Day Nurseries

[missyR]

When my child is 6 weeks i'm going to have to put him/her into a day nursery. I have looked at one local one and it says its private so i'm assuming that all private nurseries have prices. But if the nursery isn't private then do you still have to pay?
Sorry i'm a first time mother and clueless. I've asked my mam but she didn't put me into a nursery so doesn't know.:o)

[bednobs]

does yur work have a nursery facility? You may find it cheaper

[B00]

All preschool nurseries are private ( I think!) so yes you'll have to pay. Though you may be entitled to benefits to cover some of the costs.

Mine goes to nursery one day a week and this costs me �28 per day. I think most operate on a cost per session basis which is roughly �12-15, a full day being 2 sessions.

[Goodsoulette]

Mine is about the same as Boo's andf that is a standard rate across the county. Are you sure they will take from 6 weeks, they normally wait till 3 months because of first sets of vaccinations.

[missyR]

Thanks for your answers- i don't go to work bednobs, i go to six form but by the time the baby is due i'm leaving anyway.
B00 and Goodsoulette- i was looking at one for monday to Friday 7.45 till 3 for �138 per week - does that sound right?
They said that they would take babies from six weeks on their website :)

[B00]

Yeah missy, sounds about right- expensive innit? :-(

Like I said though, you may be entitled to benefits, make sure you claim them if you're eligible for 'em.

[bednobs]

how d you know you will have a job when the baby is six weeks old then and that you will need to leave it in a nursery? If you are not going to do your second year of a levels, what are you going to do? why not carry on after your a/s levels? especially if you want t be a teacher

[Cheekyteddy]

Missy you need to look into this a lot more closely. If you are young there may be schemes in your area to help you continue your education with support from a childminder paid for by your local social services - nicer than a nursery. If you work 16 hours a week you will get 70% of your child care costs refunded to you in Child Tax Credit.

Whatever you do it will be difficult for you - good luck.

Louise

[missyR]

Bednob- i am getting my own council house in a couple of months and need all the money i can get and although it's something i don't want to do, i'm going to have to put the baby in a nursery. Especially since i intend to go to university (although if i'm to be a teacher it's undecided) :o)

[missyR]

Thanks cheekyteddy - that was really helpful- i'm still finding out about child tax credit :o)

[FlowerPetal]

Missy, .
Dont worry yourself about being clueless - EVERY parent needs to know where to start and not all of us are born with all the answers.
I have been a day nursery manager for many years and my personal preference would be a nursery that you are happy and comfy in. take your time when looking around and make a list of questions that you want answered and have an ideal about the answer your looking for - that way if they give you that answer, then you know thats the place you want your ikkle one to spend time.
Consider the following: -
* opening times - does it give you time to comfortably drop off and collect without having to rush and compromise an important time of the day
* staff turnover - you dont want your child getting too attached to they key worker and then find that their leaving becoz of some problem within the nursery
* how often does the fees go up - you dont want to budget for a couple of months to fidn the fees are going up and you cant afford it anymore
* policies and procedures - make sure you are happy with all of them, esp policies such as their sick child policy - your child would have to be absent for a certain lenght of time, can you manage with that while at uni or would you need to have emergency cover
* Atmosphere at the nursery - do you feel comfy, were you made to feel welcome, if you were to just turn up would they make you feel comfy to be there, would you be happy to stay longer then needed to have a cup of tea with the staff? - my nursery would always welcome parents and i often let them stay and have a cuppa with me, tey felt like they were part of the nursery family which in turn helped them feel more comfy to leave their babies with us.

Good luck amd contact me if you want any more advice

Flower xx

[chimpanzee]

What on Earth is the point of having a kid if you're going to DUMP it in a nursery at 6 weeks old?

It's SO SELFISH.

I can't believe people like you, you don't deserve kids.

[chimpanzee]

Ohhh, and you're claiming tax benefits, sponging off the government.

Why aren't I surprised>

Sorry state of affairs if you ask me. I feel sorry for the kid, getting shafted less than 2 months after birth. You're going to miss out on all the important bits! Selfish - THINK ABOUT THE EFFECTS ON YOUR CHILD! New concept I know, but seriously, think it through before you dump it on someone and use our tax money to pay for the priviledge.

