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Behaviour/development

Talk to others about child development and behaviour stages here. You can find more information on our development calendar.

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Original poster

If your child is in nursery...

77 replies

GrrrlInterrupted · 29/04/2008 13:07

How old were they when they 1st went?

And what activities do they do there?

OP posts:

Are your children’s vaccines up to date?

Set a reminder

FairyMum · 01/05/2008 06:42

What does my 3 year-old do in nursery all day? He plays in the sandpit ALL DAY EVERY DAY. What does he eat in nursery? SAND MIXED WITH A BIT OF SNOT.

RubySlippers · 01/05/2008 08:29

the face was because i found it an odd statement - the implication that nursery was only good for children don't get valuable interaction at home is misplaced IMO and IME

why isn't nursery "particulalry brilliant"? It is for my DS - i looked at a childminder too, but that didn't appeal to me for lots of reasons

I work fulltime - he HAS to go to nursery. He can;t therefore get the "One to One" attention from me which is "best" - that is life though for people who have to pay the mortgage

RubySlippers · 01/05/2008 08:30

CJ - it doesn't make you a wicked mummy

ruddynorah · 01/05/2008 08:35

no it doesn't make you a wiked parent. dd thinks i'm a wicked parent when we drive PAST nursery to somewhere else..and she tells me so 'wendy's house pleeeeeeeease, mammmmaaaaaa, pleeeeeease, wendy's house no shops, no pool, no play, wendy house pleeeeeeeeeeeease..!!!!!' wendy is her fab key worker.

TeenyTinyTorya · 01/05/2008 08:41

Ruby - I think that nursery and school are artificial situations. There is nothing "wrong" or "bad" about them, but for me they are not as good an option as education based around the home. You are never going to have to spend hours every day with your peer group in later life, so what is the value of the forced and false socialisation that a school or nursery provides? IMO, social experiences in the real world and freedom to be educated autonomously are much more valuable.

As I said though, I'm biased as I was home-edded myself, and it's just my opinion. All I was saying to the OP was that she isn't going to harm her child in any way by not using a nursery, I didn't mean to open a big school/home-ed can of worms . It just annoys me sometimes when people who opt out of nursery and school are told that they will be missing out on so much, when really they should be made to feel confident about their choice.

scottishmummy · 01/05/2008 08:42

my wee one loves nursery. I love nursery. we are content

RubySlippers · 01/05/2008 08:47

Are they artificial? They are constructs like anything else ...

I don;t think the OP will "harm" her child if they don't go to nursery, but she won't if he goes either!

I don't know enough about home ed to agree of disagree with your statement about home ed being the better option but sounds like you had a very positive experience with it

scottishmummy · 01/05/2008 08:49

constructs and situations are experiential, and thus my child has an experientail construct of water play, sand, heurestic play,readind, sining, keyworker cuddles time. Nowt artificial about that

RubySlippers · 01/05/2008 08:51

My DS was obssessed with huerisitic play

blueshoes · 01/05/2008 09:10

woah, bossybritches, don't get your britches in a twist.

Aren't we saying the same thing at the end of the day? That you have to look at the individual day nursery and school nursery?

I was making an observation based on the situation in my day nursery, in which there is a massive exodus around the 3-4 age group to school nurseries, leaving that age group and the 4-5s quite thin. So the day nursery tries to lump then with the younger groups, which are bigger. Hence the needs tend to focus on the younger children. Some in the small group of older children got pretty bored, because they were ready to move on to the next stage.

I only mentioned about the letters and numbers because the OP asked about whether letters and numbers were introduced at which age group? I never said I thought it was important to PREPARE a child for reception.

My dd just happens to enjoy her letters and numbers at her school nursery. I am proud of her. In HER case, she was ready to move on. If she was not ready, I simply would not know because she would not come home asking to write and copy words and do sweet notes and drawings to her mummy, daddy and little brother.

blueshoes · 01/05/2008 09:22

TTT, mumofhelen, no one on this thread was remotely discussing what parents do at home with their children.

They are responding to a thread on what children do at nurseries.

mumofhelen: "No nursery or childminder can 'beat' or 'better' a mum who can do the above list. A mum's one-to-one attention is certainly the best for under 3s."

