Nurseries (only read if you have kids)

[duncs500]

This thread would be better suited to mumsnet, but I'm not a member so apologies, I'm going to have to vent here.

What a fucking racket nursery is. Costs an absolute fortune (where I live at least), and they ask you to go and pick up the kid on average 25% of the time (for us at least, it's been worse than that for some people we know). They are absolutely milking covid as well ("take them home and only come back when you've got a negative PCR") at the merest hint of a sniffle (shock, babies constantly have sniffles).

Ours had a bad night's sleep last night, but she was chirpy enough this morning. Decided to do her first nap at home as it would be a better nap, check her temp, all normal so took her in. Half an hour later "she's got a temp, pick her up" bring her home, check her temp and it's fine.

You don't dare complain because I'm convinced they'll just send her home more if they think we're arse holes.

£1k per month (after govt tax relief) for 4 days a week and we're at the cheapest one around!

Cunts.

I consider our combined salary to be relatively respectable, and it's not easy for us, so I don't know how people with less income and no work flexibility manage. Basically, don't have kids, but if you're reading this it's probably too late.

[duncs500]

I'm convinced they over subscribe and then send a few home so they have a manageable number.

[Swervin_Mervin]

Ours only ever got sent home for a temp after having a dose of Calpol, and if the temp hadn't subsequently come down. And then if you kept a stash of Calpol in their bag and said the nursery could use it, they could stay. I never understood that logic

But yeah, we had a convo with a few parents when it came to our kids reaching the age where we were deciding on schooling, and several of us realised we'd still be saving money (relative to nursery costs) if the kids even went to private school, even with the school wrap-around care costs tagged on!

I don;t think your costs are much different to what we were paying. We were around the £1k a month mark, but ours went in for full days, 5 days a week. And from 6mo old

[Rich B]

Our one is amazing - Sam's been sent home twice in 3 years - and that was when he was genuinely sick. Obviously not cheap, but I get where the money goes - he's in from 8-6pm 3 days a week, gets 3 meals a day and learns more than he could ever learn at home!

[Delphi]

Ours is pretty good, although as I type this Max is sat next to me having been sent home. To be fair, he's genuinely not well. They are fucking expensive though - £52 per day for ours but they’re open between 7:30 & 6 even during school holidays.

[Rich B]

They are fucking expensive though - £52 per day

...errrrrr... I think ours is pushing £80 a day.

[Ascender]

Its been so long since I've had to think about nurseries, but we must have got lucky as I can only remember having to pick up my boy a couple of times during the few years he was there? I can imagine its a living nightmare during COVID times though....

[Swervin_Mervin]

They are fucking expensive though - £52 per day

...errrrrr... I think ours is pushing £80 a day.

Holee shit I think ours was £55/day albeit that was a couple of years ago.

[mik]

I would like to raise a FORMAL COMPLAINT : although I have kids - thus meeting the thread reading requirements stipulated by Mr Duncs esq - this discussion is of no interest for me as they are adults.

I would like my money back please.

[Rich B]

They are fucking expensive though - £52 per day

...errrrrr... I think ours is pushing £80 a day.

Holee shit I think ours was £55/day albeit that was a couple of years ago.

they're all £75+ round here - one just closed with one month notice last week and there's a mad scramble to get places at ours and any others at the moment.

I was impressed with ours when the lockdowns kicked in in 2020 too, they didn't charge anything or ask for any sort of retainer, whereas others charged 50% or even the full cost!

[duncs500]

I think ours is £67 or so per day, and that's the cheapest around.

They are generally better at not sending the kids home than the other dearer ones to be fair, but it still seems to be one day a week at the moment.

[DeskJockey]

It is very expensive, although we've been lucky with ours. No real issues at all. They were always helpful, didn't care about charging late fees (on the three occasions we were late), and taught the children loads.

The biggest issue was finding somewhere local with good opening hours. Never understood the 9-3 places, how does that help parents?

