Preschool aged 3 - how often?

[Hdocheub820]

My son will be three in September and is going to start preschool mornings only. He has never been in any form of formal childcare before - just his grandparents. I'm on maternity leave. Debating between either two or three mornings a week? Can't decide which. I think I can increase it as the terms go on but not sure what to start him off with. He isn't confident in new situations/people.

My son went four mornings week. To start with it was one hour a day for the first week (he got upset when I left), the second week it was two hours a day and after that he couldn't wait to go and used to cry at the weekend when it wasn't open and he couldn't go! They will ease him in gradually and he'll get used to it very quickly.

Five days a week for me (twins) when they were unsettled I used to go in and read with them for the first twenty minutes or so ( they wanted a book each) I used to attract other children too so I'd be reading to half a dozen kids who'd all want to choose a story. I think I was there for an hour some days. Pre- covid and the nursery staff were lovely.

I only ever did 2 sessions with both my sons. It was enough for them, they were March and May babies, so there were older children there who did more days, but we did other things on other days that they enjoyed.

We recommend a minimum of two sessions to help with settling in. If they only come one morning it's a long time till the next session that you essentially have to go through settling them in all over again.

I'd say 3. They need at least two to help with settling in.

My two both started with 3 mornings (both had been in nursery before)

I've just put my daughter up to 4 mornings now her funding her kicked in. She will do 5 mornings from sept to get ready for school.

Also, those 3 mornings will be really valuable for you. I kept my eldest in nursery 2 days a week when I had my second. Having just the baby for a day felt like a break.

If you are able to, I'd start out with just doing shorter settling sessions - go with them for half an hour/hour the first week, then same the following week but actually leave them for a bit, then the week after just go for it.

From my experience the more they can go in, the quicker the settle as they get used to it more, it's more the 'normal' but when kids at my DS nursery only went in 1 or 2 days a week they were the ones who struggled. Mine did 4 days and settled v quickly. So in your situation I'd do 3 days, but with the settling shorter days for a bit.