Community Posts, Tips & Support on Childcare & Education

Anyone else's child starting preschool ( age 3) next year

Just been refused entry to nursery as we mentioned at drop off he had calpol earlier as had complained of growing pains through the night. Feels like a weird policy, have you also got this policy?

Hi girls Are you still using/have baby gates around the house? Thanks

My LO was born on 1 July 2024. When is it recommended I apply for day nursery places? I plan to go back to work in May 2025. What is the process like? Any tips or recommends?

I always knew I was going to home-educate my child, but I lived in London then, where there are many many many hime-educating groups. I feel a little lonely at the minute, trying to find my feet in this new path, and would love to know if anyone else here is going through the same? X

Hi ladies, I would like to change nursery but read that it’s not possible to change childcare provider during ongoing term, I would loose this funding. Do you know any details?

Hi, we going to take a look at the nursery tomorrow. What do i need to ask or check? Thanks a lot ❤️

For those who have their little ones in nursery, might be a stupid question but are you allowed to pick up your baby from nursery early? So if the day is 8-6, can I collect at 5? Or for the morning sessions that are 8-1, can I collect at 12.30? Or do they not like you disrupting the schedule? Thanks!

Just opened government 20% tas free childcare account and linked our nursery to it. I understand we pay in money to pay nursery into it, and pay from there but how do you get the tax free bit? It says government pay in £2 for every £8 annually, does this mean we pay full price and at end of year we get money back? O...

Hello does anyone take their lo to nursery for 1 day a week? Have they settled in ok ? How long did it take ?

Hi there, I’m self employed and so need to scale myself back up to going back to work full time in order to get clients back etc. As a result, Im planning on sending my baby to a childminder one/two days a week when he is six months old. Some people have told me this is too young - but im not sure what else to do....

Hi there, I’m scaling back up to work and so am looking to send my baby to a childminder a couple of days a week from November. The childminder I’m thinking of going with has told me that when she is on holiday clients are required to pay half fees — and that she takes six weeks holiday a year. I totally unders...

Any mama's had a long hospital stay? I'm trying to come up with stuff to do because everyone's asking what I need but I have no idea aside from like coloring books or suduko or stuff like that.

Have you picked your LO’s nursery? If you so what were the key things you looked for?

I have a 5 month old baby, single mom. I currently work at a coffee shop 5 hours a day and live 1 hour away. I just got a job offer for a daycare teacher full time 9 hours with a hour lunch, 3 min down the street. So I would still be super far away and only making 16.70 a hour. I want to do it because I would love t...

Hey, I’m struggling to find a nursery close to bs9, Gloucester Road or southmead hospital that offers flexible days. Returning to work when my LB is around 1 year old (next summer) but I will only have 1 set day at work, so will also need 1 day flexi Aware mamma bears has spaces and does flexi but everyone I’ve sp...

Any recommendations for daycare in the White Marsh/ Rosedale/Baltimore area?

Hey girls, im due to go back to work soon.Does anyone know if UC will pay upfront childcare costs? I honestly don't know how I'm going to manage paying the first month's fees😫

Anyone else nursery cost different every month depending on how many weeks are in the month? Before I was paying £650 per month. No mention of weekly by the nursery. Now I’m receiving the 15 funded hours and only paying for 1.5 days they’ve started to bill me weekly. Is this weird ?

How many days a week does your little one go to childminders or nursery? Mine is just about to go up to 4 days which makes me sad