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OK, all you people who work, how the ** do i work out childcare, ill have no-one to help me

44 replies

nailpolish · 05/02/2007 15:51

HELP

what do you do in the school holidays?

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nailpolish · 05/02/2007 16:12

midlothian includes edinburgh city, non?

or you mean dalkeith/bonnyrigg/lasswade/newtongrange/etc

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nailpolish · 05/02/2007 16:14

so cm would look after dd1 before and after full time school, but i would only have to pay her for the time dd1 is with cm

but i would have to pay her the full day for dd2 even if dd2 was at preschool for 3 hrs or so

that sounds ok

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PandaG · 05/02/2007 16:14

I would collect early if due to snow, as long as possible with other mindees. I waould also have children if they couldn't be at school for a minor reason - say chicken pox, if I didn't have any other children that day, or the parents were hapy with it, as pox is more contagious before the spots come out and they would have been mixing anyway.

nailpolish · 05/02/2007 16:15

also, do many cm's do different days different weeks

ie
some weeks i may work mon/tues, some weeks it may be wed/thurs

that is one job option i am looking at, for fixed days i get paid slightly less

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nailpolish · 05/02/2007 16:16

ok thanks panda

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PandaG · 05/02/2007 16:17

difficult to do different days different weeks, as you have to keep to your ratios every day - 3 under 5 and no more than 6 under 8 (these could be 3 under 5 and 3 6 year olds, or all 6 between 5 and 8 for eg). Would be the same for a nursery though, most would want fixed days

nailpolish · 05/02/2007 16:18

yes i thought so, about fixed days

never mind

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nailpolish · 05/02/2007 16:18

so a cm is my only option..........?

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PandaG · 05/02/2007 16:20

I did hear of 2 families where the mums did a jobshare, and the children took up aq full time space at the same cm between them, so if for some reason gthe parents swapped days at work, the children were able to swap at the CM too. Good for everyone, as the CM got a ft place, albeit 2 different children, and the families got flexibiltiy.

majorstress · 05/02/2007 16:22

Holidays are difficult. I never used a CM; the first year the nursery took dd1 back for the odd days (expensive), then I found a school holiday club/camp called mapalim, doubt that operates in your area, but there are more and more of these sorts of things. They were actually better than school, as covered a longer day.

My work also does a poorly-publicised holiday camp, worth asking, at least they would know there was a demand, and might know something locally too. Ask the school and the nursery too, these camps will send the school ads which you won't see yet as not in school. Also the after school club runs one, economical too. I never use that as dd1 is already there during the week (boring for her), but it has lots of fun activities.
Local councils may have info or even run clubs too, sometimes for particular sport.

Last summer a friend donated her niece for a week, she was nice and capable, luckily.

I start panicking about each of the 6 annual breaks from school, during the one before! Fun.

PandaG · 05/02/2007 16:23

well you could do nursery (use your 5 2.5 hour sessions once DD is 3 to pay for part of this), and a combination of after school club/breakfast club and holiday club, but if you can find a CM s/he may be more flexible.

ItsMeMellowma · 05/02/2007 16:24

yes thats correct naily I live in the last one you mentioned!!

If I do start up I have lots of experience, have worked in nursery and have done creche training and work for the local council (Creche work)!

ItsMeMellowma · 05/02/2007 16:24

there are also a few good nurseries in this area.

nailpolish · 05/02/2007 16:30

oh you should mellowma, there seems to be a demand anyway!

i have just looked on the edinburgh council website and there were tons of after school clubs that i didnt even know existed

i would i suppose prefer a cm, dd's would be in a homely environment, oh fuck i dunno

but how do i know shes nice?

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Lasvegas · 05/02/2007 17:53

I have found a university student (luckily she was a Nanny prior to going to uni) to cover school hols. Students need part time work and their holidays mostly co-incide with school hols.

smeeinit · 05/02/2007 18:50

np havent read whole thread but as a cm i shall tell you what i do.............
i charge half fees whilst mindee at nursery.
i dont charge while full time school kiddies at school,just cahrge for the before and after school bits.

i do take mindees just in school hols but charge a retainer during school term time to keep the place open,not alot of money,£20ish a week for full time space.

i would def do what you require aslong as pre school and school are close by and do not interfere with other school pick ups.

does that help atall?!

nailpolish · 05/02/2007 19:29

that helps loads smeeinit

you dont happen to be in Edinburgh do you?!

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smeeinit · 05/02/2007 19:41

fraid not np!! you dont fancy moving to st albans do you? i have vacancies!!!

ThePrisoner · 05/02/2007 20:42

I'm a childminder, and I have children for school holidays only, and I don't charge a retainer for term-time.

If I can do nursery/school runs, then I do. I think most childminders probably do, so long as we don't spend the entire day ferrying children around.

Everyone charges differently though!

You can find out about local childminders, school clubs, holiday schemes etc. here

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