best childcare options with babies

poppy34 · 2008-03-02T20:26:28+00:00

Just come back from skiing (well I didn't as 6 months pregnant ) and dh now thinking ahead to next year and how/if we can manage a ski holiday when little one should be about 7/8 months old. Plan would be not to ski all day but do need some child care - what is the best option - are any of the the holiday firms out there reasonable at caring for relatively young babies (eg ski esprit, club med)? Or is it better to use some of the specialist nanny etc services? Or is it best to just organise childcare between us and maybe other family members? All advice gratefully received

laura032004 · 02/03/2008 20:45

I have no experience, but I don't think I'd have been happy with anybody bar close family looking after my DS's at that age. You may be different though, and perhaps it depends if they are used to being left in childcare anyway.

Original poster

poppy34 · 02/03/2008 20:48

thats a really good point but do want to know what options are.

OP posts:

PuppyDogTails · 02/03/2008 20:50

We're going at Easter and have DS booked into the kindergarten in resort, it's not linked to any holiday firm. I must admit I'm not convinced he's going to end up spending any time there!

toratora · 02/03/2008 20:52

Esprit or Mark Warner are the best two that we have been with - Esprit are much better value for money and have been great with our dd's when we have been. We did take our dd aged 8 months on a Mark Warner holiday to Val d'Isere and they were brilliant. Scott Dunn is at the top end of the scale and are very expensive, but apparently very good - we have said that we will go with them when we grow up!

newgirl · 02/03/2008 20:56

we have used mark warner twice and they were excellent - ideal care for babies in the day

the only thing i can think of is that they use baby listening in the evenings with nannies on the floors - the call you if baby wakes up - you might be worried about this

if so, snoline or vip do excellent childcare and you are in a chalet so are much nearer to your child in the evening

MrLSG · 02/03/2008 22:05

We've used resort (i.e. non-tour operator) childcare for the under 1's quite a few times (4 IICCC), and it's always been fine. Most dodgy was last Christmas when ds2 was teething and they insisted on a doctor's note that he wasn't ill: as it was, the local doctor was fine and issued one no problem at all.

The UK family specialist operators are IME way over priced for what they offer: they are basically praying on your worries about foreigners.

PS You'll be suffering from "first-mummy" syndrome: i.e. expecting the worst from everyone whilst only wanting the best. Relax! The truth is the vast majority try their best, and the chance of your little one having a bad experience is minimal: even if they do, they'll soon forget it.

MrLSG · 02/03/2008 22:05

We've used resort (i.e. non-tour operator) childcare for the under 1's quite a few times (4 IICCC), and it's always been fine. Most dodgy was last Christmas when ds2 was teething and they insisted on a doctor's note that he wasn't ill: as it was, the local doctor was fine and issued one no problem at all.

The UK family specialist operators are IME way over priced for what they offer: they are basically praying on your worries about foreigners.

PS You'll be suffering from "first-mummy" syndrome: i.e. expecting the worst from everyone whilst only wanting the best. Relax! The truth is the vast majority try their best, and the chance of your little one having a bad experience is minimal: even if they do, they'll soon forget it.

MrLSG · 02/03/2008 22:05

(There's an echo around here....)

hatwoman · 02/03/2008 22:17

we used a resort kindergarten with dd1 at that age. tbh it wasn't great (just a bit too crowded and noisy) but perfectly ok for a week. after that we went for a couple of years to chalet amethyst in La Taniawith ski beat. the nannies were brilliant. but the creche a wee bit small. the best thing about it though (apart from the lovely nannies) was the chalet being in the same place as the creche. it's worth an enormous amount - trying to pack a bag every morning with everything you'll need (for both indoor and outdoors) and then wrapping dc up, trudging across the resort with dcs in papoose, trudging back to the chalet to get your skis (and doing it twice if you forget anything) is to be avoided at all costs. we've been with esprit more recently - again had a creche at the chalet although we didn;t use it as ours were in lessons. esprit were ok - but imo the staff were just not old enough. ski beat had quite young nannies but with a great girl - probably late twenties in charge, whereas the oldest esprit person in the whole resort was about 22. just not old enough and responsible enough imo. we may have been unlucky. we're going with them again though! but ours are too old now to worry too much about the childcare aspect.

