Nursery charges - a few questions

Janepig

Mine is £29.50 per day - DS goes 3 days a week so that's £354 per month. Roll on next September when he starts nursery full time and I'll have money again!! I'm also now paying £4 per session on a Thursday and Friday for him to go to a Welsh playgroup!!! But both are worth the world and I've got no concerns with either.

With DS' day nursery, I pay the monthly fee every month regardless (and provide my own nappies, wipes and cream). It says on the contract that the fee is "inclusive of four weeks in a year for which there is no charge" but I'm a bit fick when it comes to maths and have never quite been able to work out what that means. It's also a very popular nursery, staff turnover is low, they have a lovely garden for the children to play in, and the waiting list is pretty long, so I'm lucky to have him there really. However, if I had ever had the slightest concern about his car he would have been out of there pdq.

Jxx

emma22uk

1. How much does your nursery charge for your year old child per day? £29.50
2. Do you get charged for bank holidays even though the nursery doesn't open? Yes!
3. Do you get charged if the nursery closes for a period of holiday e.g: christmas week? No

My 2 year old daughter goes 5 days a week, full time. When she was first born, we were considering a childminder, but when weighing up the costs, there was very little differece, so we chose a nursery as we thought she'd get more stimulation. We are so happy with the nursery, it's quite expensive compared to the other local nurseries but it has the best Ofsted report, and it widely known to be the best in our authority. My daughter loves going, and she has come on leaps and bounds.

kittiej

I pay £30 per day, I don't have to pay for bank holidays or when the nursery closes at xmas for a week.

I also get 2 weeks free if I take my son on holiday or just keep him off for those 2 weeks.

nappies and wipes are provided and the children get breakfast lunch and a light tea.

Kimitatsu

Hi Morty

My two are older than your son now but the thing that I found most important when finding childcare was experience. Their nursery was great, and was staffed by experienced staff who were all mums themselves. With my first one this was great because I felt that they had been there and done it so I could ask their opinion, and they gave it in a non judgemental way.

They now have a Child Minder without whom I would be compeletely lost! She has lots of children, writes a diary for the little ones under school age every day for parents to see, takes them to toddler groups, feeds them, does loads of activities with them, and is there to give them lots of cuddles if they want them. She charges my two £2.50 an hour before and after school, they can have breakfast included in that if they want (despite having breakfast at home already!!) and they get a hot drink and a biscuit after school when they come in. In school holidays, they get their lunch and snacks included in that too.

She takes 4 weeks off a year so we only pay for the time we use, and as we pay by salary sacrifice, we spread the 11 months over the year. If she has to take time off for any reason then we are credited for the hours.

I would look at Child Minders in your area as well as nurseries, many of them already have other babies in them but they give a much more personal service, and are willing to listen and address your concerns.

Good luck

Morty_007

Thanks to all the recent posters whoI haven't thanked yet. I was a bit scared to come back here, worried it might have degenerated into the slanging match these things so often can do when it's a little contraversial and there are different views about a subject. Anyway, I'm pleased I did.

Things have progressed since I last posted and we have decided to start moving DS out of the nursery and into a mix of child care (different nursery/child minder). The end for me came when I dropped him off on Friday and found myself whispering in his ear that I would find a way of getting him out of there, without really thinking what I was doing. I hated myself for leaving him there Friday. And now I feel desperately guilty that he has to go back. I can't put my finger on it but somethings not right. I'm uncomfortble leaving him there and almost scared of what I may come back to. (they havea habit of not phoning you if something happens in the day, they tell you when you arrive to pick them up, despite being asked to call.)

Mummy guilt kicking in full strength right now and people are right that he is the most important thing. He will make new friends and at least I won't be stressed out.

Thanks all for your imput.

liney

Morty_007 wrote: »

The end for me came when I dropped him off on Friday and found myself whispering in his ear that I would find a way of getting him out of there, without really thinking what I was doing.

What on earth happened to make you say that to the child? And if it was that bad, you left him there anyway!!?

brummiebabe

Well done on making that decision - I really believe in gut instincts!! Hope the new arrangement works out!!

Morty_007

liney wrote: »

What on earth happened to make you say that to the child? And if it was that bad, you left him there anyway!!?

I don't know, I think I was talking more to myself than him. He is 14 months old and yes, I knw they understand lots at that age but it wasn't a hysterical outpouring, just a gentle reassurance. He wouldn't have taken anything from my tone except that I loved him and was going to look after him th absolute very best I could.

And yes, I left him there. shoot me. make me feel 100 times worse that i already do. call social services. I HAD to leave him there. People may not believe me when I say I HAD to go to work but I did. I don't have a job where I can just drop everything in an instant. I wish I did but I haven't. I'd have him with me 24/7 if I could but sometimes we have to do things we don't want to do.

hellokittygal

flea72 wrote: »

then after a while at a nursery, you realise your child is just a number, and they arent getting much one to one care, and the atmosphere is quite clinical.
Flea

I am a nursery nurse and i can assure you that NO child is just a number, they get plenty of one to one care and time and a nursery atmosphere isn't supposed to be clinical, at least not in a good nursery.

durham_girl

hellokittygal wrote: »

I am a nursery nurse and i can assure you that NO child is just a number, they get plenty of one to one care and time and a nursery atmosphere isn't supposed to be clinical, at least not in a good nursery.

Maybe not in your nursery, but I'm sure that there are quite a few out they where the children ARE just a number