Enjoying your baby is a wonderful experience for most parents, those first few milestones of sleeping through the night, crawling, walking and saying their first few words is an amazing time to discover your little one and without doubt, learn a lot about yourself along the way.

These days we tend to have children later in life, establishing our careers and enjoying life before children. Many people decide to return to the 'adult world of work' for various reasons, the current financial climate, lifestyles or to continue a career path.

So once the decision to return to work has been made, you need to consider what childcare suits you and your child. Finding suitable childcare arrangements is a very important and emotional decision that parents have to make, after all you are trusting someone to care for prize possession.

Au pairs are predominately single young people usually from another European country who come to the UK to study English and while staying in with families, help out in the home for a maximum of 5 hours a day. They must have at least 2 days off a week and be provided with a private room, meals and an allowance
Au pairs are not usually trained to work with children and not generally considered suitable for looking after pre-school children, however, can be a great solution for providing after school care.

Day nurseries provide care for you child usually between the hours of 8am-6pm. The benefits are most are open at least 50 weeks of the year and can be full or part time care. Day nurseries must be Ofsted registered and have a good level of staff.

Registered childminders look after your child, usually along with other children in their own home. Childminders must be registered and be inspected by Ofsted. Childminders like nannies can be more flexible and as most working parents know this is definitely an advantage. They provide a homely environment which your child will still experience the same learning and development activities.

Nannies are a popular choice for many working families, a nanny should care for your child providing plenty of fun and learning opportunities within a safe environment, usually within your home. A nanny can be a day nanny arriving at an arranged time in the morning and working a set amount of contracted hours or live in, where you provide a private room and food in addition to their salary.

Nannies can often be more flexible with their hours, some offer other duties and may even babysit as part of their contract. For parents who work part-time, some nannies will work on a nanny share system covering the child care within two family homes.

Before you go seeking a nanny you need to clarify exactly want your expectations of your nanny are, do they need a driving licence for example. Given a criteria, a nanny agency would help you find a suitable nanny and for a fee, they will interview and go through the relevant checks with the nanny before introducing them to you and your family. It is still your responsibility to choose a suitable nanny, someone who you feel comfortable with and trust to care for your children.