PuppyDogTails · 02/03/2008 22:32

Can I hijack slightly with a daft question - what do you carry the babies around in? Do I take a papoose or pushchair? Pushchair seems ridiculous but then I'd be paranoid about slipping over with him in a papoose.

hatwoman · 02/03/2008 22:48

dh + papoose

laura032004 · 03/03/2008 06:31

Sorry poppy, didn't mean to be negative, just meant what MrLSG said really. With your PFB, it's very hard to leave them, so unless you've done this before the holiday to go back to work or something, I think you'd have a hard time doing it on holiday. For me the best option by far would have been taking my mum or sister with me to do the childcare, or having a rota with other family members.

hatwoman · 03/03/2008 12:07

or you might be happy and confident that your 7/8 month old pfb will be basically safe and reasonably-cared for (and, that if it's not perfect care it will be safe (possibly safer than gps tbh) and only a week) and that you can enjoy some well-earned time doing what you love, getting some exercise and fresh air and reclaiming yourself. Impossible to tell which way you'll lean .

hatwoman · 03/03/2008 12:09

I wasn't quite back at work and didn;t give a second thought to the whole thing.

Youcannotbeserious · 03/03/2008 12:13

I've just come back from skiing - skied every day AND I'm 6 months pregnant! Had a wonderful time.

Personally, I'm planning on skiing again next year, when the LO will be around 8 months old.

My preference is to take a nanny with us, so that (i) I will know what the childcare arrangements are to be and (ii) I can ensure that my DS and nanny have a good relationship before we go.

I personally wouldn't like to rely on childcare when we get to a resort as, though it might be excellent and have seen loads of good creches (would HIGHLY recommend Chamonix) you just can't be sure.

I don't think it's fair to ask other members of the party, as it's their holiday too!

LIZS · 03/03/2008 15:59

dd wasn't that young, probably nearer 18 months-ish, when we first stayed at the Alphuebel in Saas Fee . A family orientated, if fairly basic, hotel with inclusive childcare and kids staying/eating free under 6.

newgirl · 03/03/2008 18:41

if you go late in the season you may find that the actual town centre is snow free making buggies very easy to use - you could call the hotel before you set off to find out

Original poster

poppy34 · 03/03/2008 21:03

thanks this is all really helpful - am impressed re your skiing youcannotbeserious. Am 6 months myself and no way could I manage it.

Think those of you who are saying I may not want to leave my pfb may have a point - however did raise a smile re leaving pfb with my sister..she'd only feed it red wine

OP posts:

Youcannotbeserious · 03/03/2008 21:23

We took my SDs, so we stuck to reds and blues - no blacks for me this year!!!!!!!

Had to smile about your sister - that would have been me a year ago

skifreak · 03/03/2008 21:58

Would also recommend Ski Beat - have travelled with them twice to Les Arcs. Fab chalets (very relaxing at night with children) and great (slightly older) nannies.

Youcannotbeserious · 03/03/2008 21:59

Ditto.

We used Ski Beat to La Plagne this year and they were great.

MrsWobble · 04/03/2008 09:07

we've been with ski beat a number of times and the nannies have always been extremely good - and far better than the indepedent nannies we're used in the alps. we go skiing late season which i always think is a test of the resort staff - the ski beat nannies have never shown any end of season attitude.

overall the ski beat service is good - the only downside is the chalets are not best located but that's a reasonably minor quibble which is more than made up for by the quality of the staff I think.

Emmaroos · 26/01/2010 03:00

instead of a pushchair lots of people who live in ski resorts pull their slightly older babies along in toboggans, usually lined with sheepskin and with the baby totally cocooned. Having seen people slipping and landing on their faces, and having slipped and fallen many times myself over the years I'd be reluctant to carry my baby in a sling in icy conditions until he was big enough to be uncrushable in a fall.

headless · 26/01/2010 13:15

Thought I'd respond, as we are soon to go off on our first ski holiday with kids: a 2.5 year old and an 8 month old. We have booked with snowfocus after seeing a link from this site. The childcare looks excellent, but obviously we are yet to go! I will report back though. My plan is similar to you, to just ski in the mornings, but I'm flexible and if kids are having a great time then may stay out longer, likewise, if they are miserable, then I'll stay with them. I'm happy just to get some mountain air! Hope you have a great holiday whatever you decide.

andiem · 26/01/2010 18:35

I took ds2 when he was 8 months and went with esprit in meribel. He was fine in the creche. I was still bf so I just skied in the morning and picked him up at lunchtime. Only thing I would say is I found it quite tiring as he was still bf at night and all the activity wore me out!