Whether you’regoing back to work or need a couple of hours free a week, you can find the perfect solution.
MEET THE EXPERT: Alison Haynes is the author of Childcare Choices and Costs.
While you were pregnant, you might have given a brief thought to future childcare: perhaps you hoped your mum would be up for the job, or you heard rave reviews about the local nursery.
But once you’ve learned that when your baby moves his tongue a certain way it means he’s hungry, or discovered the rocking technique that best soothes him, there’s far more involved in deciding who will be best at looking after him.
There’s his personality to consider for starters.
Perhaps you think your original idea of a nursery wouldn’t suit your sensitive baby?
Or maybe you’re questioning your plan to ask your mum to lend a hand because he thrives on social interaction with other tots?
Your personal circumstances are also significant.
You might be a stay-at-home mum who wants a couple of hours to get something – anything! – done, or maybe you’re going back to work full-time and need a reliable and flexible option.
And of course there are the financial implications to consider.
Rest assured, there is a childcare option that will suit your needs and where your baby will thrive.