My nursery fees are crippling me!

skyvicky123

I am currently very lucky as at the minute I work 3 days a week but only pay for 1 day of childcare. My friend has my little girl for 2 days and I have hers for 2 days on my days off.

She has just announced she is pregnant and obviously I am really pleased for her, however I know that she does want to / need to contunie our childcare arrangement from approx July when she will go on maternity.

It was great while it lasted and has probably saved me £1000's, however if i stay doing 3 days a week I am going to be A LOT worse off. Circa £400 pm.

Currently we are only claming childcare vouchers through OH's salary, but I am registered and obv will claim my full entitlement.

The only way i can come away each month without less money is to go back full-time. Then I will only earn what I do now but have A LOT more stress! Currently though, I can't see any other option!

DD is 2.5 and will get her free 15 hours from Jan which will help thank god. Anybody else find themselves in a bit of a catch 22 with childcare costs as high as they are?

rachbc

Yep, we are just coming out of the end now as we get our 15hrs and oh's mum has retired and helps out. We just had to get through as best we could - when we were paying full fees I had £60 a month left after chidlcare and bills were paid. Hardly worth my while but as I have completed qualifications during the time my salary has gone up and my hours are flexible so come dd starting school we should only have to pay a couple of before school clubs and it wil have been worth it

Nicki

Could you see if you could find another part time mum near you who might be interested in carrying on this arrangement with you? You would have plenty of time to get to know each other and the children between now and July. We have a good nct forum where you could ask about this kind of thing, and there might be something similar in your area, or perhaps netmums or something similar, or just asking around at toddler groups on the days you are off for mums going back to work.

skyvicky123

Glad to know it's not just me - a lot of my friends are pregnant with the 2nd one and I can't imagine how they will cope financially. At least one is def going back to work FT! I could never afford the nursery fees!

All our family are still working and live too far away (plus I don't think they would be keen!)

I guess it was good while it lasted, but as we have debts we are desperate to not find ourselves even worse off which would make it harder. Have thought about an au-pair but don't think I could cope with having a stranger in the house.

skyvicky123

Hi Nicki, would really only feel comfortable if it was somebody I already knew who I knew had the same way of doign things as me. All my friends are back full time or going on maternity!

Somebody also suggested a mother's help. Can you still get those?

building_with_lego

Will you carry on claiming vouchers through your OH's work too? Can you claim more from there to cover two days' childcare while you cough up through vouchers for the third?

It's a bugbear of mine that the childcare fees usually come solely out of the mother's wages- so many times I hear that "I earn £xxx but I only have £x left after paying for nursery." :mad:

hulagirl79

Hi yes you can still get a mothers help. Depending where you live expect to pay between £50-60 per day. You cold also look into a nanny with her own child as they tend to be cheaper as well. Feel free to pm me if you would like more info. I have been a nanny for 14 years.

Good luck

skyvicky123

Hi, thanks Hulagirl - will PM in a mo. Wow though, a mother's help would cost more than my nursery (although obv would be good as hopefully they would help with other housework jobs etc)

elvis86

What's a Mothers Help?

skyvicky123

Taken from Angel's Nannies" website
MOTHER'S HELP

One way of describing a mother's help is perhaps to say that she would be a 'nanny-in-training'. A mother's help will carry out the duties of a nanny and will be willing to undertake light housework and shopping. She is basically there to assist the parents but would not be expected to be left in sole charge of the children for long periods of time. A mother's help can either live in or out and the hours of work are roughly those of a nanny's.

Nicki

Yes I had a mothers help when my nanny was on maternity leave. The main differences are that a mothers help doesn't look after your child on her own all day, though she might do some babysitting for short periods generally she is there in the house with you as an extra pair of hands. She will also do some general chores round the house, but not the work of a cleaner for example. Mine used to do a lot of the family's ironing for me and load and unload the dishwasher. A nanny will look after the children without a parent being there and will also do any housework which relates to the children, such as tidying toys, children's laundry, etc. Cost wise there wasn't a huge difference to be honest. It was about £2 an hour cheaper for the MH.