Very close or far away?

[libb]

I am returning to work in 7/8 weeks and need to start thinking about options!

DP and I work in the city that is approx. 30-45 mins drive away (over an hour on most days due to the rush hour) and I cannot decide whether to start looking at nurseries/childminders in the town where we live or where we work - what would you do?

There are so many options that I can't think straight!

I am in the same situation at the moment. I am thinking about getting an au pair but my dh and i do shift work so we wouldn't need guranteed 9 - 5 childcare. Childminders seem a good option to us too but would have to make sure that one of us was always around in the evening! I have had no experience of any sort of childcare up until now so I am baffled aswell!

Sorry just read the post again. I would go for the places near where you work so you don't get worried if your stuck in traffic trying to pick up ds or dd. Also in an emergency you could be there straight away!!

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Hi, I did both, went back to work and found a full time nursery place for my DD aged 6 months then, I worked in the freight business and in Leeds city centre, so the traffic on a good day would take me to arrive at the nursery in my town about 5 minutes before it closed (6.00pm), on a couple of occassions the manager of the nursery kept asking me if I would try and arrive sooner, and I explained my travel arrangements to her and she basically told me that if I was 5 minutes over 6.00 pm, they would have to charge me extra due to the fact that they would have to keep someone behind at a moments notice, the following night I was late, there had been an accident on the motorway coming home and I was sat there for nearly 3 hours, my DH worked away quite abit so he wasn't even in my county. When we moved I got DD into a nursery closer to work, which was alot better, it takes me 5 minutes to pick her up and 20 minutes listening to how she enjoyed her day, she is 4 tomorrow and I am beginning to feel that because I suffered with the horrendous car journeys, I would arrive stressed and that is not good. If it was me, I would go for a nursery near your workplace, just think how enjoyable the ride home would be, especially when they are old enough to tell you which CD they like on. It doesn't matter then if there are accidents, you'll have your precious cargo and it wouldn't matter how late it was. Also I like taking DD shopping with me on our way home. Good luck which ever you choose.

I used childcare near work and the car journeys together were nice. BUT if you are ill who is going to take your children to childcare. I used to have to go to work no matter how ill I was because at least it was better than being home with a toddler with masses of energy, when we were both feeling ill we used to cuddle up on the sofa and watch cbeebies together. DH due to the hours he worked just couldn't get to work on time or back to the nursery in time. Once when was feeling very ill MIL came down (Wales to London) to look after DS for me.

I took the sluglet into work with me on the train for the few months she was in nursery. The nursery was just over the road from work and I could sneak out and watch her happily playing during breaks.

The train journey actually was quite fun. We got on at the start of the train's trip, so we always got a seat and madam had endless fun performing for the other commuters.

I think I'd opt for near to home: more chance of meeting local people as friends - and who can then form part of an emergency pick-up circle if one of you has problems, nearby friends for your little one, local network for babysitting etc, Also, if there is a day when you are ill, and can't work, and need to put your child in nursery so that you can get better, you don't want to be driving miles, do you? Also, keeping a toddler awake on a teatime car journey so that bedtime isn't disrupted, can be a problem.
But given the distance / traffic problems, I can see the argument for choosing somewhere near work.

You didn't scare me Twiglett, the nursery situation is the same here! Although we do have 3/4 in this small town, and childminders galore so hopefully once I've worked out the to/from plan it will just be a question of where to take him.

I have found a lovely childminder but she is not free until April, ideally that would be great as I would love to take another 6 months off and see him through to his first year but there is the small matter of it being unpaid leave . . . bah! The nurseries here charge £5 for every 10 mins you are late, I can see why they have to but it doesn't the decision any easier. Maybe I will rethink my working hours afterall.

Thanks for all your ideas and points - there are so many pros and cons for both options!

I'd opt for home as well - much better if you're not working or working from home or on holiday but still using childcare...it's great too to get to know the local area, mums, playgroups etc through a local childminder or nursery.
We chose a local childminder and then nursery for dd (I work about 40 minutes away)

also consider if you are planning having another child and maternity leave soonish. It is SUCH a pain having to trek to work on maternity leave to take a child to nursery.

I have been through the same dilemma. I work about 45 minutes from home, 25 miles of it is on the M40.I had an accident when I was 37 weeks pregnant when a woman behind me didn't see me indicating a turn onto the motorway and she shunted me forward. She was distracted by her small daughter behind her in the car. Scared the life out of me and made up my mind for me there and then. NO WAY was I commuting with my baby in the car.
I think there are reasonable arguements for both. For me a nursery close to home (2 miles) feels like the safest option. I start back at work in two weeks, so we shall se......

My 2 DDs have been in nursery close to where I work (11 miles from home) however now DD1 is approaching school age, and I'm in the position where I can work from home, so I've just taken the very difficult decision to move them...and it's not proving easy. Like someone else said, there are arguments for both sides....

Oddly enough I am looking at a nearby nusery this afternoon - I am really hoping that I will be first time lucky as this one is considered to be a good one. I only have 6 weeks left and am really trying hard to ignore that minor detail!

If I can get childcare sorted asap then I can relax and make the most of my time with DS while I can - then I will go to work and cry in the toilets . . . . (I know I will)