Leo has been to four nurseries in his short little two years and ten months on this planet. He first started when he was 6 months old. I was anxious as any parent is about the decision but I knew the socialisation would be great for him and well, I needed to get back to work. He’s only ever been part time so I still get two days a week with him which I absolutely love.
When he was 11 months old we moved house. I really struggled to find a nursery that had a place for him but find one I did. It was awful. I can’t believe I let myself leave my son in the care of a continually rotating staff of carers who didn’t even change his dribble soaked t-shirt during a very bad day of teething. Needless to say, after three sessions and me feeling unbearably sick he never went back.
Luckily a space became available for him at another nursery, one that I’d heard good things about and one where we both felt comfortable. So for the next year he spent three days a week in the care of wonderful staff and he came on leaps and bounds. I think between the ages of one and two they soak up so much and I couldn’t believe the things he would come home saying and new habits he would display.
Then we moved again. I know. It’s like we can’t stay in one place for more than 18 months.
I found a lovely nursery with great facilities; football lessons, cookery school, French in pre-school(!), forest school, you name it they seem to do it. But his transition was very difficult. New house, new big boy bed, new nursery. He had a meltdown every day for the first few weeks. When he was small and he’d cry when I left it was hard. Really hard. But he could talk now. He could shout my name, he could tell me he just wanted to be with me. Heart. Broken. But low and behold a few weeks passed and he started to thoroughly enjoy it and again, in the last five months he seems to have come on leaps and bounds, asking me for a knife so he can cut his own food, opening books and making up stories to the pictures, drawing shapes (I am so proud of his circle!), telling me about his friends. He is really settled and enjoying the environment.
But guess what? Yep, we’re on the move again! You may have read my post in January about whether or not we should relocate as a family to be closer to Anthony’s work as at present he works away all week, or should we stay as we are and Leo and I move closer to friends and family whilst Anthony remains away all week. Either scenario meant a move. But we’ve decided, finally! And I feel like a weight has been lifted. We’re headed down south so that we can all be together as a family again and we get to see Anthony every day. I cannot wait. It very much feels like the right decision for us. But it means moving Leo’s nursery… again!
And so I started the search for somewhere new for him and whilst searching I stumbled across a site that has profiles for childminders (as well as au pairs, nannies etc) and it got me thinking. Whats the difference? Is there one? Leo has always been in a nursery setting, but my niece went to a childminder, my best friend uses a childminder… Perhaps it’s something I should look further into?
This is where you lovely lot come in. What childcare arrangements do you have? Do you use a childminder? What has your experience been? Are they more flexible? Do you feel your child has been exposed to enough socialisation? Have you used both childminder and nursery and do you have opinions on which you preferred? Or maybe the men in our lives should open a daddy day care – they totally look like they’ve got it covered don’t they?
Image by Little Beanies.
Firstly, what an awesome and adaptable wee chap you have! He always looks so sociable and happy, bless him. Secondly, huuuuuuuuge congrats on the move decision – really thrilled for you.
So, I’ve four kiddies. The older two (4 and 3) went to nurseries pt purely for their own development/socialisation and I did a bit of freelancing whilst they were there 1.5 days a week. Then our twins (??) came along and the logistics/cost of nursery was sheer insanity – my bits and bobs of work were pretty consistent by this point so I didn’t want to lose that but no way could we pay £200+ a day for childcare. We looked at childminders but I didn’t want to split the kids up (hormones much) and finding a good one with four (I still crease up when I say I have four kids out loud) spaces is nigh on impossible.
ANYWAY. All that to say we went with a nanny. Found via that well known childcare website and chosen after interviewing seven lovely people (incl one manny who sadly was not Freddie Prinze Jr off of Friends) and she is a DREAM. She comes to us 2 days a week and works in a local nursery the other three days and I would almost keep having babies to keep her in our employment. (Except, NO. That ship has saaaaaailed ?)
Huh. So I don’t think I’ve helped your decision making process at all. Soz. Except to say there’s absolutely a solution that will be perfect for you and your boy. My brood are basically their own wee nursery class/set of friends so I know a nanny might not be ideal for a single child but when you find a good one, gawd, they’re worth their weight in homemade playdoh.
