childminding

Probably best to ask her directly about that, or stipulate what you want. Personally I don't think very young children are particularly affected by TV or not TV...if they're just plonked in front of it as a babysitting tool, well, it's not the TV that's the problem there really.

Also I don't think there is much compelling evidence one way or the other for Childminder vs Nursery. In your situation I wouldn't pay an extra 300 a month for a nursery unless I was convinced it was doing something wonderful that yr boy wouldn't get elsewhere. I very much doubt that. Kids, it seems, are pretty good at learning socialization in almost all circumstances.

that's the kind of talk i want to hear, i guess!

i think we are going to just go for it, abandon our hard-won place in the queue and look to the future.

Childcare component of Child Tax Credits covers difference between childminder (not subsidised by HM Govt) and more expensive nursery, perhaps? I've not looked into it in any great detail.

This whole thing is not anything we ever really considered - well, we went as far as checking out local nursery prices in mid-2005 but when Pam's employers weren't very flexible on the terms at which she could resume her job (her position was determined to be full-time-in-the-office, no homeworking, part-time only at a lower grade...which was probably borderline in its legality but we didn't have the energy to contest it), we abandoned the idea. I can't recall the maths now, but it really didn't seem worth it (the major part of Pam's earnings as a 3-day-week employee would've gone on childcare).

So, since Ava was 10 months old (with a 6-month break, covered by maternity allowance, around the time Tallulah arrived), Pam has been self-employed, working evenings and weekends, looking after the kids the rest of the time (though Ava was at nursery school five mornings a week Sep '08-Jul '09 and will start full days in reception in a few weeks' time). It's been exhausting and we're totally broke, so I've no idea if we did the right thing. It's impossible to know how different the last 4 years would've been with some nursery/childminding element - maybe they'd be different little girls.

What we're considering now is trying to place Tallulah in a local nursery, five mornings a week, from January (she'll be 3y 2m then); it won't be free (as nursery school would be from next Sept) but we would be eligible for some additional tax credit relief. For the first time in nearly five years, Pam would have some time to herself during the day (crafting? working? Morse repeats?) and that might be worth the modest outlay. I know she loves mornings with Lulu though and she may not want to give that up.

yeah. we're already sort of like "wait, he's going to be there HOW many of his waking hours?"

from what i understand we don't get childcare help from the council at this stage unless we make under a certain amount of money. a threshold which we just barely fall on the wrong side of.

my boss at work spends 1300 a month for her little girl's nursery! yoinks!

Is that because they're kidding themselves that mo' money = better nursery or does it just happen to be some insane going rate locally?

in australia (sydney) i think its $90+ per day which makes it pretty pointless for most moms to go back to work. here we pay $135 per week which is totally reasonable, i think.

lol youngsters

We paid $40/week. (But the daycare was a co-op venture by a newspaper, two banks and a factory for the kids of their employees and not meant to be hugely profitable.)

Noodle i think it's because of their area - they live in Zone 1 near Victoria station

What the fuck. Those prices! Now it's linked to your income. It can be as low as 1,50 euro/day. But it can get a lot higher of course. Still, we save quite a bit now. Even letting her go four full days a week. But I'm looking forward to May when Elisabeth can go to kindergarden. Then it's no more childcare costs. Hurrah. :-)

Tracer, you know that even if you don't qualify for tax credits you could check out whether your employer has signed up to a voucher scheme which means you can pay for up to £110 pw (between both parents) of your childcare tax free?

yes indeed! problem is, my childminder charges more for people w/vouchers so i basically equals out! CATCH 22

by the way, today was the first day! it went fine!!!!! gah!