To put DS into nursery when I don't work?

[cornflakequeenie]

I feel really torn between this and I don't really know what to do.

I'm on mat leave at the moment and not planning to return to work. We have no family around, some live in London, France and Italy so I don't get a break really, but to be honest at the best of times I don't mind.

We're moving house so we're in the process of trying to have a clear out, we've so much junk it's unreal.

So, AIBU to put my 8 month old into nursery for one morning a week for 6, maybe 9 months so I can the house shaped up and sorted?

Mother thinks I'm being a terrible parent and that I should be hung.

IMO £17 is reasonable - compared to a cleaner for 4 hours which would be the other option to free up some time for you to pack or ready meals from M&S!!

YANBU - I put DS in nursery three morning a weeks once he turned two. DD was at school and TBH I wanted some time to just do "stuff".

Nothing wrong with that at all!

I wouldn't for one day a week. I wouldn't feel my child could form a sufficiently strong attachment to any care worker.

Besides, the move doesn't have to be as daunting as you may fear. We moved from Asia with a baby and animals and all our possessions and it was fine.

The mental switch was very hard though!

cornflake YADNBU.

But I do agree with the advice to make it 2 mornings, eg Wed/Tue and Fri. Or afternoons? Often cheaper.

And do make sure it's a really good nursery. They vary A Lot. IME independent ones are much better than chains.

DD went to nursery one morning a week at 2.4yrs as I was pregnant and knackered. She loved it so much that within a month we increased it and now (one year on) she does 2 days a week. It's great for both of us and now gives me time to devote to DS, my poor NSC.

YANBU, the only thing I would say is that one morning a week is not enough for him/her to get used to the environment and they may not settle? If you are going to use childcare at all in the future, I think now is a good time to start - I tried to use a nursery when DS was about 14 months and he was old enough then to really not want to go and leave me, and so we stopped after a trial period. At 21 months he was fine about it, and I think had he been less than 12 months he would have been OK. I think there are probably good windows of development where it's easier than at other times.

I'm a SAHM and DS has just turned 2. We've just started him at nursery two mornings a week. It's really rough at the start when they don't settle and you know they are miserable but it does get better and a month on, DS loves it. He has a nice relationship with his key worker and the staff there are excellent so we're confident that he's in good hands, which is key!

My family also thought I was terribly cruel for sending DS to nursery now but I dont care. He really needs lots of stimulation and at the moment he's an only child and I'm 32wks pregnant and I simply can't keep up with him all the time.

So long as it's a nice place with good staff, go for it!