I LOVE this! It’s really made me smile and actually it has been very helpful. Anthony often suggests a Nanny/au pair type person to come and generally just help do general life stuff. Initially I was like… erm excuuuuuse me, wounded Mama pride, I can look after my own child and house but actually, If someone else wants to help mop and empty the dishwasher I am ALL for that! Haha.
I’m sorry to hear you couldn’t find your Freddie but your lady sounds totally ace! And well done on birthing four kids! I have a friends currently preggers with her fourth… actual super mamas! x
Such a tough decision. Our little boy started off with a male childminder, a dad of two who had retrained whilst his partner was on her second maternity leave. Sadly he had some physical health issues when our little boy was two and he could no longer look after him full time. This meant we had to find full time childcare very quickly. I again went down the childcare route but could not find one that was available or that I liked, so nursery it was. He is still at his current nursery and loves it. It’s not perfect and we are actually moving out of London soon so have found him a nursery set in the middle of a park (much better). My experience is that a childminder works well when they are little so they have more personalised intensive care, but as they get older nursery is a good step up before school and helps them to socialise.
Good luck with your move and childcare finding. It’s hard but you’ll know in your heart what is right for you.
Yes Sophie I think I agree about the stepping stone before school thing. Good luck with your move too!
Hi Becky! Interesting debate! I used a childminder for my eldest from when she was 9 months old and after few weeks settling in she loved it. I did find she was socialising more with older children which had its positives and negatives. What l struggled with is that my child wasn’t in one place all day, call me over protective but whilst l was at work l liked to know where my child was, l didn’t like that she would be in and out of the car three times a day whilst the childminder did the nursery/school run for the older kids. The childminder used to also run other errands like th food shop and so on. It just didn’t feel like she was getting proper “play time” and stimulation. I now work from home and fit my work around both my daughters which is a struggle, but if l had the choice again l would personally for for nursery. Good luck with the move, love your posts x
Claire I hadn’t considered these things! These people should be rewarded for their ability to take other peoples kids shopping… it can take me hours to get round the supermarket with Leo in tow sometimes! Haha. Thanks so much for your comment x
Oh deciding childcare is the worst! You have my sympathies!
I was always for a child minder when we were building up to leave Bronwen, but it was not a positive experience for us, though lots of my friends have huge success stories with them! The one we wanted decided to retire because of a hip problem and the one we found after, who’d seemed so perfect (lived behind us, recommended and so on) was dreadful. Bronwen literally clung to my neck and had to be prised off me to go to her. I thought it was a phase, but then she refused to eat there, got nose bleeds from crying and so on and we took her away. We then found a nursery called Footsteps that had branched out into Sutton Coldfield from Lichfield/Tamworth etc. and the change in our once shy little girl has been remarkable. She totters off independently and happily the mornings she goes and comes home always happy and smiling. I like that there are several staff in the building at all times, though she has an assigned key worker. I think you have to do what works best for you guys and you’ll know if Leo would benefit from a home environment that a child minder can offer, or the variety of a nursery setting. Hope the move goes well for you guys. xxx
Rhiannon, Leo currently goes to the same chain of nursery! What a small world! I do think he likes the set structure of the nursery setting (I’m sure childminders probably have a set routine each day too?) and I feel like as it’s soon going to be time to send him off to school (well soon-ish) perhaps it’s just as well to keep him in that setting? I;m glad you found a good solution for Bronwen and that she loves it 🙂
Baaaaaaaaaa wrote a huge comment and it got eaten. Basically, our four kiddos have a nanny two days a week whilst I freelance. She’s ACE and after interviewing seven (incl one manny who I so wanted to be Freddie PJ off of Friends) we couldn’t believe we’d found such a perfect fit. She works 3 days a week at a local Montessori nursery too so is always full of amazing new activities and meals etc. We were priced out of nursery after accidental twins (??) arrived but our 4 and 3 year old went to said Montessori and loved it. I appreciate that a nanny might not be ideal for a single child what with socialisation etc but for us is perfect.
