AIBU to not use all my DCs free childcare hours

[SnowyChristmasWish]

DC1 is eligible for 30 free hours childcare. AIBU to only use 12 hours? Will it disadvantage her as she gets closer to starting school that she hasn’t spent as much time at a nursery? The reason I don’t want to use all the hours is that I really value the time she spends with me & her siblings and a close relative (on the days I can’t look after her she goes to this relative). She likes the time in the smaller family settings and we enjoy having that time with her. I don’t want to make things hard for her though. So 12 hours is 2 days at nursery. Is that enough? Or will she struggle to cope with school from September? What sort of things could she potentially miss out on by attending nursery less? I’m particularly interested to hear any views from primary school teachers.

Hi I'm a nursery teacher and I wouldn't worry too much as long as her setting are happy with it. I would maybe look at increasing her ours in the summer term so she gets a bit more used to being there but as long as she is happy being left and is getting used to routines like hanging her coat up, registering herself, going to the bathroom herself etc then you are on the right track!

My DD was always entitled to 16 hours and she was fine when she moved up to normal school hours.
30 hours is a new thing I think am I right? If you and her have days together I think that's nice and I would personally keep doing it.

2 days is plenty! I'm an early years teacher too. All we say to the parents at our nursery is that we feel it's helpful for a child's transition if they have experienced being at nursery for a whole day in the term before they start at school, but you're doing that already. As katycb says - the usual stuff like being able to put on and take off her own coat, socks and shoes, go to the toilet, wipe her bottom and wash her own hands, sit and listen to a story, take turns in a game, be able to talk about the sounds in words etc. are all that we expect Reception children to be able to do. Anything else is a bonus!

It's fine. My DC have done a mixture of hours depending on our family situation at the time.

I think all dc find school a big change and very tiring no matter how many days they did at nursery. DD has friends who were in nursery 8-6 5 days a week and they are still as shattered as the kids who only die 2 days!

My eldest two never did their full hours (just 12 hours a week) and they were fine come school time. Tired but not overly shattered like some reports.