childcare?

[dylsmum1998]

hi i'm wondering about how to organise my childcare for next year.
this year (my firstyear) i literally just had childcare to cover my lectures. some of the other mums on the course had childcare to cover lectures and extra study time.
am considering this for next year so i can do more study, but then feeling guilty about leaving dd more hours, i know she's happy in her childcare and loves going, i have no concerns in that regrd.

how do you all do things?

I think there's a lot of guilt associated with using childcare for study rather than work. I'm a third year PhD student and dd goes to nursery 3 days/week, 9-5.30. I struggle with that and try to make up the time on Saturdays and in the evenings. Sounds like you definitely need some study time. It depends on what kind of childcare you are using. I prefer whole days and nursery charges for the whole day.

If I thought dd was really happy with her daycare I would increase her hours there but I think we are at her limit. If she likes her childcare and you can afford it - make the most of it and don't feel guilty.

You will need study time. I'm final year and ds is in creche 3.5 days a week then I kick him and dp out of the house for most of the day at weekends. The only reason he isn't in for a full day on Wednesday is that I would have to pick him up early anyway to go to Rainbows.

Try not to feel guilty, just remember that it is not forever.

thanks for your answers

she's with a childminder at the moment 2 half days and one full day,
i want her to go to pre-school for 2 sessions a week in our local pre-school. but my childminder can' pick her up/drop her off as she is in a different town..
so was thinking have her with childminder the days i'm in uni and then put her in preschool for 2 sessions. but dont want her out the house all 5 days iyswim.

its so hard to decide what to do. i am lucky both the pre-school and the childminder i aware of the situation and have agreed to be as flexible with me as possible i need to tell childminder what i'm doing in august, the pre-school have said i can let them know the beginning of sept.

timetable at mo is
tues 8.30-11.30 with cm
weds 8.30-1.30 with cm
fri 8.30-4.30 with cm
rest of time with me

was thinking next year if my uni days are the same and time (dont think they are but hypothetically) take her to pre-school on tues afternoon and on thursday. that way we still have monday all day with her

but not sure if picking her up from cm then dropping her at pre-school for 1.00pm on the tuesday. just wondering what everyone else does to help me decide

I'm about to change to a CM and I'm not sure that I will send dd to preschool at all as CM can't take her or drop her off (she could start preschool in Sep). I suppose I could take her on the other 2 days but I think I'd rather she and i had those 2 days together since she has full days with CM on the other 3. The preschool thing is tricky and I'm still thinking about this myself.

I'm just finishing my final year & as my dd is at school I needed c/care for ds.

I usually dropped him off at the c/minder when I took dd to school, regardless of what time my lectures were at. So if my lecture was at 2pm I had the whole mirning to study.

Then I put them both to bed at 7pm & studied after that.

On Saturdays & Sundays dh would either be the main carer at home, or take hem out, but tbh I never usually studied at weekends as the family still needed to have time with me.

Now I am working 5 days a week until 5.30 & ds & dd are both with a c/minder & both cope brilliantly, they love it.

I would encourage you to get some extra c/care & spend time in the library studying, not at home, as if you are anything like me, when I was at home I found anything to do except study!!!

TBH I wouldn't pick her up from the c/minder & then drop her at pre-school... she will only get excited seeing you, thinking she is going home, only for you to drop her elsewhere.

acinonyx that is what i was thinking, although feels strange not sending her to pre-school, as i sent ds, but i worked from home then so was diff situation.

wallof i was worried about that, hence asking here, my instinct at the moment is to not send her to pre-school just stick with the childminder only. she does lots of mixing etc as childminder looks after 2 other young ones and they go out to toddlers etc regularly, meeting with other childminders and when i'm home with her we do these things to

just thought i'd gauge what others thought.
so much easier when your the childcare provider, than user ime

Yes I was talking to dh about this. I do wonder about preschool as I think I will be almost the only parent I know that doesn't use one but I don't really think it's necessary.

i think your right, its not absolutely necessary, i sent ds as he was an only child didnt go to other form of childcare so thought would be an idea for him to mix,
he never did anything there, other than play with other children which he couldnt do at home.
i think thats what i'm going to do then i might just leave her with childminder and no pre-school as she gets lots of social interaction elsewhere and thats all i see her gaining by going
thanks

Great minds think alike

thanks, i feel better now i "know" someone else feeling the same as me, even if you live in my laptop