Agree with the previous post - It really depends as there are pros and cons to both options....
I went back to work when little one was 10mths old and chose a Nanny Share as our childcare option.
This had the benefit of:
- providing 1 (adult) to 2 (children) care
- less bugs to catch than in a nursery environment(!)
- was (much) better value than the cost of nursery (about £50 per day for our half of the share, plus taxes vs £70+ at nursery)
- for the month that the share was based in our home (one month on one month off), I could just get myself ready, knowing that our lovely nanny would get little one dressed etc when she arrived. Made things easier, rather than bundling her into pram, heading to nursery in all weathers and then tackling the commute in to work myself.
- our nanny was just brilliant (beginners luck maybe?), was Ofsted registered, CRB check etc (we got in touch with her and a local family to do the share with via
http://www.nannysharers.co.uk)
- my only watch out would be in ensuring that the family you share with has similar values to you. In our case, the other family didn't always treat the nanny in a fair and reasonable way which was a big shame as the Nanny was just superb.
Having said all of the above, when our little one was 20 mths old our current nanny share came to an end and we opted to send her to a local nursery (Wimbledon Park area so can't comment on Riverside). She absolutely loves it there, gets stuck in to lots of 'messy play' that just wouldn't happen as frequently at home(!), playing with and learning from her little class mates, and all in an nurturing, friendly environment that encourages independence.
So, like I said, it does just all depend on what's important for you and what set up will make going back to work as easy as possible.
Good Luck!