What age is best to start at Nursery?

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  mrsbobster

  Jan 7, 2010 11:39AM

  I think you should work on the principle that your baby should be as old as possible, bearing in mind what you can manage financially and how long your employer will allow you to take off work. In an ideal work I would not want my child to be cared for by others until they are old enough to talk and communicate with me what their day was like and how they feel. But like you I am not in that position!

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  Rhian2-50156

  Jan 11, 2010 5:29AM

  I think demand differs depending on where you live, how many nurseries there are locally, birth rate, the standards of the nurseries in general etc.
  
  Why don't you phone a few of them up and ask what the waiting lists are like, what the fees are etc and go and see some of them? You could take a look at the latest Ofsted reports for them too.
  
  This is such a personal choice. Some mums or mums to be choose for their children to be cared for by a family member, friend, childminder or nanny, in their home or someone else's home. Others choose nursery care, and others combine the two. We have a part time nanny to look after our little boy (she's been with us for a year, as I went back to work 3 days a week when he turned 1). This works out really well for us as me and hubby can sometimes be late home from work and we have an hour commute each way (nursery may have closed by the time one of us gets home), we like having lo cared for in his own home, and we don't have to get him washed, dressed etc to nursery in the morning before work. Some families share a nanny, which works out cheaper than a sole nanny too.
  
  My advice would be to listen to recommendations from people, but also to go and see for yourself. Bear in mind that what you might look for when you're preganant might be very different to what you might think is important for a baby of 9 months or so, and then different again for a child of, say 2 and a half.
  
  I don't think there is a right or a wrong age for a child to start. Some children adapt really well and quickly to being at nursery and others take a while to do so.
  
  Good luck with your decision and with the rest of your pregnancy.

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  k-vale

  Jan 16, 2010 7:40PM

  People like to scaremonger that there will be a huge waiting list etc, but in reality there generally isn't at the moment. My little boy went to Nursery at 11months and we started looking when he was 6months old, some of my friends left it even longer. Like has already been said, given the nurseries a call and get a feel for waiting lists. I was told with people taking longer mat leave, there tends to be more space. All the ones i visited had no waiting lists, so do not panic!
  As to when to start baby at nursery, that's entirely up to you. I'm glad i had him for 11months. If i'd had to have gone back to work any sooner i think i would've been upset and felt deprived of the bonding time we had

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  Cas1980

  Feb 1, 2010 11:03AM

  I think everyone, and every baby is different, so you have to go with what feels, and suits you best!
  
  Zach went into nursery at just under nine months and he loves it! I work four days a week, hubby has him two of those days and he goes to nursery the other two! I have noticed a big difference in him since starting nearly two months ago, an example is his eating has improved, and he picked up a pencil the other day and started scribbling with it, something I have never seen him do before. So, I'm really happy with the care he gets.
  
  I started looking when he was around 4 months as I thought I would go back to work after 6 months but ended up putting it off til 9 months. I went to one nursery which I liked but when I went to his current nursery and it felt really right! It was a brand new nursery, everything was new and clean and colourful and I just go a good feeling from the nursery! Because it is new, it's also very quiet so the most number of children in his age group is 4, to 2 key workers, so he gets lot of attention!
  
  I also did a lot of research into nursery childcare as I worried he might not enjoy it but obviously wouldn't be able to tell me! The biggest indication he loves it is that when we arrive in the mornings, he greets his key worker with the biggest smile and practically jumps out of my arms into hers! They also have an exercise book which they tell me what he has eaten, played with, slept etc. I think most nurseries do this!
  
  I wanted to put Zach in sooner rather than later as he was just starting to go through a clingy stage and didn't want to wait for it to get worse! I also saw the difference between my cousins kids, two went to nursery and two didn't. The two that didn't were very withdrawn and shy, whilst the two that did were very sociable and chatted away happily!
  
  I think when you find the right nursery you will just know, like i did!
  
  Hope that helps!

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  LMcD

  Feb 24, 2010 5:34PM

  Hi,
  I was just reading this post.
  
  My story is completely different to the above. We chose our nursery before he ws born but not so much for the waiting list just because we liked it !
  
  My little boy is nearly 10 months and i think its such a bad time for him to start. All babies go through this seperation anxiety at this time and so settling him into nursery couldnt have come at a worse time. I think looking back i could have done with either waiting a few more months or done it earlier.
  
  He has been going for his settling in sessions for 2 weeks now just an hour a day to get him used to the surroundings but he absolutely hates it. He cried from the minute i drop him off to the min i pick him up. Sometimes making himself sick with crying. He just doesnt understand yet that im going to come back. When i walk out he doesnt know whether he will see me again.
  
  Anyway i guess my point is. Either do it before they go through this stage of seperation anxiety OR wait and do it after because its making me poorly putting myself and my lo through this.
  
  L xx

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