Good luck with your decision – lots of meeting and interviewing and looking round in your future! But I bet your gorgeous wee boy will adjust beautifully, whatever you decide. And so much love for your upcoming move and having your beaut family back together xx
Haha! It got regurgitated so don’t worry! I cannot wait to be back living with my best mate! Missing him so much… and his radiator legs at bed time! x
My daughter has been to a mix of settings since I returned to work (when she was 9 months). Our childminder is fab and kind but personally I feel she gets more from nursery. She’s always been a spirited child (well, loud and naughty really but I prefer the term ‘spirited’!) and I like the structure of nursery, which I feel has done wonders for her. I guess it depends on the child and their nature in terms of what will suit them best. Good luck with the move!
Abi we had discussed perhaps doing a bit of both? Like two days nursery, one day childminder maybe… but then that just seems a bit complicated and perhaps confusing for Leo in what will already be a new confusing situation. It’s great you tried a few things and found something that worked well for you. I love the term spirited… I might have to steal it. x
We actually do 2 days nursery, one morning pre-school (near my mum who has her every other Tues) and childminder on random days now and then. It’s a bit of a complex arrangement but my husband works shifts so it was never going to be easy for us. However, it does mean he gets more time with her than many dads do in the week and they have a wonderful bond.
She’s a happy, confident soul so she’s adapted well and I may feel differently with number 2 (due in June). But I actually like the fact she’s had to adapt to the different settings and follow different rules and expectations etc. Obviously she still doesn’t ever listen to me at home! But, as a mum who has to work full time for financial reasons, I feel I’m doing the best that I can for her right now.
Abi – your comment really resonates with me. I’m also a mum who has to work full-time for financial reasons as my other half is self employed, which means NOT employed a lot of the time (actor). So our 22 month daughter gets to spend a lot of time with Daddy which is great but also when he does get some work, often at short notice, we have a variety of child minders and parents/friends we call upon to help us out. There is nothing in the world I’d love more than to not have to work full time but I console myself that she spends lots of time with her daddy (yes, she’s now a complete Daddy’s girl!) who is an amazing parent, and she adapts so well to whatever child care environment she’s in which will hopefully build towards a happy and confident little girl. We’re all just doing the best we can for our little ones with the hand we’ve been dealt aren’t we!
I have had a fantastic experience with a childminder for our now 16 month old. He started going when he was around 10 months as a phased settling in period before I started back at work when he was 12 months, for 3 full days. She really is the best decision we’ve made for him, he was going through a bad period of separation anxiety (not just with me and his dad, but any adult leaving him alone even for a second!), he struggled with naps and generally got himself into a bit of a pickle a lot. She was amazing, she does have a few other children and does the school run for older ones too, but she was able to give our boy lots of one to one attention as he settled and after a few weeks he was a changed child, she’s brought him on so much and I think being with the other children who are a range of ages has been great for his development too. She does do the school run but walks it there and back (about a mile) which I think is great as it’s getting him used to the school he will hopefully eventually go to, it also means once he’s a bit older and walking more he’ll be getting some proper exercise every day! She has a fantastic garden and grows veg etc so when the weather’s good they all get outside to play and run about. I know we’ve made the right decision sending him to a childminder, but you do have to find one you’re happy with, we’ve been pretty lucky xx
Kate how lovely that you have found someone you feel so comfortable with! She sounds fantastic. A friend of mine mentioned that the more one on one contact has been good for her daughter. I know in pre-school they have a ratio of about one carer to eight children and at a childminder he’d probably get more attention. It’s so nice to hear a success story, it’s such a hard decision but sounds like it was a no brainer for you 🙂 x
I think its definitely a case of no option being better or worse – just what you think would be best for your child at the time. I went back to work 3 days a week when my son was 13 months and we chose a nursery. I also interviewed nannies (and a childminder), but went for the nursery in the end. Things we felt were pro’s for the nursery were; secure/safe environment, with oversight of multiple members of staff (and key worker), purpose built child friendly environment, socialising with children his own age, not having to make alternative plans if the nanny/childminder was ill/on holiday. The nanny option is super expensive as you are their employer and so liable for pension, NI and maternity pay, but they get great 1 on 1 care, less socialisation. The pro’s for the childminder were obviously smaller number of children (although same ratio’s as nursery, home environment, but I am slightly ashamed to say I had major trust issues with leaving him with just one other person (who wasn’t an existing friend/family). I was also concerned about having no control over who else the childminder was looking after and their behaviours etc. in such a small group environment. Control freak/overprotective mum alert! Anyway, he has settled really well and I’m really happy with his care – his key worker will also baby sit which is handy.