Oh dear, who was comparing whether being at home with mother is better than being in a nursery? I hope nothing in this thread made either of you, if you stay at home, feel redundant. Because that is not the intention of any of the other posters, IMO.

I think it is fantastic that my positive experience of nursery is replicated by so many others. It is an additional dimension to my dcs' life. They have time at home with me and dh as well, before they go to nursery/school and after they get back as well as on weekends and holidays. The varied experience is great for them, and they have blossomed at nursery. But that is just them.

I never worry myself whether they were be better off or not at home with me. They get the best of both worlds and a great social life. In your case, your dcs are thriving under your arrangements. Hence, I don't think there is any concern at all or need to tie yourself up in knots comparing which is better.

youngbutnotdumb · 01/05/2008 09:27

My DS started nursery at 20 months in Feb and he's never been happier! I was soo worried about sending him, I had to return to work for financial reasons, he has come on so quick his interaction skills have improved, he gets out everyday to the gardens, the park or the library all things that I couldn't do with him all the time and he loves his new friends. I have no regrets about sending him now after seeing how much happier he is!

TeenyTinyTorya · 01/05/2008 09:33

Sorry blueshoes, like I said I didn't mean to start a debate. I just wanted to give the OP some ideas and let her know that she wouldn't be disadvantaging her child in any way.

Pennypops · 01/05/2008 09:41

My ds went at 7 months and has just finished his first month - he is still very young for organised activities but they do some arty things with them and also music and nursery rhyme sessions as well as "free play". At the moment ds wants to do nothing but practise his crawling so that suits him nicely!

They also take them out for walks weather permitting and when its warmer they have them outside under a gazebo which seems a nice idea.

Ds bought home his first little picture yesterday of his handprints. I was so proud and it has pride of place on the kitchen wall {grin}

Pennypops · 01/05/2008 09:45

I chose a nursery over childminder for ds because he's a sociable cheery little boy and the variety a nursery brings suits him. He seems very happy and so am I. I work 3 days a week so we have a good balance between home and nursery. I discounted the idea of a childminder or nanny because I wanted my ds to have the benefit of mixing with kids his own age.

blueshoes · 01/05/2008 10:16

TTT,

scottishmummy · 01/05/2008 11:47

lol i have just noticed i said my LO enjoys sining at nursery Oh Amen to that i mean singing and if LO is sining i am not aware

TattooedGrrrl · 01/05/2008 15:19

thanks all! And the debate was good too

DS1 will be at CMs 3 times a week while i work, so will play with others there, and also go to a playgroup. The other days i'm home, i intend to have him with me until he HAS to go to school.

We already do alot of what's been mentioned to an extent, but i may have to get a CD of nursery rhymes, since i only know a couple.

TattooedGrrrl · 01/05/2008 15:20

it's the OP btw

Pennypops · 01/05/2008 16:16

Tattoo - I thought I knew zero nursery rhymes but I bought a lovely illustrated book of them and it was such a good buy - when I looked at it they all came back! Would really recommend doing this. Plus its lovely to read with your little one

Caz10 · 01/05/2008 19:28

"You are never going to have to spend hours every day with your peer group in later life"

?? what about work?!

ouryve · 01/05/2008 23:44

You are never going to have to spend hours every day with your peer group in later life, so what is the value of the forced and false socialisation that a school or nursery provides?

Um, many people do just that in their place of work, as an adult. For 40 hours or more a week, quite often.

TeenyTinyTorya · 02/05/2008 00:10

I have never worked anywhere where all the staff are the same age as me. I am 22 and currently work with people ranging in age from 16 to 60 something. That's why I think school does not provide real-life socialisation.

scottishmummy · 02/05/2008 00:17

schools are arranged & defined by age!!so if school does not provide RL socialisation where does?is there an alternative Real Life socialisation you can recommend?many of my enduring and substantive friendships are school/unbiased - that was real life

scottishmummy · 02/05/2008 00:22

eugh!=many of my enduring and substantive friendships are school/university - that was real life

my spellcheck changed it and i'm tired

nighty night

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