In not wanting to have to put DD down for a nursery place two YEARS in advance?!?

[vonsudenfed]

I live in a town which is over-run with the under fives right now. Which is fine, that's one of the reasons we're here.

And there are plenty of nurseries -so far so good. But now I've been told that one or two of the 'in' ones are already booked up for the funded places for three year olds for DD's year group. Which I wouldn't mind, excet that DD is just 14 months old.

Is this normal. or is this absurd?!? She's only one, how on earth can I have a clue what will be right for her in two years time? And, to be honest, I really don't want to have to worry about it now - but then if everyone else is, there won't be a single place left in two years time.

And it's a nursery place fgs, not Eton. AAAARGH. People will be asking me about schools next. I thought we'd moved far enough out of London to get away from this kind of madness; clearly not. A hut on the Hebrides it will have to be then...

Is it possible that a lot of parents are making multiple bookings, because like you, they don't want to have to decide now which nursery they will want in two years' time?

I'm in South London. Whilst you are pretty much guarenteed a funded place somewhere, there are several playgroups where you need to have booked by the time the dc is 6 months or so. This seems to be in part down to some change in law where nurseries and playgroups can't charge extra to top up the funding, and so a number of playgroups have shut. Plenty of state provision, but that isn't necessarily what people want at that age.

Is it madness? I don't think so really. It is all just about demand and supply.

I live in Somerset and had to put ds's name down for his preschool while I was pregnant to get him a place for when he turned 2! Since he started, within 2 weeks, I've had to confirm what hours he'll want for the academic year starting Sept '08!!

Thankfully the nursery he went to from 9m until he was able to go to the preschool only had a 1 yr waiting list!

Gosh, that's pretty far in advance! Here (Dundee) it's not s bad, at least not where I live (central) but time frames all depends on where you live, whether there's any real alternative near by, and whether or not you need extended hours.
I was told in feb that even if they had places they'd rather give them to older kids as they would only get in for 1 year whereas my ds was still only 3 and have at least 2. Understandable when they have to allocate tight resources but frustrating nevertheless.
As it turned out they found him a place because I was able to be flexible because I work pt frm home to my own timetable.
The nursery ds is in is great and within walking distance- important point as I don't drive. If I was working ft away from home I'd have to put him somewhere else as they don't do extended hours at all.
Oh, and they'd only do a whole day (9-3.15) if I could prove I was working or in training! Asking for it isn't good enough, you have earn it

I put dd2's name down at nursery when she was under 2 weeks old (remember dp was on paternity leave at the time). Now there is such a long waiting list, they have closed it for the foreseeable future. (it is a fab nursery though!!!) I didn't have a clue until dd1 was born, but once it's done, hopefully you can forget about it for a while.

Also in South London. My dcs were both down on the wait list for a popular nursery when I was 4 months' pregnant. Even then, that just gave me the right to pester them closer to the time (I needed a place at 1 year old when I return to work). Without pestering, I may not have been called at all, so rife is multiple booking the nursery does not take you seriously until you call up to chase.

That's life ... in London.

so, madness all round. But I'm not even going back to work, I'd just - probably - like her to take up a funded place, although why she has to do 'pre-school' I'm not sure. I went to school without it, and seemed to survive...

Pre-school does give children an advantage and is of great benefit to them but i'm all for parents choice no one is going to force you!! But where i live the nurseries are so heavily booked we have to put there names down literally at 2/3mths or we run the risk of not getting them a place and i intend to go back to work when my youngest goes to nursery!!

I had to put my dd's name down at a nursery 16 months in advance and pay a £200 non reundable deposit. Not unreasonable, you might think. Except I had to chuckle when we received the letter confirming her place starting Jan 2009, complete with her full name on the letter - she hadn't even been born yet!

It's tricky. I work up in London and may well not go back to work, at least not there, but with places at a premium we couldn't take the risk that she wouldn't get a place.

sarahjct, £200 non-refundable fee! That is extortionate. I know about forking over a fortune to register dcs for various nurseries but £200 is a bit cheeky. Where are you?

i booked my nursery place 1year in advance, and paid a £100 returnable deposit. i would whether a deposit can be considered non returnable (seems unreasonable)

I suspect a £200 non-refundable deposit so far in advance might be unlawful. If you want to challenge it, I'd talk to Trading Standards. Although that does risk them mucking about with her place, of course.

Surrey, needless to say!

We did query the deposit but were told that there were a lot of people interested in not many places. I can appreciate that people like us reserve places and then might not use them, but I will have made the decision in plenty of time anyway in order to let work know. I'm not just going to decide on the Sunday night before so they would have plenty of time to fill it if necessary.

BITCAT: "Pre-school does give children an advantage"

Ooh, you may have started something there.

Thats if it's good nursery and everyone is entitled to an opinion and i don't claim to know it all, infact i'm learning rather a lot from mn

an advantage over what?

Gives them an advantage when they start school, a head start so to speak!! Gets them used to being away from mummy so school not such a shock and mixing with other children the same age, learning to share and also problems can be spotted before they start school so dealt with quicker!! Do you think not, if so why!! I am doing a course at college at the min pre school care, so opinions are valuable!!

Oh yes, it can help with all those things although not guaranteed - depends on the child and the pre-school or nursery.

Logically, though, children still face the big 'leaving mummy' shock, it's just they do it when they are littler than they would if we just left them until they start school.

I dunno, ds has really benefited from nursery. It's attached to his primary school - reception is part of the same foundation unit - so it has made the transition to school a lot easier.

I am in Souff Surrey and it is quite the norm here.

sorry, I am norf surrey.

Yes agree with that ofcourse still have to face the leaving mummy bit but makes the shock of whole day at school lot less scary. I think especially handy for me because i have 3 other children and don't get the time to spend, teaching them to write and stuff. Can do the colours,numbers,shape thing at home part of normal life, but also gives me those precious moments to myself so i can go get my hair cut or do xmas shoppin, which i think all mums need some time to themselves, we are people not just mums

i had DD1's name down for nursery (day care) after my 12 week scan

you can't put your name down for state-funded nursery/schools here (SW London) so unless you have a sibling at the school already you have little to no chance of getting a place.