries that just didn't have the right feel for us, so you definitely need to get in there and have a look around.

I really preferred nursery, I felt like it was more flexible (hours wise) and it was never going to be unavailable due to a staff member being off sick or needing holiday. There's also something I find unsettling about my child being supervised solely by one adult that I don't really know, nursery felt more 'regulated' that way, if you know what I mean. I also felt like it was closer to a school setting, and got the children used to being in a group with their peers - some childminders I looked at had children at various ages which didn't seem as good. The ones with this set up also seemed to just be dragging the babies along on the school run for the other kids and my kids get enough of that at home!

All three of mine have attended a quite large nursery and thrived. Walking distance is also nice to have.

Also, our nursery does day trips - local parks, museums and things like visiting the elderly care home nearby (out with Covid etc).

I think it's probably less a matter of either or and more of finding the right one, whether it's nursery or childminder, so whatever you choose, have a good look around the various options. We saw some expensive 'outstanding' nurseries that just didn't have the right feel for us, so you definitely need to get in there and have a look around very true!!! I saw a very expensive nursery that I just hated

I witnessed a childminder loose a 2 year old yesterday abs didn’t even batter an eyelid, in fact I was looking for the kid more than them. They were sat chatting to a fellow child minder friend. That alone made me think I’d never use a child minder- too much trust in one adult.

We picked a nursery although we saw some dreadful nurseries too! I did look into childminders but wasn’t interested in my daughter being strapped into a pram and doing the school run for 2 hours a day. We also didn’t want to be left short if they were sick or have to take holiday whenever they have holidays. I also liked that there was more than one adult around.

Our nursery does trips out but also have a few acres of grounds and are predominantly outdoors, they offer lots of activities and have much great resources than a childminder too. It was definitely the right thing for us.

We went for nursery too - that cover for staff illness has been really important over the last year as we've had to take plenty of days off for the DC's sick days. We picked one where they were outside a lot as both of them love being outdoors. I also liked them having lots of other children to play with rather than just a couple.

Friends have used childminders and been really happy so I guess it depends on what sort of setting you prefer.

Wow, all very pro nursery so far & not what I expected but great to hear. Originally due to her age I had thought childminder but decided to look at nurseries too because she seems to love being around other kids. But equally don’t want her to be overwhelmed.

yep for this summer & have found spaces with both options.

local nurseries here do walks but no trips out, some outdoor okay space but not acres. I saw one ‘outstanding’ nursery & although facilities quite nice the place felt soulless & bland. Other one felt much much better.

the childminders are all in the next town over so half day at nursery & before or after school care later down the line I don’t think would work. It would probably need to be a couple full days nursery & a couple full days childminder if I did split it

I used a childminder for DS and a nursery for DD. The CM was amazing but I feel like when they are really tiny, the fairly fixed routine and single location of nursery does help them settle. Although DD has been much more ill than DS ever was but think the pandemic impacted on that too and she basically started nursery having never been ill. The best thing about our nursery is that it has a kitchen where they cook homemade food and the provide milk, nappies, wipes - everything! It makes a big difference for me not having to sort all that 😁. DS’s CM used to give him a packed lunch I had cooked and a home cooked dinner and I’d provide milk/nappies etc.

We went for nursery as we needed to have consistent care - we both have jobs where it's very difficult to have time off and didn't want to have to take time off if a childminder was ill.

I think it depends on the child. DS loved being outdoors and so for us a childminder was excellent. They also used to meet with other childminders in formal groups at the library and more informally so he still met a wide variety of children. There is more of a risk of them being poorly as they are just on person, but ours only closed once for one day. Some have local networks as well where if they're ill and you're happy to/fit into ratio another childminder can have them for the day. It does depend on finding a good one as in does with a nursery, I just hated every one we saw. Small space for lots of children, obviously fairly high ratios, not much room to run around in- schoolish vibes when they have plenty of time for that.

To add though childminders are still regulated and have ofsted inspections etc. Lots think of them as babysitters but absolutely not.

Many people prefer a childminder because they want more of a mother type figure and home environment, tbh I wanted the opposite, I’m the mum, this is home and that is nursery/ school

I like the separation too.

I much preferred the idea of nursery. The thought of one adult that you don't really know being in sole charge of my son made me far too nervous. I don't like the thought at all. Add to that the fact that if that person gets ill or goes away on holiday etc.. you have no childcare.

My son's nursery so far has been great and he really seems to like it. They do actually go out sometimes during the day too although not for whole day trips. They went and watched trains the other week, a fire engine came to visit, the local park etc...

I just couldn't move past the comparison between having multiple adults in a regulated setting all accountable to management etc...than just one person in their own home with no one really knowing what's going on. I'm sure it's perfectly fine but it's just not for me.

And YY to the fact nursery provides everything. I don't have to worry about breakfast lunch dinner, nappies, milk, anything with nursery.

You pay more though so its all relative. I'm not against nurseries but there's a lot of ignorance around childminders which isn't really fair.

Yes that's true. It was worth it for not having to deal with those things though for me.

I don't think there is anything wrong with childminders. They just weren't for me.

Personally OP I wouldn’t split the childcare settings- just pick one. It will be easier to settle them and get to know the other kids, less confusing- two different sets of payments sounds like extra admin too.

Just to add I don’t distrust childminders- I just preferred have procedures in place, a chain of management in case of any issues. Having to raise issues with your one and only direct care giver I think could be more difficult.

A vote for childminders! My first went to a childminder and loved it! Especially when he was very young. If you find a good one, they usually have a routine of going out all morning (all weathers) and then back for lunch, sleeps, play, pick up. I think exploring the parks, going for picnics, etc is really suitable for babies to preschool age. By the time my son was 3, he hadn't been too many playgroups but he was ready for a more social nursery-type setting then when they are keen to foster relationships with a broader range of children.