Choosing the right childcare for you

When it comes to choosing childcare, there are so many things we worry about – and rightly so! Our children are our most precious belongings, we want them to be safe, looked after and happy!

There are four main forms of childcare – nursery, a childminder, a nanny and an au pair. For this post, I’ll be talking about the two options that are accessible to most people, and the two we considered; nursery vs childminder.

I’ll share what we wanted from childcare and the pros and cons for both options, as well as how we reached our own decision. Hopefully this post will help you make your decision too!

Choosing childcare – Nursery

A nursery is a great option when it comes to childcare. Because so many children attend, it really does help to create a good environment that can prepare your child for a pre-school and school environment.

Nurseries also often run with a bit of structure, and offer a more ‘educational’ setting that means your child will be able to have their development focused on, which is obviously a real win.

So what are the pros and cons of sending a child to nursery?

Nursery Pros

• Similar to a school environment
• Lots of children from different backgrounds for your child to mix with
• A structured day with a chance to learn
• Official feedback and reports to parents to check your childs development
• You can send your child all day, every day
• Children can get one on one time as well as group activities

Nursery Cons

• Not a very intimate experience for a child
• Not very flexible with attendance hours
• More expensive than a childminder, a full time placement can start from £1,200 a month (in Buckinghamshire)
• Child can be lost amongst the other children

Choosing childcare – Childminder

A childminder is another great option for childcare. A smaller group of children can create a more intimate setting that may be preferable to the style of childcare you’re after. Many childminders also become family friends, or perhaps already are.

They’re flexible and every day is different, creating variety for your little one. But what are the pros and cons of sending a child to a childminder?

Childminder Pros

• Flexible hours that can fit around all job hours, such as shift work
• Smaller group of children creates a more intimate setting
• More affordable, with many childminders charging as little as £4 an hour
• A childminder has a “home from home” setting
• You know exactly who your child is going to be with when you leave them – consistency is good for little ones
• Many different childminders with different approaches, easier to find one that aligns with your parenting values

Childminder Cons

• You can’t always be sure how your child will spend their day (e.g. will they just be in front of the TV?)
• It can feel odd to leave a child with a stranger, even if you’ve had reviews, recommendations and read Ofsted reports
• Your child might not get any one on one time
• A childminder may not focus on development and education the way a nursery would

So what’s the conclusion?

It’s up to you! Oh, you didn’t think I was gonna tell you which to choose, did you? I can’t do that! I can write up pros and cons lists but when it comes down to it, it all depends on the kind of environment you want your child to be in and the experience you want them to have when they’re away from you! For some parents who work 9-5, Monday to Friday, a nursery will be ideal. For someone working shifts, a childminder would be better with their flexibility. It all depends on your lifestyle and what you are looking for for your own circumstances.

What is important is that you find somewhere your child is going to be happy, safe and well looked after.

How and what did we choose?

I was never that keen on nursery. It just didn’t seem fair to send Jett to one when he can’t even crawl yet – I don’t know why but in my head, nurseries are just a more ‘grown up’ option? I can’t explain it haha! However, if he did go to a nursery, I either wanted it to be a forest school or a Montessori nursery (ha, I’m not fussy at all…). Sensory play, learning through play and a hands on approach to things that helps develop independence is really important to me.

We do have a forest school just a 20 minute drive from us, but I don’t drive, and Jonny works all over the place during the day so would never be able to guarantee doing the drop off or pick up, so it was a no.

I was anxious about childminders, too. You hear horror stories about people who pose as lovely carers but then are horrible behind closed doors. At 8 months old, Jett will be too young to tell us if he’s being neglected or not looked after properly (it makes me feel sick to even type that out), but I have found the most wonderful childminder who does a day of forest school a week, lots of sensory activities and has a wonderful set up and reviews.

When I found her, I knew she ticked all of my boxes and more. She’s also a LOT cheaper than a nursery, although she’s at the more expensive end of childminders – but it’s worth it for Jett to be somewhere we are happy with, obviously.

How did you choose between a childminder or nursery? Perhaps you have some advice of your own you can leave in the comments below? You never know who you might help!

Love from, Florence Grace