hi everyone, just noticed this forum.

i have elise 3 and ethan 3 mths and have 3 interviews this week!!

so wondered does everyone have family for childcare when at work?

we are prob going to have to use a childminder but not really keen!

I have a childminder & she is wonderful, I trust her 100%, sonny loves her to bits, she is the mum I don't have time to be. :) I work full time from home & am the main earner so can't afford to work part time or give up. So to have someone so dedicated to my son who adores him & who he loves is such a releif.

She has a couple of other kids but only Sonnt all day, the others are at pre school or older so pick ups are anytime after 12pm which means he gets a lot of 1-2-1 attention, for her it isn't a money making scheme other wise she would charge more than 4 pounds an hour & take on more kids. She is very choosy about what children she takes on & when. She recently lost one of the older kids to full time school & is holding off replacing the slot as she misses her too much to think about getting a new one yet. Thats the kind of cm you need to look for.

I personally didn't think nursery would suit my son as I find them too impersonal, they may be nice to the kids & watch over them but thats cause they have to by law & the staff may be kind but ultimately they are a business first & the carers are restricted by company policy. A cm tends to be more mum style, for example, if Sonny is asleep at 3.30pm, his cm will call me to say not to bother picking him up at 4 as it's not fair to wake him & she will call when he does. Even though she only gets paid till 4pm she has never accepted extra money. So don't knock cm's, they are cheaper usually than nursery (esp if you have 2, most do a 2nd child discount) & you get a much more flexible, personal arrangement too, if you find a good one.

Good luck with it.

[Modified by: Beebee on September 09, 2008 06:37 AM]

I agree 100% with Beebee! Poppy has been with her childminder since April and I haven't had any tears at all when dropping her off!
Our cm also only has Poppy all day and most of the pre school kids etc that she does look after have been with her since they were tiny and the last one to leave was 11 and she had had him since he was 6 months old!
They are far more personal than nurseries and the relationship they can have with your child is lovely, they really are like second mummies!
I'm thrilled that we have found such a wonderful woman to look after our precious daughter! If you look hard enough you should find someone that you feel comfortable leaving your lo with.
Happy hunting
xx

I agree a cm is nicer for a younger baby - at 6 months my lo went to my sister-in-law and I paid her £30 a day which gave him 1-2-1 attention and he was thoroughly spoilt in terms of having his needs met, however she wanted to stop around easter when he was 1yr and he now goes to nursery which has given him new experiences and taught him things like sharing and taking turns. Nursery is cheaper for me £27 per day and never let me down, unlike a cm who could be ill etc.