Worst of all nursery options

[SleepingStandingUp]

DTwins start nursery Jan when they're 3. They get standard 15 hours.

They didn't qualify for 2's as we earn over the threshold. Fair enough.

Everyone gets 15 hours at 3.

We qualify for the 30 hours BUT because they'd need to stay till end of day so over the 6 hours, it's £15a week EACH. Plus packed lunch or £22 for lunches. So £50 basically. For a week of "free nursery". Which I can't justify financially. I'm a carer so not in paid work.

If we didn't qualify then I'd have no option to send them but I do and can't make it work which is worse because it feels like I'm failing them.

13/30 kids will have accessed early years from 2. 13/30 will access 30 hours so have additional learning in the afternoons. It's possible 2/39 will have been to private nursery part time and have transitioned over to school.

2/30 have had no early years education and will only be getting 15 hours. Mine.

I feel like they're getting the worst of both options and I'm failing them in their education before they even start.

Plus they're twins and typically their speech is behind, I get no 121 time with them, their attention and ability to focus is crappy, they can't write their name, they can count to 5 but don't know their letters. All stuff those coking up from nursery will know.

Fuxk.

As the 30 hours is free book them in for it and on some days pick them up at lunch time.

It might be easier though to have them stand around in the playground for 30 mins then to walk them home at lunch time and back out again mid afternoon.

Into the pushchair with a packet of crisp and a video on the tablet. It's only the few winter months it will be miserable then they can run around after each other. Your other option is to opt on the full days and the few days when it's truly horrible just pick them up early I.e before lunch.

On snow days the school will either close or take mittens etc and build a snow ma

Tbf school is bottom of a hill, we don't tend to school in snow 🙄

Yes maybe the appeal of junk and my phone every day will hold out. I can sit in the bike shed if the toddlers are tethered.

No papy ground, we collect from the office. Playground is gated off.

It will be fine. Rain = puddle jumping. Sunny day = a walk or if there's a park nearby. Just go prepared. Take a snack for them. Talk about their day. Tell them about your day. Just do what you would normally do with them except you will be outside. I dont really see the issue.
Do they still use a buggy?

You're overthinking all of it op.

Mine were in nursery for three morning sessions a week. Fairly normal. As for the 30 minutes you just have to suck it up. Lots will be in the same position surely.

This half an hour gap seems like a total non issue

Me. I'm the issue. I don't want to walk to school in the rain then wait around in the rain for 30-40 minutes then wrangle tired kids back a mile in the rain. But it's clear from the thread that I should be embracing cold kids and wet weather for weeks on end.

Yes, the buggy is going to school

You are massively over thinking this.

They won't be behind just because of a few extra hours that others might be having.... at nursery.

My DD never went to nursery at all, she stayed with her childminder.... who was supposed to do all the things they do in nursery.... she didn't! Plus covid hit so she was not in any child care for about 8 months before starting school. She didnt know numbers or letters and couldn't write a thing, even her name!
She's now in year 2 and is doing absolutely fine! she learnt letters and numbers before the end of her first term in reception and is now a fabulous reader.

Put them in for the amount of hours you can and what suits you best! It's nursery... it's meant to be about play and fun!

Apart from my aversion to being in the rain for an hour, 3/4 of that with toddlers.

When I have up the pushchair after pushing it a mile in each direction empty I switched to taking my bike with massive basket in the front to carry all the school crap 🤣

@princesssparklepants thank you. I do think at least with 15 hours we still have time to do something fun

OP, I wouldn't want to hang around in the rain either. I'd do the shortest hours offered and take them home for lunch. They'll be much happier then going back to school later for pick up.
You can always up the hours later in the year as the weather improves, they're a little older and they have got used to going. They should be less tired and happier to wait.

Unfortunately my school crap includes a n oxygen cylinder for DS, so buggy will prob go and be replaced with some sort of trolley or pull along as certain days will be three PE kits, 3 lunch bags, 3 reading bags, 3 water bottles. On craft day I'm getting a taxi I swear 🚖😂😂

@inappropriateraspberry glad it's not just me who doesn't think an hour in the rain is totally fine, or two pre schoolers out in it for 45 minutes every day is great

We qualify for the 30 hours for DS but still have to pay £15 a week wraparound for lunchtime (he's in pre-school and every preschool around here is at least £3 a day wraparound to keep them in 9-3) plus lunches like you say but he just has a packed lunch because it's cheaper. In his private nursery that he went to before preschool though you could have more flexible 30 hours and didn't have to pay any extras. You can always just put them in for the morning? 15 hours is enough at 3 if you don't work I think

I'd just do the 15 hours. That's all mine did and they were absolutely fine, not behind the other kids at all.

Me too. Half my time hanging around waiting and the other half rushing around and racing to the next pick up/drop off/class etc!!!!

In Ye Olden Days (the 90's) there was no nursery provision for 3 yo's. Mine went to the local play group for three morning sessions a week. They then went at 4yo for either mornings or afternoons to the school nursery. They were not behind in any way at all. Just put them in for the mornings then take them home for lunch or suck up the 30 minutes wait. It will be fine either way.

Honestly, what is it with this place and puddlesuits?

That said, it’s not ideal but I think the half hour will pass fairly quickly.

Bonkers though that a school nursery finishes half an hour before the school does. There were about ten/fifteen minutes in between pick ups when I had one in nursery and one in school. It sounds stupidly inconvenient of them. I'd find out what other parents are doing.

So it's £52 pw for both kids in full time childcare?

Id bite their hand off for that

Buy an old Phil & Ted in line buggy - probably more manoeuvrable than a trolley.

We had the joy of school swimming lessons from reception 🤬

I don't know if it's already been suggested upthread as I haven't had chance to read it all but what about hiring a nanny ? They don't charge per child and you could get an Ofsted registered one to help towards childcare costs.

This a total non issue. What a drama queen OP

DD2 was in the last cohort of only 15hrs. Honestly, you couldn't tell in Reception

The big difference was between the summer borns, whi were younger and had only a year in preschool, and the autumn burns who were older, bigger and had had 5 terms.

I don't see how looking after them outside for 30mins is less work than taking them home and back again 2hrs later though. I think it sounds worse than it is.