School Nursery & Childcare Options & Options

silvercar

When I worked part time and my eldest was at nursery I did a rota with another Mum to take mine and hers from morning nursery to the childminder. On my days off I would collect both from nursery and deliver her son home. When I was at work she would pick both up and deliver my son to the childminder.

Spendless

TIGs -she is already currently in the private nursery whilst I do my course 3 days a week. I have asked several times if she wants to stop there but she says no she wants to go to the 'big girls nursery' at her brothers school.

Becles- I have considered that but I have been out of the workforce since 1999 with the exception of a couple of part-time jobs (shop assistant, dinner lady) and technology has passed me by so much. I'm bothered that if I leave things for a year I'll have to refresh myself all over again. plus for various reasons the college looks set to get funding for Sept 06 for the next course up. It might not get the funding again in subsequent years. I am also a little worried about my age re-entering the job market I'm 40 this year and wonder if delaying things for a further year would be wise or not

silvercar- That would be wonderful solution, but I need to have my plans set before September and though I know some of the mums slightly to talk to. I don't know anyone wellenough toput that suggestion to.

troll35

Spendless - go back to the childminder and ask her if you will be restricting her numbers. She may have other part timers that fit around your needs. I am a childminder and all my 5 little ones are part time. Careful negotiation and planning has ensured that all my families are happy. Once a child is settled I would never give notice to a parent just to fill up any gaps.

Once a parent has a good childminder they don't let them go. When my families' have had a change of circumstances I have negotiated with the others to get the best solution eg. one parent works flexitime and was able to change her hours quite easily when another parent's job changed. We are currently starting to work through what changes are going to happen here when two of the children, from different families, start different nurseries in September :eek:

Some childminders prefer to have full time children. Others, like me, are quite happy to have part timers.

Spendless

Thanks troll35. I will do. A lot may depend on which actual 3 days my course will be on and the college hasn't confirmed yet. Re your own dileema could one child do AM nursery the other PM?

Becles

Reading between the lines (and I might be wrong!) but it sounds like you've got your heart set on the college course. Therefore you need to work something out around that.

Spendless wrote:

If I could sort something out about DD being picked up from one place and dropped off at another which do you think would be the best option.
8 -12.45 Private nursery, they would give her her dinner and change her into school uniform in time for her to go to school nursery 1-.3.30. I might be able to get out of college to do this or hubby might be able to work from home 1 day
OR
9am-11.30am school nursery, followed by perhaps my nan picking up and giving dinner or hubby working from home and then private nursery session is 1pm-5.30pm

Looking at both options, I think number one is the most reliable. It means you are not worrying about your daughters dinner, and you don't have to rely on Nan who you said is 80 and you don't want to put onto her too much. I can understand that, as my Gran is 80 too and I don't think she would cope looking after mine on a regular basis.

Does hubby get a lunch break he can use it to transport your daughter from private nursery to school nursery?

Spendless

Becles wrote:

Reading between the lines (and I might be wrong!) but it sounds like you've got your heart set on the college course. Therefore you need to work something out around that.



Looking at both options, I think number one is the most reliable. It means you are not worrying about your daughters dinner, and you don't have to rely on Nan who you said is 80 and you don't want to put onto her too much. I can understand that, as my Gran is 80 too and I don't think she would cope looking after mine on a regular basis.

Does hubby get a lunch break he can use it to transport your daughter from private nursery to school nursery?

I've got my heart set on doing something definately. I was prepared for it to be a very part-time course as I knew the 1/2 day situation was coming. I was shocked at how much it was which makes it extremely poor value compared to my current 3 day course and the 3 day one the college are talking about running in September. Hubby works 45 minutes away and often is another part of the country with no rhythm or rhyme to when he is away. He can work from home sometimes-no more than once a week, but it couldn't always be same day and some weeks he wouldn't manage it at all. I have set lunch-times with college but not the same time on each day so it's whether I could get out and pick daughter up and drop off within that time.

Last year I did a Word processing course thru a charity that was free. I didn't check yesterdays mail till late but I've had a letter from them and they are running 2 of the small expensive courses for free but it's without a tutor. I know that was suggested to me earlier on in this thread and I said I preferred a tutor so it's not ideal but neither is trying to work out how I do this 3 day course either. Does anyone know how you manage if you get stuck if you're learning off of a CD-rom? I've e-mailed the organisation concerned but they did say they have long waiting lists-so whether I'll actually be successful on getting on the course I don't know and hopefully by the time I hear college will have finalised what days and times and lunch hours so I'll know if I can arrange for daughter to be picked up and dropped off or to speak to the childminder again.

Thanks everyone for their input.

Becles

Just more thoughts!

Ask at the job centre for other training providers. When I was on Lone Parent Deal, I had plenty of office IT experience but no formal qualifications in it. They put me on a course at a training centre in my nearest town. The building was hidden behind the bus depot, so I didn't even know it existed! My course was free as I was on Income Support then, but it's worth enquiring to see what else is on offer in your area and how much it costs.

My Mam did "drop in learning" for some computer courses at a local college. This is where you turn up as and when you can and work through the course material at your own pace. Although it's a predominately a self taught course, there is a tutor on hand if you get stuck and need help.

Spendless

Thanks Becles. The charity that wrote to me yesterday included the organisation name that the courses are from , so I googled it and got the project managers e-mail and have sent him a message explaining the situation and asking him if he can suggest anything

Rachie_B

what a tough situation

so you can cross off relying on hubby and 80 yr old nan

a CM is going to be your best bet,have you looked on the childcare link so you can contact the ones in your area ? a lot that i know are happy to offer part time places

other than that i think id leave the course for a year until shes in school, or like i said before an online course,most have "tutors" on the end of the phone / email etc and a community forum where students doing the same course as you can chat etc

Lady_E

When DS1 started in nursery on 1/2 days pm , I was stuck as I used to work shifts and no week was ever the same as far as my rota was concerned. DS1 was attending a private nursery in the morning and the "big school nursery" was a couple hundred yards away. We resolved the dilemma by asking around at the private school nursery if one of the mums would be able to do a drop off of DS1 when they took their own child home. Ons speaking to the reception class teacher , she then put a big notice on the classroom door asking if any parent was able to assist. It worked for me , you never know it might work for you! Good luck , I know how hard it is to balance childcare/work/household chores , so I bosched the chores ....lol