Nursery Vs Childminders

[KiansMummy]

Hiya just after a little bit of advice/support really.I am a nursery nurse and My little boy is 13 months old and he currently goes to the same nursery which i work in, he is in the baby room and i work next door in the toddler room, he has been coming to nursery since the end of may when he was 8 months old, but he is still as unsettled now as he was the day he started.He is a mummys boy but I think the reasons for him still being unsettled is because at times he can see me in the other room, and obviously as im working i cant go and pick him up, ive asked for a transfer to another nursery etc, but my manager says i have to grin and bear it he will get used to it. Another reason why i think hes still unsettled is that there are 12 babys in the baby room, and he tends to like the one to one attention and as the baby room is full he doesnt get the one to one which he likes. Ive looked at other nurserys in the area but none are as good as the one i work at and he attends now, and to travel much further to a different one would probably be really inconveniant, And anyway I just think now that he has been put off the nursery environment and sees it as a bad place if u get me. So ive been thinking of changing and trying him with a child minder i think he might be better if its in more of a homely environment doing more normal everyday things, having the same person looking after him rather than several members of different staff? So i was wondering if anyone had any experiance of childminders or both (childminders and nurserys) would you recommend them, what to look for when finding one etc? And also would you say nursery is better or worse? xx

 

[Lu28]

I've only ever used a childminder but I chose this option because I wanted Aisling to be in a more homely environment and to develop a close bond with the person who was going to be looking after her. Being in someone's house for the usual daily activity just sat much better with me than in what seemed like a more formal setting of a nursery x

 

[RachA]

If i was looking into this then i think i would go the childminder route. It tends to be more homely and there are less children being looked after (although the same child to adult ratios apply so you can end up with a childminder who looks after 4 children so you won't get one to one). I wouldn't choose a childminder that was only looking after my child.

 

[Jemma_x]

LO has been in both, i prefer nursery but LO loved being with a childminder and loves being in nursery. The reason i moved him from the childminder to a nursery is because she seemed to be constantly ill and was phoning to say she couldnt have him and i understand that people get ill but it happened every couple of weeks for around 2 months and trying to sort out for someone to have LO last minute isnt fun so i moved him into nursery and he does love it and i know that even if one person is ill they still have plenty of staff

 

[MrsGlitz]

When I first returned to work in Jan Harry was 9 months and we used a nursery. He loved it and settled in really quickly. However, we had to pull him out as days after I went back DH lost his job!

When DH got a new job in July we simply couldn't find a local nursery OR Childminder to take him until at least September! Eventually, at the last minute I found a Childminder through Netmums. She only has one other child in her care, her daughter a month older and Harry adores them both as they do him.

Also he obviously gets to do more variety of activites than they seemed to offer at the nursery and he gets so tired he is in bed by 6.30 usually, whereas on days at home it can be 9pm before he settles.

I wouldn't use a Childminder who only took one child though.

 

[MrsGlitz]

Also, there was a week where we had to use a back up chilcare through my work and Harry was so unsettled that he didn't manage a single day, the nursery called me every day to collect him by lunch time. Yet the following week when he started with the Childminder there were no tears or anything.

 

[Hannah]

We have always used a childminder with Addison for the more one on one, homely environment. Also, addisons childminder does a lot of day trips with other childminders so addy regularly goes to the zoo, the aquarium, the farm etc which she wouldn't get to do as often, if at all at nursery.

I have stopped her childminders now I am on maternity leave and her childminder cried! I think it just shows how much of a bond has developed, we still keep in touch with her and her children for playdates.

 

[New2Bumps]

It sounds like your son would really benefit from a childminder, for the reasons you stated. I'd give it a go. A childminder like Hannah suggested sounds fab, as he'd still be getting to socialise with other children and adults

 

[lisa9999]

I tried Sophie in a nursery first and she hated it. She wouldnt eat, wouldnt nap and was very fretful.

I took her out and found a cm and she settled from day 1. She loves going. There are a couple of others and they have a great time together! The cm takes them somewhere every day so they arent stuck in the house.

So from my experience - cm all the way!

 

[KiansMummy]

Thanks I've found one which I really like. She said before I give his notice in at nursery he can go and do a few taster sessions to help me make my mind up. I was really impressed cos when we went to visit kian was really keen to crawl around and explore which he didn't do at some other nurseries I had visited. I also liked the idea that she does more normal things with them. School run, shopping, soft play trips etc so I'm Gunna see how he goes on Tuesday at his taster session xx

 

[Mum2b_Claire]

Ruby goes to a childminder and we're happy that she gets all the same interacton, activity etc as a nursery would offer, but with more consistency of carer, and in a home environment, sleeps are in a proper cot in an upstairs bedroom, etc.

I've been using the CM for 18 months now and she's only been ill once, and she arranged for her best friend to have Ruby, she's also a CM and Ruby sees her a lot anyway. So that's ideal.

I have friends who use nurseries who are adamant they would never use a CM but they are always complaining about things at the nursery that would never be an issue at the CMs...

 

[rihanna]

my LO has had both and much prefers nursery.

at childminder he wouldnnt nap and was very upset at pick up and drop off. At nursery he sleeps, eats , waves me good bye and carrys on playing when i pick him up. He LOVES nursery x

 

[rihanna]

I have friends who use nurseries who are adamant they would never use a CM but they are always complaining about things at the nursery that would never be an issue at the CMs...

I was the oppossite! I had lots of faults with the CM that i didnt find at nursery!

 

[franny_k]

I think it really depends on the nursery/ childminder. I had my DD in a nursery which was at my school for 2 days a week and it was FANTASTIC. She loved it because she likes being active and around other children. Often when we go to TGs/ soft play within minutes she's run off to play with something/ someone! However, I drop her off at 8.30 and collect her at 3 so it's not a very long day, although long enough. We did try a childminder but it seemed more like DD had to fit in with her schedule rather than it being about stimulating her and providing activities. She also spent rather a long time in her car when she went to collect her children from school. In hindsight we just didn't pick the right person as I've heard some great things about childminders. However, I do prefer the structure and organisation of the nursery and it's very convenient being located at my work.

Good luck xx