Wrap around care for pre-schools/Blossoms Montessori?

[EllieS]

Hi all

I was just wondering how other working parents organise wrap around care where the nursery/pre-school day is not a full one (by full I mean 8 - 6).

In particular I am thinking about Blossoms Montessori where I believe the hours are shorter but the same query goes for pre-schools/any other nurseries with short days. Do you use childminders? Are there local childminders who are willing to do just drop off and pick ups (with breakfast and dinner)?

My daughter will be going to nursery in the new year and I don't know whether to think about the private nurseries with a long day or the mixture of a shorter nursery/pre-school day and some other care too...

Any views or comments would be much appreciated!

Thanks

[Mellors]

It depends on the circumstances.

Do you need the nursery for work? If so rather than having the possibility of two things to manage (and go wrong) i.e. nursery shuts over holidays/childminder is sick I'd be looking at a nursery OR childminder that does a full working day. Only one relationship to manage, better continuity of care for your child, and possibly less expensive.

If you're not working and can pick up the slack if there is an issue and have enough brain capacity to manage more than one set of childcare then having a short, term time only nursery plus childminder might work.

[EllieS]

Thanks for the response. I do work and so have very limited flexibility. I hadn't really thought about things going wrong - sick childminder etc and I think that having only one childcare situation to deal with might well be easiest...

On with the search!

Thanks again

[Mellors]

I simply couldn't cope with the juggling of it all if it were me in that case. Although that might just be me!

As an aside, my smallest is at Puddleducks in Nunhead. they are 8am - 6pm all year bar a week off in summer. They are fantastic - all three of mine have been there and I have nothing but praise!

[alieh]

We love Blossoms but I think most people with children there either don't work out of the home, have very flexible hours, or have full time nannies/au pairs as well. In our case we have a nanny for our younger child as well, so she is able to cover the hours at the end of the day.

[redjam]

My kids used to go to Blossoms and it is absolutely lovely, but I was lucky enough to have a nanny who was happy to work after-nursery hours only during term time, then extra hours during the school holidays. Plus I had fairly flexible work. It was very tricky to find someone willing to do that and I couldn't have done it without her. Blossoms closes at Easter and Christmas if I remember rightly (can't remember what happened during the summer or half terms) so you have to think about those times too.

I do think it's a really great nursery so it was worth the effort - and I didn't feel comfortable leaving the kids in a nursery for a whole ten-hour day - but there's no doubt it makes it tricky logistically. Would a nanny share be an option? Good luck...