One possible benefit with continuing nursery for your little one is the socialising with children his own age, which might help with the transition to school (albeit that is still a while off!).
Good luck – I’m sure whatever you decide will be right for your boy. x
I have concerns over the leaving him with one person thing too. I mean, what happens when she/he goes to the loo? where does Leo go? I mean, he comes with me most of the time or I make sure he’s plonked in front of the tele so I can attempt a wee in peace but I’m not sure how comfortable I am with someone else doing that that? Which I know is ridiculous. It is comforting knowing there is always another pair of eyes watching everyone and everything. And what if they have a bad day… we all have them, at least at nursery people are going to a work setting and (hopefully) leave their troubles at home… not so easy when home is your work place too?
Not that this helps with your dilemma in any way whatsoever but I’d totally forgotten about this photo. Look how much they’ve changed!!
I. KNOW.
This is a very interesting topic that I was going to post on after Lolly’s recent post. It really shocked me that most of the bloggers and many readers had sent their young babies to nursery. I 100% believe a childminder is the best option for babies. My son is 6months old but will be cared for by a local childminder from July onwards. To give some context, I have lots of experience of early education being a primary school teacher for many years and previously working at an ‘outstanding’ highly regarded private day nursery. From then on I vowed my child wouldn’t be left in one. No matter how many ‘activities’ ‘forest school’ etc etc the fact remains that your child is contained within one or two rooms ALL day. The conversations I heard being discussed in front of the children were not always appropriate to say the least.
With a childminder my son will be out and about all day, a much closer arrangement to what he has now. He will be part of the school run (to the primary school he will go to) and then the mornings will be filled with baby/toddler groups, singing groups, library visits and lots of fun. If it’s nice weather they can spend the day at a country park if it’s not she has a large playroom and garden back at home. Obviously this involves a degree of trust as your child is not corralled in a pen like at nursery but I really believe the stimulation and interaction with lots of different children will benefit him greatly.
I will send him to an independent nursery attached to a prep school (possibly Steiner) when he gets the vouchers at 3, as that is the stage at which a ‘formal’ setting is appropriate. I think nurseries are fine from 2-3 onwards but no amount of ‘gluten-free, non-refined chef prepared meals’ will convince me that a young babies needs are met in such a closed formal setting.
A few people have mentioned the close care and attention their babies got with childminders when they were very young and how it seemed to really help them and settle them etc and I can totally understand that now. To my knowledge Leo spends a lot of time outside at his nursery which makes me really happy, he is always talking about the bikes and racing with his friends. We’re quite an outdoorsy family and so it’s important to us he gets lots of fresh air.
I think we all go for what we feel is best for our children don’t we and it sounds like you have found the perfect solution for your childcare. Thanks so much for your comment it was really helpful.
Thanks Becky, I do think nurseries are appropriate for older children (transition to school etc). It just makes me sad to think of less mobile youngsters trapped in a room with no windows all day or windows they can’t see out of! With lots of carers and babies together in one room there is a big tendency for the adults to chat amongst themselves and talk to the children a little less. Rant Over. ?
ohhhhhhh I think this comes across a wee bit harsh and might be hurtful to a few parents who have made the decision to send their tots to a nursery. Brilliant that you’ve got a set up that works for you and your family and your experience & insight are def really interesting (when teaching primary would you notice a difference between nursery/childminded kids? Genuinely curious.) but props to all the lovelies who’ve put a tonne of thought and effort into choosing a nursery for their kids.
(Also there’s DEFO days where my kids are only in the kitchen and/or playroom when they’re at home with me ? )
I thought exactly that Maoibh. It’s obviously very difficult to argue with the hands on experience in childcare that Claire C has…I’ve never worked in a nursery so my experience is limited to being a Mum (of two little boys who loved nursery from 9 months onwards) however I have always found that my children have responded really positively in the setting and benefitted from the extra activities which might not be available in other childcare settings.
Nursery works really well for us and I only have good things to say about the amazing people who care for my children when I’m at work. I have never felt like I’m abandoning them or putting them into a situation where they would feel lonely or unhappy…even as 9 month olds they came home covered in the remnants of a fun filled day of play. The key workers at our nursery show a genuine love of the children in their care, they cry when children leave them to go to school and they celebrate each milestone with as much enthusiasm as any proud family member would.
