Two or Three Days in Nursery?

[fanjobiscuits]

I am wondering whether two or three days in nursery would be better for a 1 year old starting nursery.

I am going back to work in a few months, hopefully for 3 days a week. Baby could either be looked after by family for one day and nursery for two, or three days in nursery.

In many ways the family option seems great. But I wonder would it be harder for baby to settle to nursery for just two days? I wonder if it would be confusing to try to settle to different routines. So far childcare has only been either me or his dad.

Thoughts on how to space nursery days also welcome (e.g. two days close together or better further apart?)

Any thoughts/experience much appreciated!

[Littlefish]

As long as you get on well with the family member, and will continue to do so, then I would go for 2 days in Nursery and 1 day with family.

We did this for several years with dd (although with a childminder, rather than nursery) and it worked brilliantly for everyone. Dd has a wonderful bond with my MIL, but also, spent time socialising with other children.

We did Monday & Tuesday with the childminder, and Wednesday with MIL.

[Only1scoop]

Dd started nursery for 2 days at 9 months....all great.
Good if you split them up so there isn't a huge gap. We did Tues and Fri.
Good luck with return.

[Strandy]

Hi - I am in exactly the same boat!

I am returning to work in mid-May on a part-time basis (Tues, Weds, Thurs). I already have an arrangement with a nanny who comes here every Tuesday for a few hours so I can get out. She does four days a week with a different family. It is a good arrangement and I have come to like her since she started in January.

Because my DS is getting on so well with the nanny on Tuesdays, I have decided to keep her and he will go to a creche (nursery) on Wednesdays and Thursdays. She will do a full day in our house and we have agreed a price on that.

I have been agonising about the whole arrangement, concerned that it could be confusing for him? He will be 1 the week I go back.

Advice I have gotten is the following: two days a week should be okay, as long as the nursery is a 'good' one etc, and that to have two consecutive days in a row would be best for a child his age. I think that him being in his own home for most of the week will be lovely. I hope (?) that the activities and environment at the nursery will be beneficial for him also. It is an affordable option. I am going to go with it, and if it isn't working out, maybe find a 3-day a week nanny in the Autumn and just pay the extra. The whole chidminder/nanny/nursery debate is a bigger one, that is covered fully on MN I think!

I hope it works out for you. Good luck!

[GreenGoblin0]

Our DD spends 2 full days in nursery and one with family member. It works well for us. I know my nursery have a policy in general to advice against one full day only, but two full days is fine (we have two days together)

[fanjobiscuits]

Thanks all! Really helpful. Seems overall consensus is two days is fine and two days in a row are best. We're now looking at whether a nursery or childminder/nanny will work best for those two days as wellso might well post about that...