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Childminder vs nurseries - pros and cons parents views.

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Hi Parents...

 

Just wanting some views on what you think of the above. Having read some posts on Netmums it seems that Childminders are not regarded very highly and that in some cases we are seen as glorified babysitters and not much more.

 

I don't think that some people realise how much work we do. How many hours out of the core childcare hours we put in completing paperwork and attending training and worksops to better the care we offer children, the service we offer parents and to better our own professional development.

 

I am not having a whinge or a moan,I love the work I do and I am genuinely interested to find out why parent chose cm's over a nursery or a nursery over a cm.

Edited by Flutterbyes

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I have a childminder for my two dd1 is 10yo and dd2 is 12mnths. The reason I choose a childminder over a nursery for when I went back to work was that I wanted Scarlett (dd2) to be in a home setting. For her to be treated as she would in a family and not as one of the many. I also liked the lack of structure (as in a timetable) that a cm provides.

 

I wanted somewhere that both my girls could go to together and this wasn't an option at nursery due to Reise (dd1) being too old.

 

One of the draw backs of having a cm is that you have to make allowances for when she is ill or when her kids are ill or when she has to be somewhere else. This eats into your annual leave allowance or you need to take it as unpaid (as my husband had to last week) You don't have this worry with a nursery.

 

DD2 loves her childminder and can say her name (has done for ages and the cm gets all emotional about it lol) They do things I don't have the patience for and she provides a fantastic home from home environment in which my youngest especially can grow and develop when she's away from me.

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I have a childminder for 19 month old daughter. I explored both options and I personally felt more comfortable with childminder as Nurseries felt a bit impersonal and institutionalised. My little one loves her cm and is so settled, I agree with anniec with the draw backs but the benefits make up for it.

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just out of curiosity do cm's take children for whole days and is there much difference in price. Im on Mat leave at the minute and at the moment have babies name down at our loacal nursery in s2 but would consider a cm after reading the above posts and veiwing Joi5ey website.

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Yes they do take them for full days. I think the price varies from place to place both cm and nurs.

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Both my children (nearly 4 years, and 6.5 months old) are in nursery. We picked a nursery we were really happy with, and I have never regretted it. They are open 50 weeks a year, come hell or high water (literally, lol). They have a great staff ratio. My oldest has a wide base of friends from nursery, and both boys have a break from each other and are in an environment that is set up to cater to their specific developmental stages. They both adore all of the adults who supervise them. My oldest's social skills are very good, he is not worried by playing either in groups or on his own, and makes friends easily. My youngest is learning to play around other babies and not find them scary (bless him). Starting school won't be a huge problem for my oldest because he is used to group work and they are easing the children coming up to school age into it all.

 

All in all, I prefer nursery. But it is a personal decision for everyone, of course, and both CMs and nurseries have pros and cons...probably coming out about even, all told, so dependent on your individual needs.

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yeah the price varies from place to place but I found that cm was cheaper. Explore all options and see wot is best for you regardless on price, its no comparison to your childs happyness

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yeah the price varies from place to place but I found that cm was cheaper. Explore all options and see wot is best for you regardless on price, its no comparison to your childs happyness

 

Of course your childs happiness comes before price, but you also have to be able to afford the childcare. I haven't looked into much as I have only just started my Maternity leave so have plenty of time to investigate all possible avenues of chilcare, including family, nursery or childminder.:)

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I mix them, which i think is helpful (to my conscience, at least)...two days family, two days nursery.

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I mix them, which i think is helpful (to my conscience, at least)...two days family, two days nursery.

 

We do same, she goes to childminder two days and family two days, I think its good for them to mix with other children and go to places family prob wouldn't.

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cm's do take children for full days, sometimes even longer hours than nurseries!

When considering fees I think its a good idea to find out what you are getting for you money rather than just comparing an hourly rate.

 

I know I charge 25p more per hour than my local childrens centre, but I include meals for under 8's where as the childrens centre charges seperately for food or parents have to take their own. All local outings are included in my rates too.

 

So in comparison to my local childrens centre even though on paper it looks more, I work out slightly cheaper :)

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Just wanted to make a timely reminder: When recruiting for childcare, see the post (sticky) by Titian. Make sure any carer you choose is appropriately CRB checked etc.

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