to ask how old your DC were when you first put them into nursery?

[MustHaveMoreTea]

Whether or not it was because you had to go back to work f/t or p/t or if just to preserve your sanity and if think it was the right thing to do, looking back?
3 months old? 6 months? 9 months? Or only at year, 2 years, 3 years? Was it very difficult to do?
The new term/school year just having started I'm having some doubts over here! I just picked the closest one to me (not many choices around here anyway) but I'm also wondering how you chose the right place for your infant/toddler?

11 months to nursery when maternity leave finished, 2.75 days a week (officially was 3 but PILs would pick DD up early on one of the days). She loved it and was sad to leave (I was in tears as it had been such a huge part of our life for the 4 years she was there). No separation issues at all and as an only child we felt the interactions and give and take life lessons with other children were good for her

Playgroup at 3 for a year, (3 mornings a week), then nursery five mornings a week at 4. I was an SAHM until the youngest was 7

combust . Did you mean to sound rude? Many of us went back to work long before 16 weeks. That was how much maternity leave we had. Remember everyone posting on this board hasn't had their babies in the last few years.

My DD1 was also 16 weeks. 17 years ago that was all the maternity leave we got. She was fine - stayed there till she started school (not overnight and weekends obvs) and loved it.

I wasn't in the UK when I had DD, I was allowed 2 months maternity leave. It was supposed to be one month before and one month after the birth but I went on leave a week before she was born and because of the way the Christmas holidays fell managed to be off till she was 2.5 months. I could easily have had to leave her at 6 weeks.

I don't mean it would have been easy to leave her at 6 weeks but if she had been born in January I would have had to leave her at about 6 weeks.

Dd1: Nearly 3
Dd2: 2.5

They both started two mornings a week and worked up from there. DH and I swap staying home so they had one of us the other days, other than a Friday when they either had a nanny or Childminder.

DC1 was looked after by family when I went back to work when he was 8 months old. He then went for 2 mornings a week at a local nursery when he was just turned 2. I was on mat leave with DC2, but needed a break from DC1 for my sanity. DC2 started playgroup 2 mornings a week when he was 2 as he was so keen to go (I was back at work). I used a childminder for DC3 when I went back to work (she was 12 months old). She also does 1 slot at playgroup now she's turned 2, but isn't really liking it.
I don't regret any of the timings as they were mainly dictated by need.

I personally would give it two months to see if your baby adjusts. My boys were all early walkers so it's suited the really well when they went at a year as there was so much room to explore.

I worry with cm as they can have a high ration of children - up to 6 children under the age of 8 or them just getting bunged infront of the tv. At least with daycare I feel I can drop in anytime (which I do) just to check and I can peep into my youngest sons room window without him or the staff knowing which gives me a great feel for how he is getting on.

All my kids cry when they get dropped off but settle quickly within 10mins and don't fret before going.

DS has gone at 11m - it was big separation anxiety time, but he never cried for long and I knew he was having a great time (I saw all the photos). He's been there a month, and he's clearly enjoying it. He likes other children and clearly likes the nursery staff too. There are two main women in his room, and both are lovely with the babies. There are only a max is six children per day, so it's not overwhelming, and they do lots of things - outings etc. they also spend a good amount of time outside, which really suits DS.

I am back at work, and I'm happy to be - I trained hard to get there, and my career is important to me. It's easier knowing that DS is doing ok. He's also on-site where I work, which is great for me.

9 months, 9 months and a year (took a year so I covered the school holidays for DD1). 9 months was easier, if it wasn't for the older 2 I'd have gone mad after a year away from work. The DC all love their nursery and the staff are wonderful, they know all the kids (DS's primary carer was also DD1's primary carer and so got him really quickly) and seem to love them almost as much as we do.

When DD1 was tiny we visited the four nearest nurseries and two of them we came out of, looked at each other, and said 'no'. The other two we both liked and chose the one we sent them to because it was slightly closer and shut slightly early and we thought that would make us make more of an effort to leave work on time. Both nurseries we liked then got outstanding at their next Ofsted so we felt our choice was supported by the people in the know.

3