We have used our nursery for the last 6 years and feel like a real part of the community that they build.
Maybe we are just lucky and have found a good nursery, maybe I’m deluded and the lady above has it spot on? each to their own, I do think perhaps the post comes across a bit judgey though which isn’t something I’m used to on this site!
It’s a shame that my comments have been viewed as judgemental, I’m not an expert it’s just my opinion as a parent. Children will have an enjoyable time wherever they are – after all these people are being paid to care for your child, they’re not just going to strap them in a bouncy chair whilst they watch This Morning (mat leave perks ?).
I just wanted to provide another viable, cheaper option that has had less coverage on here. I understand it is easier for me as I have interaction with lots of childminders, after school providers etc so I can pick the best and I already knew the childminder because of my job. I suppose it is worrying leaving your child with a total stranger so parents might feel more comfortable with a secure formal setting. It depends on the childminder too, if they’re doing the ironing and weekly shop, and your child has limited interaction with peers, that’s hardly ideal. I’m lucky I guess that mine provides a more ‘nanny-like’ experience and takes the children to groups and so forth- for a third of the price ?
Oh my goodness, I felt I had to comment on the above comments Claire. I’m afraid when you say that you are shocked so many of these bloggers and readers send their child to a nursery and you believe 100% that it’s not the right thing to do, that does come across as pretty harsh! You say it’s cheaper but I feel that even if nursery was cheaper you wouldn’t have chosen that option.
My son went through a terrible biting and pushing stage and to be perfectly honest, without the attention and support from the nursery we just wouldn’t have been able to cope with it on our own. On a day like today when it’s nice weather I know they will be out in the morning in the park and in the afternoon they will be either doing some craft activity or heading out to one of the museums. I honestly could not sustain the level of activity that the nursery does! He’s also such a sociable boy and loves his nursery friends. I think I may worry if he was in a childminder setting with only a couple of other children whether he would get as much out of that?
Ultimately mums know best and you choose the best option for your child. To set out such a definite (kind of controversial) opinion is a bit like criticising stay-at-home mums or mums that work 50 hours a week – they have not made either decision lightly and should be supported, regardless!
Claire I’m sorry but I think that comes across as rather judgmental. I have friends who have worked as primary school teachers for years and studied early education on Masters level and they have the exact opposite opinion. I also think it comes down to what works best for your child and your family – not everyone has good childminders available and I personally, prefer the idea of nursery (where our little one will have to go from 6 months on for probably 3-4 days a week unless we win the lottery). All the nurseries I have seen so far have windows and a garden and don’t sound like a prison. I also very much doubt that, even if I would stay at home with baby, we would be out and about all the time.
And quite honestly, having spent time with friends and family with little ones, I’m sure conversations in front of their offspring are not always appropriate either (you’re keeping the baby in your bedroom for at least six months – how much more inappropriate can it be … 😉 ).
I think your solution sounds great for your family but it might not work, or be practical/available/affordable for everyone else 🙂
I feel I have accidentally caused a furore, I understood this site was a place to share what we thought? I didn’t mean to make anyone feel bad. I do think nurseries are good for older toddlers. Maybe my opinion is based on the fact my baby will be in childcare for 50 hours a week, so I have a lot more riding on it. The fact that the childminder is £50 a week cheaper helps too. ?
We share what we feel while respecting that there’s plenty enough sites that say “do x, definitely not y”. Horses for courses should be the motto! I’m sure you were just putting your point across, (and it really was interesting to read!) even if it’s not for me ?
Hi Claire
I’m surprised you are “shocked” that the majority of the team would send their babies to nursery (if I’m right in your reference to “the bloggers” being the mums that write for RMF), from your comment your personal experience of nursery is from one particular nursery only, am I right? I’m very sorry to hear you had that experience, if what you say is true, it does seem to make you have a very tainted and blinkered attitude towards all nurseries. Statements such as “corralled into a pen” as other readers have mentioned is indeed very judgemental, and if I’m honest, accusatory and possibly upsetting to some new Mums on here who may have just enlisted their babies at a nursery they feel is appropriate for their child (whether they are 3 months, 6 months or your personal “appropriate” age of 2-3 onwards.)