[dunwerkin]

Chimpanzee - how cruel and how uninformed you sound.

My own grand-daughter is a product of nursery school life and at nearly 9 she is a well-adjusted, confident achiever who has loads of friends. If Missy doesn't have the privilege (please note correct spelling) of being able to stop at home to look after her baby - the child will be well looked after, educated and amused by professional child carers - like me! I am a part-time nursery helper who enjoys playing with the children and teaching them through play. They learn to interact with other children, how to share toys, how to eat at a table and they also learn good manners - something that you clearly have not.

[chimpanzee]

DUNWERKIN - you're only standing up for Missy cos you work at a nursery and your grand-daughter was dumped on a nursey! I guarantee if you worked somewhere else and your grandkids were brought up by their parents, like they should be, you'd have no problems with my post.

People who have kids them DUMP them on a nursery DO NOT deserve to be parents! I can understand getting children into a nursery PART TIME at 2 or 3 years of age, to learn them so socialise and share, but DUMPING them at 6 WEEKS OLD is downright selfish, unresponsible and unfair.

Babies should have the right to have a parent with them when they're that young. The DESERVE to be loved by parents at that age, not PALMED OFF to any Tom, Dick or Harry. They need to feel WANTED and SECURE, not and ACCIDENT and UNSECURE. It's awful that parents dump their kids at the first opportunity! I mean, come on, 6 weeks is nothing! Maternity leave is long than that - Missy should know that! She is being selfish and doesn't deserve this kid. PLENTY others would LOVE and LOOK AFTER this baby, something Missy is obviously incapable off.

As for you picking up on my spelling - if a simple typo is all you can pick me up on, then it shows your arguement is flawed, pathetic and wrong.

[chimpanzee]

And I still stand by my TAX BENEFIT comment - you and me are paying for MISSY to dump her kid on randomers and I think that is DISGUSTING. Completely unresponsible, selfish and SCROUNGING off the government and hard working people who pay their taxes. SHAME ON YOU MISSY - it's disgraceful and sick.

[Bohne]

One of those posts had to come...
How I hate them!

I left my baby with a day mother from the age of 9 weeks.
I don't see it as dumping him, and it does not mean, I love him any less.

I cut down on work from 40 to 30 hours and pay 380 Euro (approx 220 pounds) per month for daycare.
I love the fact that he is in a family, he is with other kids and being spoilt rotten.
When I pick him up I am looking forward to spending time with him rather than being fed up and trying to get rid of him.
He goes with me everywhere in the evenings and on weekends and is the most easy-going and happy baby I know.

Nobody expected my husband to give up work, after the baby was born.
Quite on the contrary, he's gone a lot for work, I think he's been home 10 days this year, but that's OK for everybody.

No, the mothers have to give up work, own income, preferably all hobbies and interests other than the child.
They have to live and plan from bottle to bottle, talk about dirty diapers and growth charts, or they are being selfish and doing irreversible harm to their little ones...

WAKE UP people.
We do live in the 21. centuary.

I am not telling anyone how to raise their children.
If a mother or father is happy to be a stay-at-home parent, then all the luck to them. That's fine with me.
But it's also OK the way I do it.
My baby is not lacking anythin, quite on the contrary.
He gets nearly 24 hours of daily love and attention.
I would never be able to give that to him on my own!

[jopaca]

HI MissyR,
I have 2 children, six years apart,one of whom went to nursery full time and the other is cared for at home between myself and their Dad. We both work part time to do this. I can honestly say that both have thrived and are similarly jolly and well adjusted, so don't let people make you think that using a nursery is wrong. Also I trained to be a teacher when may eldest was a few months old. It's hard, but possible, and you need lots of support from baby's Dad if poss, family etc.

I do think 6 weeks is v young for nursery, the practicalities of feeding and simply getting both you and the baby out the door with all your clothes on the right way round will hit you hard after it's born!

I think you're quite right to continue your education to support your child. Don't let any one tell you that in order to be a good Mum you have to stay at home for 5 years mashing organic stuff. It's REALLY hard work to work and be a parent but you can do it well.

And I agree- why does no one ever crticise men for having kids and then working long hours?

Good luck!!