Childminder vs Nursery
My little boy will be turning 1 in November, and I’m currently trying to decide between sending him to a nursery or a childminder. We’ve been offered a place at both, so I’d love to hear other people’s experiences!
The childminder could take him from January for 4 days a week, and she also has two assistants working with her. The main downside is that she takes 6 weeks of annual leave each year, which would mean having to plan all my annual leave around when she’s off.
The nursery wouldn’t be able to take him until mid-April, and they could only offer 3 days a week. However, they’re only closed for 2 weeks over Christmas.
I did get a better feeling from the nursery in terms of the facilities. It felt more modern, and they had a dedicated sleep room with floor beds for naps, which I really liked.
I’m only returning to work 3 days a week, but choosing the nursery would mean taking 3 weeks of unpaid leave while waiting for his place to start.
I’d really appreciate hearing from anyone who’s been in a similar situation. Did you choose a nursery or a childminder, and were you happy with your decision? Are there any pros or cons I might not have considered? 😊
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Childminder all the way better service all around
Freya's been at a childminders for 3 weeks and is thriving although she's full of a cold
There's honestly pros and cons to both
Cost is a factor
But also needing to take 6 weeks off a year is a lot !
Also with a childminder three a mix of ages in the room pro and con.
Nursery there all similar age, nursery is often open earlier and later. If anyone's off sick if doesn't matter where as when my childminder was sick she was closed of course.
I’ve preferred nursery, my child has additional needs and they’ve been great getting plans in place for moving up to school. I don’t think a childminder would have been able to manage his needs. I also felt quite put off after reading lots of different posts on Mumsnet of childminders that gave notice and then there was no nursery places. I think ultimately relying on one person is a risk, they get sick like all of us and are entitled to annual leave so yeah nursery close over Christmas but you also might find you’ll be using your annual leave to cover your childminders holidays/sick leave which isn’t an issue with nurseries
My baby is at nursery! She is thriving there and become so independent. Her development is going in rapid pace. I’m super happy with our decision. I would recommend going with your gut feeling. If it’s not right you can always change later on
Pls if I may ask how much does each cost especially in London ? Pls I will be in similar shoes soon
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Childminder vs Nursery
My little boy will be turning 1 in November, and I’m currently trying to decide between sending him to a nursery or a childminder. We’ve been offered a place at both, so I’d love to hear other people’s experiences!
The childminder could take him from January for 4 days a week, and she also has two assistants working with her. The main downside is that she takes 6 weeks of annual leave each year, which would mean having to plan all my annual leave around when she’s off.
The nursery wouldn’t be able to take him until mid-April, and they could only offer 3 days a week. However, they’re only closed for 2 weeks over Christmas.
I did get a better feeling from the nursery in terms of the facilities. It felt more modern, and they had a dedicated sleep room with floor beds for naps, which I really liked.
I’m only returning to work 3 days a week, but choosing the nursery would mean taking 3 weeks of unpaid leave while waiting for his place to start.
I’d really appreciate hearing from anyone who’s been in a similar situation. Did you choose a nursery or a childminder, and were you happy with your decision? Are there any pros or cons I might not have considered? 😊
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