We chose Mabel’s nursery specifically because they spend so much time outdoors, every single day, twice a day for several hours – unless there are extreme weather conditions, which if there were, I’m sure a childminder would also have to keep children in her care indoors. All the activities you mentioned a childminder provides, Mabel’s nursery also provides – they have their own play park and all sorts of different days dedicated to anything from music to dance to “preparing” food and learning about fruit and vegetables, books, history – you name it, they do it.
I think the environment any parent chooses for their child’s care is based on research and how comfortable/confident they are with it and how happy and healthy their children are in that environment. Be it a nanny, childminder or nursery.
I’m sure there are negative experiences of every option, that doesn’t mean they should all be tarred with the same brush.
Thanks for sharing your thoughts, it’s certainly promoted lots of interesting discussion and advice.
x
Sorry Charlotte I didn’t mean to upset you or your readers. I suppose ‘surprised’ would have been a better phrase, after reading the last post on nursery choices and others I thought – why have none of them considered a childminder? I believe Mabel’s nursery is indeed wonderful but I still maintain my opinion that a more homely environment with less emphasis on the EYFS framework is beneficial for younger babies.
As other readers have noted you cannot really do a direct comparison of the two as even though every setting has the same policies and procedures, every nursery, never mind every childminder is different. Of course every mum will do what is best for their child, that’s why I don’t understand why everyone is so upset, it’s only an opinion! I just thought childminding may be something your readers are interested in as a ‘half way’ between a nanny or a nursery. Regardless childcare is extremely expensive and I’m choosing to invest in the person caring for my child (until secondary school possibly) and any subsequent children. They’re going to spend at least 15 years as a number in a big group with a stream of carers and educators, I’m choosing something more personalised for that short gap whilst I have the option.
Hi, tough decision to make!
I run training courses for nannies and childminders and can definitely give you some ideas to help make your decision!
Childminders are great, especially if you find one who can offer you flexibility which a nursery cannot. This is one of the main reasons for choosing a childminder over a nursery. They have to follow the EYFS the same as a nursery, including planning and developing children’s social skills so I think this shouldn’t be a concern and actually a benefit that they will get more attention due to smaller numbers
As for au pairs and nannies, they come to you. You can still use childcare vouchers to pay a nanny as long as they are registered with OFSTED (which is really easy to do!)
Au pairs work 35 hours a week and live in, they cannot have sole charge of children under 2 and usually come to the UK to learn English.
Nannies should be qualified and can offer flexible childcare completely tailored to your little one. Nannies come in all sorts of ages, nationalities etc. Something many don’t consider is a Nannyshare. A nanny can be an expensive option for some but you can share one nanny between two families. That way you split the cost between you, have flexible childcare in someone the children will grow to love and also they get the social side too!
Good luck with the choice!
What an informative comment Adeline! Thank you so much, I’m sure this will be helpful to many other parents in the same situation trying to make a decision 🙂 x
I can’t be of any help whatsoever in relation to this dilemma, having only had experience of nursery. We did consider a childminder, but went for a nursery on the basis that there’d be more kids Zoe’s age, we wouldn’t have to deal with being left in the lurch if childminder got sick, and in a nursery there’s always so many staff around that hopefully any dodgy goings on would be less likely to occur.
But mainly, I just wanted to say that the photo at the top of the post is awesome! My favourite element is Hector’s reaction to Mabel’s cuddles. Megalolz 🙂
It was pretty hilarious on the day Tracy – Mabel took a particular liking to Hector which was incredibly sweet. I’m not sure Hector was quite so impressed. I said to him ‘give it a few more years kid and you’ll be relishing this kind of attention’ 😉
Oh God, poor Hector! Mabel would not leave him alone!!! 🙂
I can highly recommend nursery. Our daughter wasn’t very expecting of strangers, loud noises and different surrounds when she went to nursery. She was 8 month old. I was terrified! I never really thought about a childminder to be honest, it was only after we put her into nursery that I suddenly thought she could have gone down that route. Hand on heart though, it was the best thing we could have done for her. She has completely come out of her shell. Her communicating is excellent and she is a very confident 20 month old now. Yes, the odd drop of can upset her but 90% of the time she is fine and she has made so many great pals. They do so much with them at nursery. I think its fab! x
whoops, that should say ‘excepting of strangers’
Oh gosh lots of interesting comments already! But it’s clear that everyone is just doing the best they can for their little ones, and there are lots of different things which have to be taken into consideration too i.e. budgets, proximity to your workplace, what’s actually on offer in your area, etc.
