Babysitting and babysitters MEGATHREAD

[shihtzumad 10]

This post was when she was pregnant with Charlie, afaik she's not pregnant again.

 

I used to get paid £2 a night as well about 15 years ago (i stayed over and I was 13 at the time) it was at my aunties though and I know now I shouldn't have been left alone by myself never mind with charges!

 

Just noticed date, sorry gina thought you was having another baby

[Miss_S_83 10]

Hi all

 

A genereal query really. After posting about nurseries etc. I am starting to think that from late November I will be best with a childminder for my DD who will be 3, and possibly my baby yet to be born who will be about 7months. This is instead of DD going to full-time private nursery (as planned, as I will be a FT nursing student and the course hours vary from week to week, esp if on placement), and baby going to OH's mums, which is touch and go as she has medical probs.

 

So would it be more advisible to get a childminder based not too far from me (don't mind a short bus journey, hopefully can drive by then anyway), and then get that CM to take my DD to a few nursery sessions per week (nursery to be sorted, presuming a normal nursery so there's no extra cost and I can just use the free hours?).

 

Is this the best way? That way I would commit to so many hours from the CM a week, and pay for those. If for some reason (time off uni) I don't require the CM, she would still get paid but just not have the kids.

 

Any student nurses with kids experiencing difficulty?

 

xx

[LeBoing 10]

Hullo :-)

 

I am moving to Hillsborough in 3 weeks and I need a childminder who can pick up from Wisewood School and have my little boy for about an hour after school every day.

 

I know it's not much work but my current childminder has told me that as he is almost 8 he soon won't have to be counted as one of the childminder's limited child places.

 

He's a good little lad, quite used to childcare and no trouble.

 

If anybody is interested please PM me :-)

[Flutterbyes 10]

Redissert:

 

I think your best bet would be to try and find a Childminder who can offer the flexible free entitlement for 3 & 4 year olds.

 

There are some Childminders that do offer this, I am hoping to be able to offer this soon!

 

Have you spoke with the info services for a list who are local to you?

 

01142756699 (I think!)

[Miss_S_83 10]

Redissert:

 

I think your best bet would be to try and find a Childminder who can offer the flexible free entitlement for 3 & 4 year olds.

 

There are some Childminders that do offer this, I am hoping to be able to offer this soon!

 

Have you spoke with the info services for a list who are local to you?

 

01142756699 (I think!)

 

 

Hi! Excuse me for sounding dumb but what do you mean, you mean the free hours are with the CM rather than a nursery? Therefore reducing the cost?

Sorry... so new to all this!

Would it be a 'normal' thing to do for a CM to have a child (3) and then take that child to nursery (part-time), provided nursery was within the CM's catchment area/area? Is that how it normally works? I would like her to have the nursery experience before going to school but maybe not FT as I would have to if I chose the nursery option- it would have to be a FT, probably private nursery with long opening hours, even if she wasn't there FT I would need to take a FT place up, and she would be there FT when I was working as well as the OH.

So I would rather have a CM have her/possibly her and baby (7 months at t he time?) and take her to nursery, but only for her 'free hours' or to a non-paying one or I couldn't afford it as well as the CM and it'd be a pain to work out funding.

Sorry for the Q's.. still panicking even thought it's ages away but as Cosywolf said on another thread it's best to sort early.

[scoop 10]

Hi all

 

A genereal query really. After posting about nurseries etc. I am starting to think that from late November I will be best with a childminder for my DD who will be 3, and possibly my baby yet to be born who will be about 7months. This is instead of DD going to full-time private nursery (as planned, as I will be a FT nursing student and the course hours vary from week to week, esp if on placement), and baby going to OH's mums, which is touch and go as she has medical probs.

 

So would it be more advisible to get a childminder based not too far from me (don't mind a short bus journey, hopefully can drive by then anyway), and then get that CM to take my DD to a few nursery sessions per week (nursery to be sorted, presuming a normal nursery so there's no extra cost and I can just use the free hours?).

 

Is this the best way? That way I would commit to so many hours from the CM a week, and pay for those. If for some reason (time off uni) I don't require the CM, she would still get paid but just not have the kids.

 

Any student nurses with kids experiencing difficulty?

 

xx

 

When Scoop jr was nursery age he went to woodseats nursery 5 afternoons a week (1pm - 3pm). Twice a week my husband dropped him at a cildminder at 8am (though she did work earlier and could be taken at 7am if neceserry) and she took him to nursery. I usually worked a nightshift the night before his childminder days and pick him up from nursery myself, though again she would pick up if necesserry.

[Miss_S_83 10]

When Scoop jr was nursery age he went to woodseats nursery 5 afternoons a week (1pm - 3pm). Twice a week my husband dropped him at a cildminder at 8am (though she did work earlier and could be taken at 7am if neceserry) and she took him to nursery. I usually worked a nightshift the night before his childminder days and pick him up from nursery myself, though again she would pick up if necesserry.

 

Yep, Woodseats is something I was looking at but do you have to live there as I live up Batemoor area? My friends LO did nursery there last year, seems nice. Not too far either, so like you I wouldn't mind getting a CM down that way who wouldn't mind the nursery drop, although it would be full-time at CM (when not in uni/placement full-time) and also 5 afternoons as nursery.

Another daft Q- do you still pay for the CM for the 2/ 2.5 hrs they are at nursery per day?

[scoop 10]

I'm not sure if you need to be local, depends on if they're short of customers I guess! It is a lovely nursey I have nothing but praise for Miss Wood and Mrs Manterfield, I was really sad when it was Scoop jr's time to move on.

 

The childminder I used didn't charge for the time he was at nursery, though I don't know if thats because she didn't pick him up as a rule (she only did pick up as an occasional extra but she didn't charge then either), I believe some childminders do charge if (a kind of retainer) if they are picking up as well. I guess you'd have ask each individual childminder how they work.

 

If you go down that route I would recomend the childminder I used, she's called Joanne Forrester and I couldn't fault her, she's fantastic!

[Miss_S_83 10]

I'm not sure if you need to be local, depends on if they're short of customers I guess! It is a lovely nursey I have nothing but praise for Miss Wood and Mrs Manterfield, I was really sad when it was Scoop jr's time to move on.

 

The childminder I used didn't charge for the time he was at nursery, though I don't know if thats because she didn't pick him up as a rule (she only did pick up as an occasional extra but she didn't charge then either), I believe some childminders do charge if (a kind of retainer) if they are picking up as well. I guess you'd have ask each individual childminder how they work.

 

If you go down that route I would recomend the childminder I used, she's called Joanne Forrester and I couldn't fault her, she's fantastic!

 

Cool thank you, think I will ask for an app form for DD and see what they say :-)

[sunny123 10]

have you tried The Little School House nursery in woodseats, they open at 7.30am I believe and I've heard good things, might be a solution.

[jellybellybean 10]

Hi, I've not read through all the posts on here so I'm sorry if i've missed it. Does anyone know where you can read the Ofsted reports for a particular childminder?

 

Thanks

[Lorri 10]

Hi, I've not read through all the posts on here so I'm sorry if i've missed it. Does anyone know where you can read the Ofsted reports for a particular childminder?

 

Thanks

You'll need to know their registration number:

 

http://www.ofsted.gov.uk/oxcare_providers/list_providers/(type)/1,31/(typename)/Childminders/(leaid)/373/(region)/3/(sort)/datesort,desc/(object_step)/10