Childminder or nursery?

My advice would be to visit both and compare. We were thinking childminder but the ones we visited didn't convinced us and we fell in love with a nursery and their staff so you just never know!

For me nursery

My little girl settled with nursery so much better but childminders are cheaper. Depends on your circumstances x

Childminders are definitely cheaper, and with the smaller setting the kid gets more attention. But the nursery is open every day so you get childcare all the time, while with the childminder you have to remember her holidays/sick days etc which can be quite difficult if you rely solely on her. We went to a childminder with both my kids and we found her great, but yeah it is a struggle when she's off. Nurseries have long waiting lists here and they were so expensive

I personally have chosen a childminder. I worked in a day nursery about 5 years ago. It was horrendous. Underpaid, understaffed and the children unfortunately don’t get the best of you. However you might find it different that’s just my opinion xx

I’ve gone childminder after visiting both. My little one will be 13 months when he starts and I felt a child minder was better for him at such a young age (gets more attention in a home from home environment and no staff turnover) I think if he was 2 years + I’d be happy with a nursery but I just felt while he was so small it’s was the best option for us!

For me, a small nursery (in a house)
Reasonings;
- more staff (less likely to become frustrated and can change over, my little one is hard to get him to nap so they swap in and out)
- the nursery I sent mine to have years of service each! I think the lowest has 5 years service!
- more children (socialisation)
- childminders close if they are sick
- the childminders near us close for X2 weeks to take holiday (in summer) meaning you have to get alternative arrangements or take time off yourself
- got a better "vibe" from nursery
- the nursery staff were higher qualified than the childminder

I can't reply to my own reply but we found that 1 childminder had a massive TV and that it was often on, even though we do no screens at home, all the childminders had older children and small toys/bits that would have been dangerous to our baby that puts everything in her mouth + none of the childminders were flexible with drop off/pick ups and holidays. The nursery, on the other hand, has a room for babies under two, a chef, a good staff/child ratio and a no screen policy. But mostly it's how we and our baby felt when we visited that was almost instantly a yes!

Childminder all the way for us.

The 3 nurseries I visited felt like prisons 8-24 kids kept in one room with X staff who in at least 2 were just sat chatting and ignoring kids actively trying to get their attention. With X outdoor time allotted. I left feeling devastated and like I was just going to have to quit work to be home and look after her.

Then childminders came up and the first one I visited I went to her house saw her nurturing them like her own. Her setup is phenomenal, role play areas, a kitted out garden with “construction”, mud kitchen, football goals, climbing frame etc. She’s been going since September and LEAPS into her arms at drop off 🥹 She has 3 at a time and mine is youngest so is learning soo much from the older children and the concentrated attention. The cherry on the cake is it’s also so cheap (funded hours then £6 an hour for more) but that’s a bonus I would have paid whatever for the right place. I’ve actually said to her can I pay you more 🤣

I have put name down for both. The childminder can only do 2 days, and I may need more. Maybe combination of both, not sure yet. Childminders are cheaper, nurseries are potentially better in terms of sickness.
If childminder is sick or on holiday you have to find other arrangements.