childminders versus nannies?

searcher30

if you had the option of using a childminder or a nanny for your 2 year old which would you choose and why. obviously nannies are usually more costly but i hear that families can share wiht other families. and how does this work exactly. thanks in advance.

beanielou

I think that it all depends on the individual childminder or nanny.
I think you have to go on your gut reaction and how happy the kids are.
If its a childminder if there are kids going who have gone since they were littleuns as have their siblings then you may well be onto a winner.
HTH even a wee bit

Doodles

searcher30 wrote:

if you had the option of using a childminder or a nanny for your 2 year old which would you choose and why. obviously nannies are usually more costly but i hear that families can share wiht other families. and how does this work exactly. thanks in advance.

I think there are pros and cons with both options, but the childminder is the better option I think if you want your child to socialise with other children from a young age (provided the childminder looks after more than 1 child at a time!)

But obviously, whatever makes you and your child happy is the best option.:o

Spendless

Are we taking cost out of the equation? I don't think you can pay nannies via tax credit money, not totally sure about the childcare vouchers. It would depend on job and hours. If I wasn't about Mr Spendless would struggle with childcare and his job cos he can be away early and/or come home late, be away overnight and do all 3 combinations in one week:eek: :rolleyes: . In this case he would need a live-in nanny as all the childminders round here have set start and finish times.

janiemumoffive

Hi, I am a Registered Childminder, and am not about to persuade you that 'we' are best - I feel that is up to the individual specitic needs of the parents, and the needs of the child(ren. What I would like to ask you, is do you know that some authorties now allow Childminders to mind your child in your own home? The advantages of this are many; eg you dont have to have extra living quarters, the Minder will go back home at the end of the day, you dont have to drop off and collect your child, the child is in her/his own home with their own belongings and whilst, like a Nanny, the Minder is in your home, the fees are a lot less (altho' bear in mind the minder probably wont put your washing on and do the ironing!!) - just something for you to consider.
I have been minding children for the past 6 years, have 5 children of my own, am a single parent and mind from my own home. However a few years ago I used to take a little girl back home for her afternoon nap once dropping my youngest off at pre-school - this worked very well for all involved; she loved her own cot and teddies and I loved to enjoy a coffee and a rest, knowing that I didnt HAVE to do any ironing!
Good luck with your research...

janthemum

At the risk of sounding controvercial I believe MUM is best. You choose to have children so enjoy the pleasures of looking after them; put your career on hold and give them yor all. I feel my kids have reeped the benefits.

We had to downsize move to cheaper area, now have an older car, but im only going to see my kids grow up once.

hobo28

janthemum wrote:

At the risk of sounding controvercial I believe MUM is best. You choose to have children so enjoy the pleasures of looking after them; put your career on hold and give them yor all. I feel my kids have reeped the benefits.

We had to downsize move to cheaper area, now have an older car, but im only going to see my kids grow up once.

Personally I agree with you but it really is a matter of personal choice and I support people's right to choose.

I've never used a nanny but I have with a childminder. I preferred it to a nursery which I liken to a prison for kids. At least with a childminder/nanny the child can be involved in the minder's life, go shopping, watch TV etc. rather than be stuck in a room all day.

The one thing I will say is that often people expect too much from a childminder. They are people too and will have off days. So they may be grumpy one day or not really be in the mood. Just like I don't always want to go to work.

They are your child's minder, not their parent. Don't expect them to have the same standards as you.

dooj

As far as i am aware a nanny may not be qualified but a childminder should be registered and have had to complete a course and CRB check. This may not be the case with a nanny although i actually worked as a nanny for a while and thouroughly enjoyed it and my opinion was that it is better for children to be in their own house than in someone elses, but this may depend on the age of the child etc. It is personal choice at the end of the day. Maybe you could speak to friends about it or contact your local authority for advice on childcare.

Spendless

hobo28 wrote:

Personally I agree with you but it really is a matter of personal choice and I support people's right to choose.

I've never used a nanny but I have with a childminder. I preferred it to a nursery which I liken to a prison for kids. At least with a childminder/nanny the child can be involved in the minder's life, go shopping, watch TV etc. rather than be stuck in a room all day.

The one thing I will say is that often people expect too much from a childminder. They are people too and will have off days. So they may be grumpy one day or not really be in the mood. Just like I don't always want to go to work.

They are your child's minder, not their parent. Don't expect them to have the same standards as you.

ahh but as you have already implied there are pros and cons to everything. All the nurseries I have used have had enormous rooms far bigger than any rooms in houses and the children are kept busy with an activity which can be dressing up, playing outside, painting or quiet time if they need a nap throughout the day- and they don't have to go out on shopping trips.

Miss_Behaving

As with any profession, you will encounter settings and providers who are excellent and worth every penny and unfortunately others who are not.

I work in the childcare industry and my experience of nursery chains is not good - they exist to make a profit and as a result corners are cut and staff unmotivated. I spent a year in a large corporate nursery supporting a child with special needs (employed by the child's parent not the nursery). It was terrible, the only time things improved was the week they were expecting an ofsted visit! I'll never forget the look of surprise on the children's faces when one nursery nurse used a spoon to serve the raisons and placed them on a plate in front of each child - the previous day she had grabbed a handful and slung them in the middle of the table for the child to fight over!! (and no she hadn't washed her hands first!)

Childminders and nannies are the same - some are wonderful and others you wouldn't trust to look after your rabbit whilst you were on holiday!

Best advice is turn up unannounced a couple of times to see what is actually happening and if the children appear happy.

Pooky

I'm also a registered childminder and belong to a local network of other "quality" childminders - we're checked every 6 weeks and have the chance of lots of additonal training and support.

I would never promote a childminder over anyone else as it's all down to the individual and the child concerned. Some children thrive on the stimulation of a nursery environment, some prefer the home from home aspect of a childminder, others are more happy in their own home with a nanny. You need to feel totally confident with whoever you choose to look after your child.

Any childminder/nanny/nursery should be happy for you to tag along/pop in unannounced if they are doing their job properly.

The parents of the little one's I have pop in for coffee if they finish early, I encourage them to come and see things we've done during the day and keep them informed of their childs day. I mix with other childminders and feel very honoured that my "parents" have chosen me to be a part of their little one's growing up experience.