Childcare

[Princess_Puddles]

We were thinking about putting Harrison into childcare and worked out it would cost £860 a month and when we spoke to Child Tax Credits they said that they'd only pay £200 towards it, but where do they expect us to get the remaining £660 from. Me and OH get £28655 between us, i know thats quite a lot but we don't have £660 spare to pay for this each month, we just get by each month with maybe £200 spare to spend on luxuries. What do other people do? Any advice would be appreciated

 

[Nic'n'Keeley]

Could mayb your parents or you OH's parents look after Harrison?

Thats a lot to spend on childcare

 

[h33]

I go to work when my mum finshes at 4 and i also do Saturdays when DH is off so my 2 don't need to go to the childminders but i used to work from 2 when i just had Willow and she went 3 afternoons and it cost £50.

The only option i can think of is working out of office hours so DP can have him it means you do earn less but you don't have to pay out anything for childcare.

Heather

 

[budge]

We were thinking about putting Harrison into childcare and worked out it would cost £860 a month and when we spoke to Child Tax Credits they said that they'd only pay £200 towards it, but where do they expect us to get the remaining £660 from. Me and OH get £28655 between us, i know thats quite a lot but we don't have £660 spare to pay for this each month, we just get by each month with maybe £200 spare to spend on luxuries. What do other people do? Any advice would be appreciated

staY AT HOME AND LOOK AFTER HIM YOURSELF UNTIL HE stats school!!!
Money cannot buy the time back

 

[HappyAlice]

I have had this kind of stress too as my kids have no grandparents available if I went to work so I just work Sundays and we live without alot of things so I have finally decided that I'm going to be a childminder. I will be able to stay at home with my own kids, pick them up from school etc and earn £ at the same time, and if I earn enough I will quit my Sunday job and get my family weekends back.
It's not for all people but maybe something you could think about doing one day too?

 

[angiemum2b]

I was having the same trouble trying to find a childminder that was reasonable... but i couldn't and i took budge's option.

I left work and it's the best thing i've ever done.

it's a struggle we get a bit of money from child tax etc

I wont be going back now until owen starts school.

 

[Becks&Riley]

i'm going back to college full time 2 retake gcses and theres a child care centre there its going to be free for me
plus free buss pass an an extra £15 a week

 

[Dee1985]

i pay £600 a month for my 2 to have 2 days a week at nursery

i love being back at work and feel proud being a working mum just them 2 days a week are great a lovely break!

we are no better off as my wage pays for childcare, but i know i have a good job open for me once my kids are at school.

and Nursery will do him world of good its been great for my two.

i could find a cheaper nursery but was not to keen on the sure start ones i suppose you get what you pay for though.

 

[Princess_Puddles]

staY AT HOME AND LOOK AFTER HIM YOURSELF UNTIL HE stats school!!!
Money cannot buy the time back

Unfortunately I don't have that option and to be honest even if I did I don't think i'd take it, I love going to work and socialising and when I found out I was pregnant I was just taking my GCSE's, people told me I was ruining my life etc.. and I sound childish but I want to show them, i'm 17 a Mum, I work, am not on any benefits (Nothing against those who are) we have our own place, pay our own bills and have good careers. I didn't get good grades so the future didn't look bright but i've just been given a great opporutnity of a career I get to choose the hours I put in so i've opted for a day off each week to spend with Harrison.

Thanks ladies, It's already been arranged for my Mum to look after Harrison but I thought as Dionne said him going to nursery would do him the world of good. He's never really seen other babies and I'm worried that when he gets older it's going to make him either a brat and wont share toys etc.. or he will be a loner and withdraw from everyone because he isn't used to it. I know it sounds bad but I don't have the time to take him to baby groups etc.. as I currently work in the afternoons and I spend most of the morning getting him ready and up to my Mums.

Oops kinda went over board on the post there sorry
I just wondered what you Ladies do. Thank you

 

[Babylicious]

My ex's parents had Paris whilst I worked after being on maternity (I was part time) - your employer might do that voucher thing too, so you'd save from that.

I'm lucky I just pay £52 a week as she goes to kids club

 

[x-kirsty-x]

I've worked on and off since Josh was born, I left my last job last year and Im now planning to stay at home until both kids are at school.

Josh has been going to nursery since he was 1 though, at first we paid £400 a month and he went 3 full days a week. When he turned 4 we kept him at the same nursery but changed to the free government nursery places so now he goes every day but only for 2 hours. The rest of the time he spends at home with me.

I know people might think if Im not working why not just keep him at home with me but I put him into nursery purely because I want him to be around other kids and learn how to socialise. I've never been very confident and I suffer from anxiety and the last thing I want is for him to be the same.

Then theres also the fact that nursery has done him the world of good, he's learnt so much and he's growing up to be a really intelligent little boy

 

[muppetmummy]

I returned to work when James was 6 months old and for the first year my parents were looking after him. He spent most of the day watching tv and I didn't think it was very good for him.

When James was 18 months old I managed to get him into my employers nursery.
At one point, before James turned 3 and qualified for the free nursery seessions I was working 23 hours a week for £30 a week due to the amount I paid on nursery costs.
I thought it was worth it though because I worked for a university and James was going to the university nursery which was excellent. Once he started there his development rapidly improved. He wasn't getting to spend much time with other babies until then and he loved nursery.

He left there when we moved and the nursery he's going to now on a part time basis costs more than our mortgage, but we get £300 in tax credits a month towards it. Its an excellant nursery and he loves it there. He's starting school in August and will already know most of the children in his class and will be familiar with the routine of school. His nursery have been taking him for a visit to the school one morning a week for the past month.

I'm not sure what we're gonna do when he starts school because he will be finishing school at 2.30pm and the only after school club in our small town is full. Will have to either find a new job or a childminder.

I am considering registering as a childminder myself, so then I could stay at home with number 2 and still earn money. Some of the parents at James nursery have said they would send their kids to me before and after school if I did. Its so hard juggling work and kids.

 

[Tangerinedream]

My sister takes her boy to the collage nursery (she isnt a student there) and it is a lot cheaper than normal as it is the collages training place for the nursery nurses.

 

[leckershell]

Try Busy Bees vouchers if your company does them? It's tax and NI free childcare, so you get about £210 vouchers but only pay £140 for them.. something like that. But I don't know what the maximum amount you can buy is.

m

 

[Lindsay]

It upsets me when people say that you should stay at home and look after your children.

I went back to work 4 days a week when Jacob was 6 months old and although I found it really really hard to leave him at first, I am now really pleased that I did it. I have a good job that pays well which means that we can do lots of lovely things as a family. I am proud to be a working mum but make sure that on my days off I give Jacob lots of mummy time.

I am lucky though as I don't have to pay for childcare cos DH works shifts and MIL is a registered childminder.

Xxx

 

[Sarah&Braydon]

i feel the same lindsay
i work 3 days a week Braydon goes to nursery two of them and my mum and dad have him the other day

nursery does Braydon the world of good and im so glad i decided on it, but also means them 4 days a week together we do fun things and means more spending time together

mica could u maybe send him to nursery one day a week and then ur mum have him the rest??