MSE Parents Club Part 3

emlou2009

ladybirdintheuk wrote: »

The whole idea makes me feel sick and now I've made myself cry again. How on earth am I going to get through my first few days at work?

been thinking alomg the same lines this week, i'm going to put seth in for a couple of days before i start work so i can actually concentrate and not be a mess!
i'm thinking a childminder might be a better way to go for us though, as they're cheaper, and i'm not planning to go back full time and nurseries charge for morning and afternoon sessions so i would have to pay full days when i dont really want a full days cover IYSWIM? also i think that having more of a one-to-one care will suit him better than a nursery, i have a friend that used to work in a nursery and she said they all used to do the odd bit of play but generally used to have to leave them to get on with it due to staffing and a lot of the younger babies used to cry most of the day at first - i couldnt leave him knowing that
i used to have a childminder and she was great, i still remember her!

emlou2009

exactly what i'm looking for, thanks feelie!

Millie's_Mum

Ladybird, most nurseries have a standard sort of talk they give you which will cover most of that stuff but when you go, say to them that you are looking at a few and that you are bound to have questions later and who can you ring (and when) to ask, that way you won't feel like a nuisance when you think of something else.

You need to be happy with the place after all you are placing your most treasured posession (not posession but you know what I mean) with them, a good nursery will expect and welcome questions.

Generally, Meals are usually included in the price, they will do whatever you do (walking to sleep) at first but will try over time to bring izzy into their normal routine for naps. I wouldn't have thought they would do anything about drinking from a cup cos its something she needs to learn, but you need to ask them.

ladybirdintheuk

I've got 1 childminder on my list too - only 1 round here who does babies that I can find! I think there are pros and cons of both, in that if childminder is ill/on hioliday you are stuck, but then my Mum doesn't work (well, not paid work anyhow!), so she can be an emergency fallback at least some of the time I suppose!

weezl74

ladybirdintheuk wrote: »

I'm starting to think of things I should be asking. What I have so far:

do they do baby signing?
baby will only feed from a cup, not a bottle, so will need help - will they do it? (I'm sure they will look at me like I'm barmy for even asking, but I do worry )
baby will only nap if on the boob, in the buggy or in the car - would someone push her round the block or just let her stay awake all day? (hopefuly we will have sorted this by september, but just in case!)
do they provide food or do we need to send her in with a packed lunch/tea/drinks/snacks? how much is food if they don't provide it? what times are mealtimes?
how many kids per carers?
money?! (most of the ones I'm looking at publish their prices.. for the other one I'm expecting to get a nasty shock!)

I know I need to know tons of other things...

Do any of these help?:o

lunch cover? ie how are staff ratios made up during that period, if they say, oh the girls just nip off for 20 mins in rotation, I'd be wary!

Are staff allowed to smoke during lunchtimes/breaks?

What happens in nap time about cot bedding, changes between each child?

How is naughtiness handled (I used this as a trick question! I didn't really want them to call it that!)

What outdoor space is there, and how often do the children use it?

What percentage of staff are qualified? (minimum is 80%)

While you're looking round, be wary if they let you view a nappy change...

These are some of the things we've been told about whilst viewing nurseries, hope it helps, ignore what's not of interest.

I completely get the feeling upset thing, Fergie won't go til Jan and I hated the visits even tho he looked enchanted and the nurseries were lovely!

eta sorry crossed posts with a few of you saying similar things!!!

weezl74

emlou2009 wrote: »

on the vest subject, does anyone know where i can get some "different" vests for my little man? i dont really do putting him in "baby" clothes like baby blue and white/cream, he is currently wearing denim shorts and a brown and blue stripy crocodile t shirt and i want to get some nice not-so-babyish vests as thats all he needs to wear in hot weather? also maybe some nice funky romper suits that dont look like sleepwear lol!

emlou, about the vests if you have lots of plain white ones, could you have a play with tie dye or even just a few brightly coloured sachets of dylon?

I'm trying to think of a very MSE answer!

emlou2009

i prefer your MSE answer having seen the prices of some of those :rotfl:

feelie, you are barking for spending that much, they are lovely but i'm afraid the MSE in me has won out on this one lol!

My_Fathers_Daughter

scruffy96uk wrote: »

MFD I can't get the link to work not sure if it's just my laptop playing silly b***ers!!!

Have changed the link - should work now...here it is again!

emlou2009 wrote: »

on the vest subject, does anyone know where i can get some "different" vests for my little man? i dont really do putting him in "baby" clothes like baby blue and white/cream, he is currently wearing denim shorts and a brown and blue stripy crocodile t shirt and i want to get some nice not-so-babyish vests as thats all he needs to wear in hot weather? also maybe some nice funky romper suits that dont look like sleepwear lol!

Try Asda - we have bright red and orange vests from there and ones with fishes on - they also had some cow print ones that made me laugh! They also do brighter sleepsuits.

