childminders versus nannies?

Quietgirl

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.

I love the photo of the dog you have:)

Although I can see what you are saying. I had a career but only work part time since my daughter was born, and its not through choice, more necessity and I'd give anything to stay at home with my daughter. (single parent). I work 4 hours a day 5 days a week to support my daughter, until recently I was not getting any help from her father, now he's paying not by choice through the CSA. It depends on individual circumstances not someone deciding if they want a career or not. I have to work to keep a roof over our heads.

I have a child minder, my daughter is happy with her which is the main thing. Sometimes I am not happy with the situation, but above all my child being settled and happy is the main thing.

ceebeeby

Hi,

Don't know that I can offer a heck of a lot more to what's been offered above except we have had both a Nanny and childminders in the past (and still do) and it is 1000% the individual you and your children choose regardless of their job title. Nanny was lovely because you'd come home to your house and see these lovely clean children in a clean kitchen etc. and we loved our Nanny so much and did she the childrne (I'm now godmother to her children) but we had to move. Childminders are just as loving and caring if you choose carefully, we had one horrible, horrible, horrible nightmare that we paid £2k to get out of after 4 weeks, but that is in 12 years of experience which means we've had 100's of weeks of wonderfulness!!

Also, with Nanny you need to do all their employers tax etc. and make sure you've got proper insurance etc. with a childminder you don't.

Hope this helps a wee bit

BernadetteN

A childminder uses their own home for child care and a nanny comes to the child's home so that can also be a factor in choosing.

Some nannies and childminders are now approved child carers in the child's home too - they are CRB checked and have insurance like childminders. There's a governing body they register with, info about this form of childcare can be found I think on Sure Start websites and early years websites.

I'm a childminder and I have also sent my eldest 4 to nursery for a few hours a week from the age of 2 years old. I don't personally like the idea of under 2s in nursery at all, unless it's a nursery which has a low staff turnover and key worker care as under 2s really need strong bonds and lots of physical and emotional contact which is harder to get from a nursery than from a childminder or a nanny.

SammyD_2

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.

Thanks for that. I am sure the OP found your "advice" very helpful. Given the vast number of mums in this country, perhaps it is reasonable to assume that people have varying circumstances and will do what they believe is best in the circumstances. And maybe instead of starting the working Mum/vs stay at home Mum debate again, it might be more helpful if we instead focused on giving support to everyone whatever option they choose!


On the original question (nanny vs childminder), I have this debate with my friends fairly regularly...I have a fantastic childminder for my children, and there is no doubt that my children's lives have been enriched by having her. I could afford a nanny if I had to, but have stuck with the childminder. Personality is the most important thing, but I think the main "objective" differences are likely to be:

A nanny is your employee and so therefore you have a bit more "say" in what your children do on a day to day basis and who they come into contact with. My childminder has from time to time taken on children who I would prefer she didn't, or has done school runs that I think made her life a bit more stressful than it otherwise would have been and so I worried about whether that impacted on my children. Similarly, a nanny is in your home, so your children have their food and their toys.

Cost - I pay my childminder £60 a day or £300 a week. But a nanny in my area of London costs around £500 NET a week. I have no responsibility for tax, National Insurance, sick pay etc. I still have the hassle if my childminder is off sick, but I would have that with a nanny anyway. But it works out much cheaper and less hassle pay-wise.

Social aspects - my son has made very good friends out of some of the children at the childminders, but then, I do not have a say about which children she minds (although in practice, she takes my views into account and has turned down children that I had concerns about). The same could apply to a nanny, but it would rely more on that nanny having contacts in your area.

Hours - this is where I have a bit of a problem with my childminder - if you need someone who can work very flexible hours, you probably have a better shot at getting those hours with a nanny. My childminder is pretty flexible, but sometimes I need a really early start (like about 7.15) which she is not able to do, or a late finish (ie until I get home from work), which because she has children of her own is difficult.

Security - it probably means very little, but I do take some comfort from the Ofsted review of my nanny and the fact that everyone in her house is CRB checked, and that she is fully insured as well.

I think the final point is that if you have several children a nanny can be cheaper, but a childminder might be cheaper if you only have one...

The most important thing is to find someone you can work with, and who will be loving and caring to your little one. (Yes, us working mothers do actually care about our children...)

LOL

Trix

There are a couple of other alternatives. THIS site explains differences in nannies (fully qualified, live in or out your home), mothers helps (not qualified to level of a nanny, live in or out your home, helps out with household tasks) and au pairs (usually from another country, some experience in childcare and lives in with you for room, board and 'pocket money', but usually only looks after school age children).

The site also gives more in-depth ideas to what their duties and pay should be.

ALL people working with kids will be or need to be CRB checked. Me and my OH are mentors for parents of children with special needs at my daughters school, and even though I'm really working with the parents, I'm CRB checked in case they have their kids with them.

I trained as a nanny (NNEB) but have used two childminders. The first childminder was nice, but was too quiet and soft with my daughter, my next childminder was amazing, full of fun and 'natural' with my daughter from the first meeting, so it really is a case of who suits you best.

If you want to use a childminder, ask the council for a list of childminders, ask your HV for any recommendations, ask at baby/toddler groups who people recommend. AFAIK you usually go to their house and just have a chat about what you want and what they can offer.

If you want a nanny, ask for recommendations again and contact some registered agencies. You usually need to set up interviews in your home to tell them what they would be required to do then select the one you prefer.

Hope you find whatever you're looking for!

searcher30

thanks for everyone's input here. definitely food for thought. as trying to
get a business off the ground and would like time with my child too is a
difficult choice but i do like the idea of a childminder at home as
suggested.
i do believe a lot of mums dont always have the choice as most mums would
love time wiht their children. i think it is up to people's individual
circumstances. but it is also nice ot have a break from teh baby thing too
as at 40 years of age I get more tired!!
thanks all.