Nursery or childminder?
Ok so some of you know I have been looking at nurseries and stuff more to find out prices to work out if it's worth me coming back to work. I found a few in my area but the Ofsted reports all seem to be satisfactory which I have been told by a few ladies who work for different nurseries that , that is not good enough.
They also said a child of one who be better off with a child minder as it;s one on one attention so now I am wondering what is best to do? I am off to see one nursery next Tuesday and will see how I feel about the place.
K XX
0
Replies
I got a shock yesterday when i got some prices for some nurseries so who knows.
Best to look at lots and go with what you get the best feeling from I guess.
Lisa
If you find the right one the childminder can be a god sent. It doesnt mean your child needs to miss out on the interaction of the nursery environment as the childminder can drop her to a nursery for a few hours every day if you wish and then collect her and take her home for her meals etc so she has the best of both worlds.
My childminder had Liam for years and had children the same age as him so he grew up with them and they were like his sisters. He loved it there and he even went to the same school as her childred so that was handy as the childminder then continued to drop him to school and collect him and have him until I finished work. We only stopped using her when she decided to give up childminding and became a fosterer.
I would prefer to use a childminder than a nursery as I had such a good experience but I would say that you have to like the childminder and feel comfortable with them so interview a few. After my lovely childminder Liam was with another for a few weeks and I hated her and had to change him, luckily he was a bit earlier but the new childminder was a patronising old cow lol
Georgie xx 20+5
I would love Rose to mix with kids maybe a little older she will be 10 months when I need to go back to work so maybe a one on one would be better?? Oh I don't know.
Maybe it would be better to ask woek how much I would have to pay back if I do not come back to work and then see how much mony a part time job can give us and then that would leave me more time to drop her at mum's.
K xx
21+1
Nurseries have an advantage in that they will always be open (9/10 unless something major happens), there is a back up of staff, they are monitored more closely etc from higher up management and there are social aspects to it.
You really need to sit down and work out what it is you want from childcare and what you see as a must have and a nice to have. I'm going to look at that report for you now too xx
Thats what I'm hoping / considering.
Lisa
K XX
21+1
You could always out it in writing to them when you go off. I think they have to consider it. I thought employers were more clued up these days!!
Lisa
18+6
I know I have time it's just knocked me a bit as I thought we found a place I love and now i am not so sure about it or what is best to do. I will see it and then see how I feel about it.
K XX
21+1
Make a list of questions before you visit as you will forget - ask them what they've done to action th erecommendations Ofsted gave them. Also write down what you want from childcare - I'll try and find a website with the questions on them etc that'll give you some idea of things to ask.
Might be worth suggesting that you could work five part time days and then they could employ someone else to do the other half of your job. Or work two and a half days a week with someone else - someone does this in my office.
Definitly worth putting it in writing to them after the baby is born and see what their official response is.
22+4 xxxxx
I like the idea that my little girl will get lots of one on one attention and be in a home environment. A good thing about a childminder is you can get to know them a lot more than you can get to know nursery staff, nurseries often have a high turnover of staff. I like that the childminder has her own children. She will also take Frankie out a lot - swimming, baby & toddler groups, zoo, walks etc which nurseries often cant do because of all the children. Most childminders will do things that mean your child interacts with other children. Often children with childminders learn to talk quicker cos of the one on one and interaction with older children. I dont like the ratios in nursery for children either - i feel they are expected to do too much.
I know a nursery has back up staff etc but your childminder will tell you in advance when her hols are. Also they are bit more understanding if you are late or need to drop them off early. A nursery will usually charge you for this. The one i looked at it was ??5 if you wanted to drop them off half an hour early.
Its a very personal choice and you have to do what is right for you. Maybe go see a few childminders then you can make your mind up? Also ask the nursery what have they done to improve their ofsted status.
I am going to keep thinking and having a look around. The report was not that bad and I will see how I feel when I get there and have a good look around.
K XX
21+1
[Modified by: littlem on March 26, 2009 04:36 PM]