Elle’s childminder is like a mini nursery – for me it’s the best of both worlds, so anyone else currently in this dilemma – it’s definitely worth researching both options throughly, you might find something more in the middle. It’s her house, but the whole ground floor is set up for the children, so two big play rooms, a bathroom, a kitchen and an enclosed garden. She also employs four staff because she has more children on her books than a regular childminder. I love the set up because it feels homely and caring, (which was v important to me when Elle started at 7 months) but also fun and stimulating (which is great now she’s walking and exploring). They do a mixture of trips out and days at home during the week and because there are several members of staff they can be flexible – so the babies don’t get taken on the school run.
Hope that helps 🙂
That sounds great. Super transition to school as well because they could have wrap around care from someone they already know well.
Fern she sounds amazing!!! I did speak to one lady who also has an assistant so it’s a bit more of a bigger set up. Elle is a lucky little girl and so glad you found childcare you can be confident in! x
Ooh this is a really timely post! We’ve just sorted out childcare for the baby for when I go back to work and it was so, so hard! We looked at gazillions of places and they all had pros and cons. For me, the pros of nursery were that there is more than one member of staff so they all keep each other accountable. It’s much less likely that your baby will be plonked in front of cbeebies or something because the manager will pull staff up on poor care. But the cons seemed to be a less personal service. I love that the childminders we’ve seen will potentially care for my wee one from babyhood until after she starts school and really get to know her personality. I know that she’s likely to be part of a school run etc, but I feel that’s part of the ‘family’ experience you get with a cm. Obviously I haven’t actually sent her to childcare yet, so I’m not speaking from experience or anything, but we’ve decided to go with a childminder because we’re hoping that she’ll get an experience closer to what she would have if I was able to stay at home with her.
I’m sure you’ve made the right choice for you… You sound so confident and I always believe going with your gut is a good thing to do 🙂 x
Firstly, I’m slightly disturbed that yet again my daughter is wearing the same thing as Mabel. It suggests I may have a shopping addiction as she clearly has all the clothes.
Secondly, here comes the longest comment in the history of the world. I don’t think you can say Childminder or Nursery and just leave it at that. Its not as simple as its completely dependent on your circumstances. I think I come at it from a different angle as my Mum took time out from teaching when she had us and was a childminder herself so we always had other kids in the house. The relationship we have with the families Mum used to childmind for is insane. They came to my wedding, we go on holiday with them, everyone uses everyone else’s holiday homes, my parents see their parents and my brother was best man at their son’s wedding. THIRTY YEARS LATER. So childminding, if you find the right childminder, is brilliant. And 75% of my NCT group use various childminders and love them. Much more of a personal “home feel” than nursery and, particularly in London and surrounding, the CMs are actually run as small nurseries to make them cost effective – the minders all have large people carriers or mini vans to take the children out to the beach, the museum, soft play etc., they often have assistants to help out and in one case, my friend’s little boy’s minder has a chef that comes in to prepare all the organic food etc. etc.
So surely I would have jumped at the opportunity to have a CM right? No. I’m lucky that I work 4 days and my parents do 2 days so she’s only in childcare two days a week. I was quite keen to have the social interaction of a nursery for two days because I believe she gets enough 1 on 1 care on the days I’m at home or she’s with my parents and its important she mixes with children of her own age. My friends who use CM’s all have other children but they are of mixed ages or significantly older/younger. I also (and sorry for this) think that there are some really BAD CM’s out there – we all see them at rhyme time and stuff – who let the children run rampant and who, most importantly, show zero affection for the child.
I think if I was looking for childcare on a full time basis, I would definitely consider a CM. However, for the two days I need childcare for, I’m pleased we went with nursery.