Benjamin is not a baby blue / cream boy at all. He has a few things, mainly that others have bought him but whatever I buy is bright and bold!!


Weezl - will you reciprocate my packing list with your complete nursery questions list please. I am looking for a childminder rather than a nursery but I am sure that many of the questions will be similar.

emlou2009

cow print :j
i think a trip to asda is in order!

Lu_T

Long post alert - sorry.

ladybirdintheuk wrote: »

Oh and what I actually came on here to say was that I've managed to take my head out of the sand and actually make a few appointments to visit nurseries. Seeing as that lottery win in between now and September is looking increasingly unlikely, and I have no wish to have our house reposessed I'm really going to have to find somewhere to put baby while I'm at work. I'm sure they would notice if I kept her under my desk

I'm starting to think of things I should be asking. What I have so far:

do they do baby signing?
baby will only feed from a cup, not a bottle, so will need help - will they do it? (I'm sure they will look at me like I'm barmy for even asking, but I do worry )
baby will only nap if on the boob, in the buggy or in the car - would someone push her round the block or just let her stay awake all day? (hopefuly we will have sorted this by september, but just in case!)
do they provide food or do we need to send her in with a packed lunch/tea/drinks/snacks? how much is food if they don't provide it? what times are mealtimes?
how many kids per carers?
money?! (most of the ones I'm looking at publish their prices.. for the other one I'm expecting to get a nasty shock!)

I know I need to know tons of other things - I am sure they will show me play facilities and tell me all about what fun Izzy will be having while I'm slaving away, but there will be other things they won't tell me.

The whole idea makes me feel sick and now I've made myself cry again. How on earth am I going to get through my first few days at work?

emlou2009 wrote: »

been thinking alomg the same lines this week, i'm going to put seth in for a couple of days before i start work so i can actually concentrate and not be a mess!
i'm thinking a childminder might be a better way to go for us though, as they're cheaper, and i'm not planning to go back full time and nurseries charge for morning and afternoon sessions so i would have to pay full days when i dont really want a full days cover IYSWIM? also i think that having more of a one-to-one care will suit him better than a nursery, i have a friend that used to work in a nursery and she said they all used to do the odd bit of play but generally used to have to leave them to get on with it due to staffing and a lot of the younger babies used to cry most of the day at first - i couldnt leave him knowing that
i used to have a childminder and she was great, i still remember her!

Ladybird - Imogen's been in nursery since she was 15 months when I insisted she go one day a week despite MIL being available to care for her. It was the very best thing we did. She LOVES her day at nursery and I personally believe it's taught her some really good life lessons. Like not always being 1-on-1 with an adult, sometimes having to wait for attention, sharing and general preparation for school (which I know is a way off, but I don't want her un-prepared IYSWIM).

I did look into childminders recently as it will get a bit complicated when I go back to work but they weren't any cheaper and I can't get past the impression that they just 'mind the child'. I know they also have to follow the early years curriculum (which might be a question you want to ask) and are also Ofsted inspected so I guess that's just my prejudice.

Imogen's nursery costs £32 a day for 10 hours and includes all 3 meals plus drinks and snacks. A childminder was £3/hr which meant it wasn't worth moving her for the tiny difference in cost.

There are minimum staffing levels depending on age group and I guess most nurseries won't staff far beyond these as it would become uneconomic.

Look into whether your work offers childcare vouchers (where you pay for the childcare out of your gross salary. Effectively it's a tax break). If they don't, push them to sort it as it doesn't cost them anything. My work offers Accor vouchers. It's also worth getting some advice about whether childcare vouchers would be better than you claiming the childcare element of WTC as you can't get both. Our local council has a children's services team who will work this out for you.

Other Qs to ask:
- what is their policy on children moving between rooms (e.g. is it a fixed age or are they led by a child's ability?) Imogen's nursery has a baby room, a mobile baby/toddler room and a 2yrs+ room but they aren't rigid on when the children move. Imogen went to the 'big' room at 21 months but had been able to move between the mobile room and big room for a while before in order that she got used to it.
- is food home/handmade on the premises? What is their hygiene rating?
- how can parents get involved in the nursery (e.g. is there a parent's steering group, regular questionnaires etc)
- do they take a deposit to hold a place and is it refundable against your first months' costs?
- do they do wrap-around care and school pick up/drop off? (this may become important when LO becomes eligible for nursery funding - term after 3rd birthday - as it might be easier to leave them in nursery for most of the time but do 1/2days at the local school)

I'd suggest they may not be able to push LO in a pram to get him to sleep as this would affect their staffing levels. Imogen would only sleep in a dark-ish room with no distractions when she first went and I was worried how she'd cope as they didn't have a separate sleeping space, but she soon settled into her own 'nursery routine'. They have a quiet corner in each room with cushions, blankets and low-level screens and she happily toddles off there for a nap if she feels like it.

Trying not to boggle you with too much info but seem not to have managed, sorry!