best childcare options with babies

[poppy34]

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

Hi, we went skiing twice when DS was around that age 9m and 11m. Once had a nanny in chalet (with crystal v. cheap) and once used a ski peak with a fabulous nursery. The next year when I thought continuity was more important (and language) we took my sister.

Without a doubt the nanny in chalet option was the best, the advantages over the nursery were were IMO:
1)He was cared for by one person and being v. young a week was loads of time to get used to her,
2)it was one less new enviroment for him to get used to
3)By far the most impoortant we didn't have to cart 8 month old parenphanalia across town at 830am when it was barely light she just picked him up out of his high chair at breakfast time.

The advantages over family or a nanny you take out there are that they are used to caring for tinnies in that enviroment and are set up for it eg: they had a huge all terrain sheepskin lined buggy. Caring for a sub 1 year old in the alpes is difficult as they get cold so quickly, and it is a nightmare bringing everything you will need from the uk. A local nanny knows where to go and what to do with a baby out there.

I found I started comming back early but by the end of the week had complete faith and would come back at tea time. The nanny would often stay and have tea and cake with us when we got back which was lovely.

When DD was 4 months (Oct b'day) DS was 2.6 a sensibley stayed at home. But if a needed childcare for a tiny in the mountaains again I would definately try to arrange it "in house"

Sorry post so long hope you find it helpful. It is great to be back on skis after a year off. Lots of 7/8 month old sleep all night (mine did) and I wasn't too tired to ski at all, was lovely to be cared for.

Can recommend SkiBeat (Play Peisey) and also look at Le Ski in La Tania (3 Valleys). When we were there last week there was an 8 month old baby in the creche and the nannies looked after her so well. Again, like Ski Beat, the Le Ski nannies are mixed in age range - from early to late 20s, but the head nanny has been there for the past 3 years (and she doesn't even ski - she just loves working out there!). La Tania is all snow but as it is fairly compacted you can still use the buggy on it. Can def recommend staying in the chalet where the creche is based - so much easier not having to wrap them up and cart everything over.

In La Tania you can also buy mini-passes for the afternoon so even if you don't want to put the baby into creche all day, you could even put it in for 2 hours or so and do some skiing in the afternoon (you would still neeed to pay for the full childcare though).

I agree Emmaroos. I would be worried about using a sling for a small baby for fear of falling on top of them. I would either have a decent three wheeler or use a sledge as you have seen. When DD was small we hired a 3 wheeler in Whistler for our stay and that worked out just fine. I saw some 3 wheelers in Intersport in Morzine that looked like they were for hire.

Another vote for skibeat. Have used them in La plagne 5 years ago for 13 month old (although wouldn't recommend skibeat/La Plagne combo just because of where the creche is situated) and La Ros when dd1 was 3 and we are due to go back there in March when dd2 will be 12 months (only going back to La Ros because the creche is so well situated. Both times found the nannies lovely (and I had never left dd1 when we went when she was 13 months).

The Family Ski Company.

We're just back from a week with them and it was fabulous.

Mr LSG - what is 4 IICCC or resort (non tour opperator) childcare?

what is resort (non tour opperator) childcare? How do you find out more information on this?

We've just come back from Chamonix in a group with 4 under 2s, we arranged nannies with a local agency to come to the chalet and they were great. Kids could nap in their own beds, and played in a familiar place. Also no need to cart them out to childcare venue.

piglips - I think people are meaning the local resort creches - if you look up the website for the resort you're going to there is almost always a creche of one kind or another, though it depends on the age of the children, where we were it started age 3 so not suitable for our kids.

If you contact the resort tourist information office or look on resort website there will be a list of creches, some of which may be attached to hotels or skischool, and the tourist office may have a list of looal babysitters. Kidshotels.ch and Kinderhotels often have their own in-house childcare or can recommend. However remember you should not expect the same standards, such as staff ratio, of a creche abroad unless it is UK-run and states so.

ps I think the IICC is "If I've Counted Correctly" !

We have been with Family Ski Company twice and the creche was brilliant both times. Small and personal with enthusiatic staff.

The childcare staff come to meet you on your first night so you can run through all the details of routines etc without being rushed.

The great thing about Family Ski is that they have mostly Chalets which are perfect for little ones as you can put them to bed and sit downstairs for dinner and hear them if they wake up (or if you really want the baby monitor will stretch no probs!).

My kids loved the kids clubs, and for me happy children = happy parents = fantastic holiday!

Done a fair few hols with DSs now.

When he was 6 months we hired a nanny in resort. We were in meribel and there is (or was I don't know if there still is) a company called Merinannies, and we had a UK qualified nanny come to the chalet every day to look after DS and another baby 18 months old. It worked really really well. Hassle free as we didn't have to cart him around or get bags ready etc for him. Would def recommend this option for a baby. Nanny was great. Had no concerns at all about here care. She was delighted to have a baby to look after.

As DS has got older and plays more with kids of his own age, we've done resort childcare in Whistler and company in house childcare with Mark Warner. Both were excellent in terms of the levels of care given, but the in house factor is definately worth bearing in mind as its much much easier to just take your LO down or upstairs before you go out skiing, than carting them out bags, skis and all to an outside creche.

I would def also take a pushchair. Ours has air tyres so goes over snow easily and its useful in airports for napping and being able to negotiate bags etc.

did ski beat in 2009 with 10m little one. staff fabulous. went to plan peisey. Great time. I carried LO around in a baby bjorn carrier - it was fine. paths were clear, but I did get decent snow boots ot walk in (North Face ones) - they were a good thing as I felt v secure in them.
My LO doesn't goto the nursery, GP care when I'm at work, and she was teethign her 2 top teeth, so didn't settle very well.
I totally trusted the staff though - couldn't ahve been lovlier.