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Playgroup enlisting?

waiting4babywaiting4baby
in My baby was born in Dec 07
Hi all, hope you're all doing well....
Just before the summer holidays my hv came over for the 18mth check and said come September I should start looking around at playgroups for zachariah due to long waiting lists! Can't believe I have to send my baby to school! Lol
anyway was wondering whether you've all started now too? I'm hoping to get him into one we've got down the road saving endless hours of wasted traffic jam time BUT sooooo not ready to be thinkIng about it!
And what on earth am I meant to be looking for? Clean and happy children? nice teachers? or is there more to it than that aaaarrrggh!

Replies

  • maxnjacksmummymaxnjacksmummy
    OK shoot me but max's name was down at about 4 months old - only because I suddenly heard they were getting full for his year - sure enough when he was 6 months they were FULL for their year so if your lo was born after May I have no idea where they go. As it turns out he will prob stay at the nursery he is at now for ease for me with working. As for what to look for I would go with your gut feeling to be honest!
  • waiting4babywaiting4baby
    Lol, oh no that does not sound promising, guess I should stop putting off the inevitable ....gulp!
  • maxnjacksmummymaxnjacksmummy
    remember you are just putting his name down - it doesn't all happen yet!! We are in quite a big town and there is only the one playgroup so that is probably why!
  • mamapinkmamapink
    How does it work in the UK then? Do they have to be in playgroup by a certain age?
    Sorry, I'm not very with it in terms of the UK stuff!

    With the nursery we have just sent Brendan to we went by recommendations friends made whose children go there, plus we had a good look around and were very happy with it.

    Good luck! x
  • xxxElxxxxxxElxxx
    No haven't thought about this at all! Maybe I should look into it. Like the idea of Oakley having time on his own - to become more independent. But I only have Mon, Tues off with him and want to spend it with him, so not even sure I want to go down that route.
  • xxxxBOOxxxxxxxxBOOxxxx
    Not even thought about it at all lol
  • alioli123alioli123
    What is it? I'm a bit confused like Liz, but I sodding well live in England lol. Gracie will go to a preschool nursery when 2...which isn't part of a school! The boys went and it's a term time only nursery so perfect for teachers as we don't have to pay during the hols.
    w4b, believe me, when you have no. 2 here, you'll want a bit of time for just you and baby and Zachariah will benefit so much from the social side of being around other chn his age. It may be better to get him in either side of baby coming, either b4 or a bit after (says me who couldn't pick charlie up from his 1st aft at nursery cos my waters broke having Aflie!) so he doesn't think it's because of baby that he's there.
  • xxxxBOOxxxxxxxxBOOxxxx
    I'm hoping to get rhys in nursery for a couple of days just to help me a bit when no2 here and I think he would love it as he is so sociable andloves playing with otherchildren
  • d1ydivad1ydiva
    Maddy's name has been down at the playschool near her childminders for a couple of months. She already goes to the toddler group there and has made friends with some of the children and the CM says that the school has good reports. It will make things easier for the CM if Maddy goes ther too as it is, literally, over the road from her house!
  • JolliJolli
    i put noah down for pre-school as they now take from 2. he gets upset when we come away after dropping zach and i think he'd like to go. 2 seems very young as zach was 2 and a half, nearly 3.but i'd like to change some of my work shifts to the day so i'm not leaving for work everyday just before zach gets home from school. (he starts in january) even if noah goes 2 mornings it will be helpful. i'll have to see how he gets on!
  • -kia--kia-
    Playgroup? Eh is that the same as preschool or something?

    Cole is at nursery 3 days a week while I work and he'll just move up the ranks to preschool and get his free sessions in with his normal sessions so don't think he needs anything else really.

    I did put Cole's name down for the school we want him to go to when he was 6 months old though lol. I don't want him going to the scummy school!
  • maxnjacksmummymaxnjacksmummy
    Kia that will be for the School's 'nursery' ie for free sessions the year before they start proper school - you can't put their name down for a 'school' until the sept before the sept they will go.
  • -kia--kia-
    nope, it was for proper school. He's guaranteed his preschool place through nursery for his free sessions as he'll be there anyway.

    I didn't know what to do with registering him for proper school so I called them and they said they'd take his name but i should ring back when he was 3 so that we could arrange a visit and stuff. I plan on calling straight after he turns 3 so I can find out properly the procedure to make sure he goes to that school and not the scummy school lol.
  • Star11Star11
    well where i live you cannot put childs name down for pre-school until they are at least 2/2.5 and then they start the term they are 3 as far as i know and they get 5 free sessions... then that leads on to school - i cannot put name down either for that as they send all families a letter and form beofre the school holidays and then you have to pick top 3 schools......... nightmare for me as i am out of area for all schools so do not get priority!

    fin goes childmijnder and learns a lot and gives him independence... also going to keep him going a day when im on mat leave and then my mum usually has him fridays so she will help me with both or have fin or baby for some of day... may be nice for that to be mine and fins time to go somewhere!

  • waiting4babywaiting4baby
    Sorry yes I guess it is the same thing. Tbh the whole thing is confusing me too. As much as I love zachariah being with me I know he will benefit so much from being in that sort of environment abd he'd never cope with school if I kept him with me up to then!!!!!!!!!!!!!
    It would be a good idea to get him there before lo arrives but I feel it's too soon as he'd be 22mths. I'm joining classes now though so at least hell be more social and hopefully more interactive. Because of his sight his paediatrician wants him to start at about 2.5 for a headstart so will be looking at Easter time probably (but I've been told I'd have to go private as they want him to have one on one support at first!) aaaarrrggh- I need a new manual!
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