hi,

i'm going to be going back to work hopefully part time towards end of august....yukky, yukky, yuk makes me feel sick!

anyway talking to friendsa today about childcare and they all said i should have sorted it by now as where we live nurseries / childminders all booked up people on lists...

nurseries all look good but friends have worked there and say not to send fin there as when classed as baby there not good! so now thinking of going to childminder, arrrgghhh don't know where to start.

been told about an ofsted website to look at has anyone done this yet???

anyway themain point of thread is has anyone else arranged?

if childminder - how do you go about it... did you sort of interview them, look round house etc...?

thank u xxx

hey i cant really offer any help im lucky that my mum and oh mum can help out and im planning on only doing 2 days and a couple of night shifts when oh gets back from work x x im not returning to old job (hairdressers) cuz me and manager could not agree on suitable hours so going to work at friends pub for a while which im happy with its a lot more flexible if freya is ill or something x

well good luck with your hunt x x

hey i cant really offer any help im lucky that my mum and oh mum can help out and im planning on only doing 2 days and a couple of night shifts when oh gets back from work x x im not returning to old job (hairdressers) cuz me and manager could not agree on suitable hours so going to work at friends pub for a while which im happy with its a lot more flexible if freya is ill or something x

well good luck with your hunt x x

hey i cant really offer any help im lucky that my mum and oh mum can help out and im planning on only doing 2 days and a couple of night shifts when oh gets back from work x x im not returning to old job (hairdressers) cuz me and manager could not agree on suitable hours so going to work at friends pub for a while which im happy with its a lot more flexible if freya is ill or something x

well good luck with your hunt x x

My c/m is an old friend of the family but I still couldn't have her when I needed to go back to work with ds1 (mat leave only 4 short months back then!) as she had a baby under 1 already. My mum had him till she could which was fine but meant my mum had to do her job after I'd picked him up (she worked with my dad's business) which I felt bad for.
Anyway, I rate c/ms for babies as it's a more homely environment. I don't mind if she takes lo shopping or does the ironing when he's asleep, she gives them all attention when they're awake and has taught both boys lots. She'll have Gracie in Sept p/t.
I started both boys at a nursery for a few sessions when they were 2 ish to let them develop socially with more kids. They happily went to c/m or nursery. C/m are also cheaper and I feel give more time to babies as they can only have 1 under 1yr and 3 kids under 5yrs.
If you start in your local yellow pages then perhaps check Ofsted reports. As a teacher I take these with a pinch of salt...what I'd place more emphasis on is past or present recommendations from parents using the c/m. Your c/m may have these from previous Ofsted reports so ask any potential ones if they have any rec letters. I wrote one for my c/m when she had Ofsted. Also, ask to visit the house to get a feel for it and see the other kids and how she interacts with them.
Sorry for the ramble, brain's mushed! If I think of anything else, I'll let you know.
x

Katie - cute hat!

sorry for the triple post!! computer slow today!!!!!

We are gonna send cole to nursery ..although the thought of going back to work makes me sad.
We went for nursery rather than cm for the social aspect plus we figured it would be less risky as more people..the idea of leaving Cole with a complete stranger in their house worries me.

We've been to see the nursery and they said we can go up again and spend some time there with Cole to let him play - we'll do that in a couple of weeks when hubby is off. They have a ratio of 1:3 for the babies which is quite good. I've checked out hteir ofsted report on the ofsted website and they have just had a mostly favourable inspection but I'll be questioning them on some bits mentioned.

That reminds me.. must ring them tomorrow to book us in...

thats sounds good and get what you mean about leaving baby in someones house... ooo it's all so horrible!

mums a primary school teacher and childminder when we were babies so she knows some but all the good ones are already taken as like you said only allowed one baby!
only been thinking about it today and it's already doing my brain in... going to get on it tomorrow i think!

xx

You do that Kia, keep them on their toes! The nursery where the boys went/go is ace without being over the top. Charlie went to one at 1 3/4yr and they did allsorts, french, dancing, gardening at their own allotment, you name it they did it! But they were also very finnickety over los hurting themselves, and I had to sign a filled-in accident book for even the tiniest, barely noticeable scratch on his little finger! used to drive me mad! I don't do nuseries for snobs! Just where los can have fun and learn without having it rammed down their tiny throats! Oh, rant alert, rant alert! I'll shut up now! You kick ass Kia!

