I’m trying to get ahead of the logistics for my return to work in a few months and would appreciate some practical insights.
I have a 10-year-old son, Harrison, and a one-month-old daughter, Eleanor. My maternity leave is flying by, and I need to formulate a concrete plan for childcare. The challenge is the significant age gap. Harrison is fairly self-sufficient but still needs reliable after-school care, as my husband and I both have demanding jobs. Eleanor will obviously need full-time care.
I’m weighing up the options and it feels like a complex project plan. Option A is a nursery for Eleanor and a separate after-school club for Harrison. Option B is finding a childminder who can manage a baby and also do school pick-ups for an older child. A nanny is a third option, but the cost is a major factor.
My primary concern is creating a resilient system. With two separate providers, we have two potential points of failure (sickness, closures). With a single childminder, one person getting sick disrupts everything. How have others with a similar age gap structured their childcare? I’m interested in the practical pros and cons you’ve experienced, particularly regarding reliability and managing the logistics of multiple drop-offs and pick-ups. Any advice on what key questions to ask potential providers would be very helpful.