Prices makes me miss Denmark. Friends had their two kids in five days a week, 7.30 - 4.30, for about £300/month in the most expensive part of Copenhagen. We were paying on average double that for three days/week. When we had both children in nursery we had months where the bill was equal to the mortgage. That hurt.

Sounds like your provider just isn't good.

[16vCento]

We were £61 a day 5 days a week for 3 years.

We had to pay throughout school holidays, yet they were not open. This is common

The best bit is that first year of school, the first month after you are used to that amount of money going out constantly, and all of a sudden, its free money again.

That was the best Friday night out for some time

[duncs500]

We were £61 a day 5 days a week for 3 years.

We had to pay throughout school holidays, yet they were not open. This is common

The best bit is that first year of school, the first month after you are used to that amount of money going out constantly, and all of a sudden, its free money again.

That was the best Friday night out for some time

Oh yeah, you pay all year round whether they go or not, that's standard. The wife's mum will probably stay with us for a month or more and will want to look after her, but you can't just take a month off without paying. I can't wait until she goes to school (albeit we'll have to figure out care after school depending on what options there are), long way off though. Definitely a factor when considering whether to stick with one or have another one... couldn't afford to have two in there at the same time.

[V8Granite]

There was a time we were paying just under £2000 a month for 2 kids 3 days a week each !!!!

Luckily the 30 hours kicked in for 1 of them.

I made an official complaint as I said you make my kid keep his top on and you set the thermostat to 26 degrees, it’s ridiculous. The girls were great with the kids and ours was from 8 till 6 which was good.

They changed about a year after ours left and seemingly lost the personal touch after changing to Busy Bees.

Their first day at school will have you crying with joy

Dave!

[16vCento]

As the wife has just reminded me, we had to pay an additional 12 quid a day as we wanted early drop off and late finishes (7:45-5:30) rather than 8-5.

I bet they make some money!

[Simon]

Just started sending the little'un to nursery at the start of January. We're in quite a privileged position because we didn't _need_ to send him (wife is a stay at home mum) - he goes a couple of mornings a week because we thought it would help his development, what with C19 fucking up his social interactions for the first couple of years of his life. Has made a massive change in the few weeks he's been there already and we're really happy, but that's another story.

Anyway, it's a Montessori because our best friends' little boy was experiencing the same challenges as ours and they went to a Montessori and found their methods helped a lot.

It's £20 a morning, so £160/£200 a month. They were very happy for him to go in last week despite his nasty cold. We told them we'd tested him -ve, but they didn't even ask. They've kept us updated since another child and one of the teachers have tested +ve in the last week and it hasn't affected what they offer.

Don't forget that for childcare for <3 year olds the costs go up because the carer/children ratio goes up a lot too... It varies per nation. Here is England:

Early years providers other than childminders

Children under two:
One adult for every three children (1:3)

Children aged two:
One adult for every four children (1:4)

Children aged three and over where a member of staff with approved level 6 qualification is working directly with the children:
One adult for every 13 children (1:13)

Children aged three and over where a member of staff with approved level 6 qualification is not working directly with the children:
One adult for every eight children (1:8)

Children aged three in independent schools (including in nursery classes in free schools and academies) where a member of staff with approved level 6 qualification is working directly with the children:
One adult for every 30 children (1:30) in classes where the majority of children will reach the age of five or older within the school year
One adult for every 13 children (1:13) for all other classes

Children aged three in independent schools (including in nursery classes in free schools and academies) where a member of staff with approved level 6 qualification is not working directly with the children:
One adult for every eight children (1:8)

[V8Granite]

My colleague sends 2 children, it’s 3200kr a month in Norway and he drops them off before work and picks them up after.

The only difference was he has to send a lunch in with them.

In the U.K. it’s a hugely inflated industry.

Dave!

[Simon]

How many skittles is that?

[Mito Man]

I believe they only accept old Nokias there.