Such a hard decision to make. For us the fact that the nursery is so close helps us - its handy for taking cole up there then walking to work.

I assume childminders are inspected by ofsted too - and you should be able to get references from other parents

Have you got your next bounty pack yet? I got mine today and the booklet has a section on pros and cons of different types of childcare

Hi - i ended up with childcare because they were the only options available to me - i needed childcare for 1 and a half days and not one single person had availability. i live in a small town, 1 nursery and about 10 childminders. i ended up sending zach to 1 on one day and someone else on another day because they were the only ones available. i wouldn't have been able to do this if i wasn't happy tho. you can use the childminders registration number to check their ofsted report online.

I am looking to go back in Sept - part time too. A couple of weeks ago I went to visit a couple of nurseries. Feel more comfortable with the smaller (none big organisation) ones. Don't think I could do child minder - being in a strangers house.
Still not sure what to do.Good luck.x

Oh believe me Ali.. I will keep them on their toes!! I asked many many questions, however they say that we can go up whenever with him to spend time there - I think thats better than just wandering round on a guided tour as you'll see how they act better. The woman showing us round did also break off from conversation several times to attend to kids which is also good. They did heat a babys bottle in the microwave while there though so nice to know they are sensible about stuff like that.

Accident book is one of the very few things I didn't ask about, but they do do journal thingys of the kids days.

I know what you mean about having fun and not having learning rammed down their throats all the time. I want to teach Cole stuff too but only if its fun for him. I do have inside info though - my mate used to work there!

The girl I work with sends her lo to a childminder and it works for her - she thinks her cm is great.

i went on the gov website and have written down local cm and nurseries so going to ring round and find out exactly where they live and if they have places... i saw you could get there reference number and check them out! thanks for all your coments sounds like everyone is starting to sort it out soooo better get on.. xx

I'm really lucky and don't have to go back to work, my hubby and I really tightened our belts when we moved out here as we knew it would probably take some time for me to find work since I don't speak the language. I was teaching English part time so I may go back to that in the Autumn doing a couple of evening classes so that my hubby will be back from work to look after Bren. Although who knows I may be pregnant again by then!
Don't envy you lot looking for child minders, sounds like a real nightmare. x

Liz, does your hubby speak norwegian or does he teach at an international school? I'm assuming he's not Norwegian himself with his folks living near me, but i could be wrong?!

The whole childcare thing is worrying me too as everyone has told me I've left it too late. But to be honest I can't bear the thought of going back to work and leaving Amy with someone else but I know i've got to do it.
I plan to go back to work in October - part time with new company. OH works 4 days a week, so hoping to find something to fit round that so childcare might not be an issue - but think I'm living in a dream world!

I have got new Bounty pack so will make sure I read up on the pros and cons

well spenyt all day yesterday speaking to childminders... my mums a primary school teacher and used t do childminding when we were little - it turns out that a lot of childminders doing it then still are so mums knows them and how they work!
but.... rang the co-ordinator and she tried to help me by giving me lots of numbers and also ringing round herself to see what they could do. there only allowed one under 1 so most places have gone!
anyway finally at 8 last night spoke to a lady who could do wednesday and thursday for me so my mum could do friday.. going to see her monday! got another lady who could do thurs, fri then mum would have to do wed..
so suppose i've got those options but got to decide next week really.... may look at a small nursery in a local village but not sure yet.
the thing thats bugged me is theres a lovely cm that i spoke to who is talking on twin babies in sept and she rang me 8.30pm to see if id got anything sorted bless her... she was soooo nice we were then on the phone for ages, she was like ohhh id love to take your little boy, how annoying! now no one seems as nice as her.... stupid i know! but when your leaving your child with someone youve got to feel 100%

i wish i didn't have to go back till november the full 9 months but hubby is self empolyed and it worries me about money! couldn't not have my smp although its not that much i know! i'll let you know how i get on on monday, hope shes lovely and fin takes to her...
x
xx

Ali - my hubby is English but speaks Norwegian as he has been coming out here since 1999 following a winter sports course he did with Uni. However he is working at an International School so can teach mainly in English, but as nearly all the children are Norwegian it is useful for him to be able to explain difficult things to them in Norwegian. x