What would you do?

[Rainblows]

DD can start at the local preschool when she is 2.5. She has just turned 2, is quite shy but loves playing with other children when she gets the chance. We don't know a lot of other children and I'm not very good at groups like mother & toddler so she hasn't got any friends.

I've registered her at a nursery joined to the school she will hopefully be attending, but will not be able to start till she's 3.5 because of her birthday.

So would you use the pre-school for a year, or do you think it would unsettle her if I get her used to the adults and children and then move her?

Really would welcome your opinions as I have been mulling this over for a few weeks

I guess a lot of this is up to you and how secure your dd is/is likely to be at the time of the move. If you explain it to her and seem relaxed about it yourself, she's more likely to take it in her stride, but it's very hard to predict at this point. It's not clear whether you mean full-time places in both pre-school and nursery, or whether it would be part-time. If your dd is actually spending more time at home than at pre-school, that might mean the transition was less of an issue. But impossible to predict with any certainty, I'd say. Do what you think is right for her at the moment and then work out the changes nearer the time. Meeting more parents via the pre-school might be helpful to you, too.

Pre school would only be twice a week, mornings only to start with. To help her settle.

Nursery would be mornings, 5 days a week.

I hate the thought of settling her and then moving her. I could leave her in the pre school, just increase the number of days. But I think it would be nice for her to be nursery with the children she will start school with

Do you need to decide definitively now? It certainly sounds as though both she and you are ready for her to do some pre-school sessions and play with other kids. There's no harm in doing that.

If you decide further down the line that she adores it and you don't want to move her, then take that decision then. If the only way she'll get into the primary you want is to go to its nursery, then that alters the decision a bit. But, in your position, I'd just decide what's right for now.

Thanks jkklpu, focusing on now makes a lot of sense.

I agree, she is really ready to start pre school and meet children she can get to know. She plays with children at the park and at soft play but it's not the same.

Attending the nursery has no bearing on her getting into the school, but I think it would make strting school easier if she already knew other children.

But I think I'm thinking too far ahead

Hi rainblows, i'm in a similar situation with my dd, as someone pointed out to me recently it doesn't have to be all or nothing, she could start now at the local one and then when old enough do one or 2 sessions at the nursery attached to the school, see which she prefers or just continue doing both until she starts school.

My ds went to a local pre school playgroup for 3 mornings a week last year. This year he has started the pre school nursery class attached to the local infant school 5 days a week.

He loved his playgroup but has taken the transition to nursery class completely in his stride. More than a dozen of the children in his class were also with him last year too which has also helped.

At parents evening the nursery teacher said that she found that the children who had been at playgroup tended to settle quicker.

I'm sure that it varies depending on the child and you know yours better than anyone but it has definately been a positive thing to go to playgroup first for my ds.

backupyourphotosnow - I hadn't considered that. If she has a funded place at the nursery does she have to attend every day?

If not, she could do some days at nursery and some at pre school.

(did u have a bad experience with your photos?)

Feedthegoat - that's very reassuring.

I can see why playgroup would help them settle at nursery.

I'm probably worrying over nothing

Both ds & dd moved from a playgroup/preschool to the local school nursery. Ds is a fairly self contained, quiet chap, dd is a wildly confident, sociable object

Neither of them had any problems moving to nursery - and both had at least a few friends who moved with them, which obviously made things easier.

Not sure if that helps at all - but they're more fexilble than you think, ime

yy deepdarwood, it's just me doing to much worrying

rainblows, yep lost the lot, baby photos, everything my youngest is 3 mnths. Was quoted 700 quid to get them back, amazingly a friend has managed to retrieve them but I will always back up onto dvd from now on, was heartbreaking to think they were lost forever. Please make sure you do what my name says...

As for nursery not 100% sure afaik you can split the funding between the 2 you just need to tell each setting how many sessions they can claim for on your behalf.

so pleased you managed to get them back

me to - this was my actual face