Active discussions

Meet the Other Phone. A phone that grows with your child.

Meet the Other Phone.
A phone that grows with your child.

Buy now

Please or to access all these features

Talk
AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

Nursery at 2

73 replies

ToddlerIs2 · 22/05/2017 22:38

Aibu to send my DC as we qualify for a free place? My DSis thinks its awful of me. If is gone back to work DC would have been in nursery full time from 1, this is just 15 hours a week and I really think it'll do her good to socialise. I wouldn't be jidgee of i was working so is it really so terrible to do it whilst I'm not.

I want to do my best for her and do everything I can to prepare her for school but part of that is mixing with peers and its hard o do that with just odd playgoups etc

OP posts:
NeedMoreSleepOrSugar · 22/05/2017 22:45

Why does she think it's awful? The hours are provided because there's evidence it benefits both parent and child. If you feel your dd would benefit from it, then go for it.

lovelylavender1 · 22/05/2017 22:46

I don't personally think they benefit from socialising with peers until they are 3 or so. But there may be other benefits.

QuackDuckQuack · 22/05/2017 22:46

Both of mine have gone to nursery from before that. Whilst I work, I think I'd send them even if I didn't as they are both very sociable and have really enjoyed nursery. The enjoy the company of other children and also other adults. They love the routine of nursery and nursery has helped them to develop good behaviours - helping to tidy up, saying please and thank you, sharing, saying sorry and probably lots more. If you've got a good nursery available then I'd go for it.

You might also benefit from getting a place now as the 30 free hours for 3 year olds may put pressure on places.

sysysysref · 22/05/2017 22:46

Round here pretty much all children start nursery at 2, and they usually have to pay

Trb17 · 22/05/2017 22:46

Absolutely send her. It will do her the world of good and really help her socialise and prepare for school.

QuackDuckQuack · 22/05/2017 22:48

lovelylavender1 - that's really sad. My DDs have both had real friendships at nursery before 2, they wouldn't have had that with an arbitrary 'no point until 3' cut off.

user1490375610 · 22/05/2017 22:50

As a nursery nurse, definitely send her! Children get so much out of nursery

Original poster
ToddlerIs2 · 22/05/2017 22:51

Tbh the issue is with a history of hositalisations she's not had much chance to mix and now struggles so whilst I'm not expecting BFF stuff, not backing away into a corner and crying if one come near would be really helpful

OP posts:
tashaedamore28 · 22/05/2017 22:51

I'm wondering the same about my own, I have a 4yo and my youngest will be 2 in September and qualify for a place. I didn't send my eldest until he was about 2 and 8 months because he wasn't much of a talker and had a lot of "baby friends" so didn't see the need, but my youngest already understands and talks much more than his brother at the same age, and cries when he isn't allowed to stay at said nursery on drop offs for his brothers so I think I'd send him for an afternoon or two until after xmas....
long boring sorry short (sorry) I think it depends on your situation and your child! They are all different and I think my youngest will enjoy it and thrive but my eldest was definitely not ready at freshly turned 2! Whatever you think is best 😊👌🏼

Original poster
ToddlerIs2 · 22/05/2017 22:52

Today 22:45 NeedMoreSleepOrSugar. Why does she think it's awful?

Just from a why would you not want her with you every possible second perspective

OP posts:
Instasista · 22/05/2017 22:53

Yes she'll love it. She's lucky to have this opportunity so make the most of it

FellOutOfBed2wice · 22/05/2017 22:53

I sent my DD at 2.2 because I'd just had the new baby and thought it would do us all good. Has been amazing for her development- her speech came on practically overnight and she's made lots of little pals and just generally loves it. She goes three half days, we will up it to 3 full days next academic year once she's 3. I especially wanted her to go at 2 because she's a July baby so will only just be 4 when she start reception so thought it would be good for her to have a couple of years in nursery as apposed to just one.

Original poster
ToddlerIs2 · 22/05/2017 22:53

tash yeah sounds ready. Were the opposite, can't imagine her ever being ready

OP posts:
Enidblyton1 · 22/05/2017 22:54

I think YWBU if you DIDNT send her! It's only 15 hours a week, but it gives you time to get on with things you need to do and will give her another experience.
My DD definitely started making friends at nursery when she was 2 and now she has just turned 3 it is lovely to see a little group of them (about 4 girls) who get on so well together. They really look forward to nursery.

Original poster
ToddlerIs2 · 22/05/2017 22:54

Yeah mines just gone 2 so toward the younger end too

OP posts:
Original poster
ToddlerIs2 · 22/05/2017 22:55

but it gives you time to get on with things you need to do like camp outside incase she cries??

OP posts:
WashBasketsAreUs · 23/05/2017 09:19

My grandson went at 2 years 4 months as he qualified for free hours. The first few weeks weren't good, he cried and clung to me when i left him every time and it broke my heart. His mum was working so i had to take him.
She was exactly the same when she was little as it really upset me. However, been there , done that and i knew it was the best thing for him. I used to brightly say have a lovely day, kiss him goodbye and leave. ( very hard but don't hang about, it's the worst you can do) I always rang later to check he was ok. One day he was crying and i left but I'd forgotten something, went straight back in and he was laughing, playing, having a great time, little bugger! It does them the world of good so do it.

StarUtopia · 23/05/2017 09:20

Absolutely. It's not free childcare, it's education. You'd be mad not to send her.

witsender · 23/05/2017 09:20

Feel free to send her, I don't see why you would be judged as it is so common.

I don't think a 2 yr old needs to socialise though, provided you lead a normal.life.

VolunteerAsTribute · 23/05/2017 09:21

'School' benefits parents, children and society.

Leonardo44 · 23/05/2017 09:23

I would absolutely have sent mine if they qualified.

You're meant to feel guilty at 15 hours a week? Pfffft

witsender · 23/05/2017 09:43

'school' benefits some. But the majority don't need to go to 'school' at 2.

greenkite0 · 23/05/2017 09:54

But it's not 'school' my son started July last year as he turned 2 in june. He has benefited from it so much, I have no friends and don't drive So he is never around people. To begin with he was shy but now he runs around says morning to the teachers, is capable of washing his hands, puts rubbish in the bin tidies up, has learnt about chickens, goes on daily walks to the ice cream shop. All because of nursery. I really think it's amazing. And it's still on during the summer holidays!! He will be going to a bigger nursery in August because he will be 3 then but he has grown so much and is so much more capable because of 'school'

Fishbiscuits · 23/05/2017 09:58

I don't work, and we started sending dd2 to nursery at just over two and a half, for two 9-3 days a week. We won't qualify for a funded place for her until September, when she is three and a half. To be honest, I wish we had sent her sooner! She loves her days at nursery, and asks me most days if she is going. When we drop her big sister at school, she will be running to the nursery before I've even finished saying goodbye to dd1!
Obviously not all children are going to be so eager to go, although most are fine after the teary goodbyes are over, but I think you would be unreasonable not to even give it a try.

BarbarianMum · 23/05/2017 10:09

Personally I wouldn't I'd wait for her to turn 3. If she's shy or wary of other kids now, she'll likely find being left in a room of them, without you, quite traumatic. And with a history of hospitalization she'd probably welcome the normality of just being home with mummy and doing everyday things.

IBut thats just my opinion, albeit one based on having sent my shy ds2 to preschool age 2 and three quarters and, looking back, regretting it.