Hi Rebecca, don’t be disturbed. Mabel does indeed have all the clothes….but I insist that you clearly are very good at shopping and have excellent taste 🙂
Hello 🙂 I don’t know how much help this will be of to you, but one thing you can do is have a look at the Ofsted requirements for childminders, and then the Ofsted requirements for nurseries. If you have in your mind ‘your’ priorities for Leo, then you can see which aligns with you the best. Ofsted is of course not everything, but it does give you quite neutral information 🙂 Also, I know some places operate as ‘daycares’ rather than nurseries: what usually happens is a childminder expands but isn’t registered as a nursery, so you get the some of the good bits of nurseries and some of the good bits of childminders. Or so I’ve heard! Good luck with your move! x
I am a childminder and a mum of 2 littlies. I personally have major issues leaving my kids it’s totally irrational but I don’t want to miss a thing and I want to do all the fun stuff with them. Anyhow I quit my decent job in London and now stay at my home with my kiddos and a few extras and work as a childminder.
I have to be honest having worked in the industry and observed and spoken to lots of others I would never leave my kids with a childminder.
I hate the paperwork and pressure of Ofsted but I make sure the kids in my care have a real variety in their days, we do playgroups, library visits, messy play, park trips, soft play, zoos and farms, museums and aquariums as well of course as naps in cots, home cooked food and time to just play in my home. I do all these things because I want my kids to have these experiences and I want them to be excited and interested by life everyday. The children in my care have lots of cuddles and we have happy drop offs and very few tears. I love my job and I love my additional kids as if they were mine BUT I know lots that aren’t like that and I watch and sometimes despair.
Good luck I changed my whole career to not have to make the decision and whilst I know there are lots of good childminders out there there are also lots of really really bad ones x
I’m sorry, but I’m really confused by this. Would you not leave your children with any child minder or just not a bad childminder?? You seem to be suggesting the former, which as a childminder yourself, is incredible.
We decided to send our (then) 12 month old to a child minder. She has a fantastic reputation in our local area. She lives in the countryside and has a huge garden. The children spend the day playing in the garden, feeding her horses or going to the farm next door to see all the animals. Ava has settled in really well and loves the other children. Our child minder sends me texts and photos throughout the day and she’s also really flexible with pick ups and drop offs, so it’s never a mad dash to get there at the end of the day.
Having said all that, I have many friends who use nurseries, their children absolutely love it. You have to do what works for you and your family.
Though a nanny that also cooks dinner each night would be fab?
At the moment my 4 year old son goes to a childminder and my 1 year old daughter is at nursery. My son only goes to a childminder as she can do the run to / from his school nursery which he goes to every afternoon. Previously my son had been at a nursery too. This arrangement works for us but of course there are pros & cons to both.
I chose not to send my daughter to the same childminder as I wanted her to have the social nursery setting my son had and also didn’t want her to spend all day in a buggy / car taking other kids to from nursery or school.
My son loves the childminder and it’s perfect for our needs but the main disadvantage is that when she goes on holiday it means we need to find another means of childcare for him, whereas at a nursery they can go all the time without any worry about staffing / holidays.
If my daughters nursery would offer to do the school nursery run I would probably send him there too as I’ve always preferred the nursery setting with them mixing with the same age.
When my son was 10 months old I returned to work, and I wasn’t granted flexible working unfortunately so ended up working full time. The thought of leaving my little boy all day everyday was absolutely heart breaking so I knew that, for me, my preferred option for childcare was a childminder. We were lucky enough to get a space with a lovely lady who lives next door to (and is friends with) my mother-in-law. She has several children she looks after, some all day and similar age to my son, and some older kids before and after school, so he gets to interact with children of different ages which I think is great. She does lots of different activities with them (for Mother’s Day I got given a handmade card and a canvas bag covered with his handprints : ) ) and when she doesn’t have as many children she takes him to soft play. He is constantly surprising me with new things he has learnt with her. He absolutely adores her and I can see how much she cares for him too. It makes me working full time a bit more bearable! I haven’t had any experience with nurseries so couldn’t offer any comment on that, suffice to say that it is definitely the option that you are most comfortable with. If your son has already been in the nursery environment and got on well with it then I’m sure it work again, but I would definitely recommend a childminder setting if you find one you are completely happy with : )
I have worked in a nursery and my personal opinion is the babies do not get enough attention. The staff are more worried about getting everything done on time lunches, nappy changes. They were very stressed because of they’re work conditions and it took the love for the job away. I was very glad I didn’t put my children in one. I think if you can get a good childminder that is the best environment for young babies.