Nursery days - advice please

[cookiecrunch94]

Hi all. My baby is due to start nursery in September 24 when I go back to work. I'm hoping to go back part time but can't request this until summer so aren't sure what will happen yet.
The nursery have said they need to know which days of the week my baby will attend as early as January 2024. Originally they advised me to apply for a full time place and reduce this closer to the time, but they've now advised this won't be possible due to capacity issues.
This isn't ideal but I'm having to go with it.

Which days of the week would you pick? I'm thinking Wednesday, Thursday and Friday or Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday. Does anyone have any experience of going back three days and what worked for them?

My MIL has offered to have the baby one day a week but I'm worried that the nursery will withdraw the place for only two days, as it's quite popular with a long waiting list. I'm concerned they will give my place to another child who wants more hours. Does anyone know how likely this is? Realise this is vague and I'm probably being paranoid, but I'm terrified September will come around and I won't have a nursery place. Thanks x

Do they have rules about which days you can have? DS' nursery said you either had to have a Mon or a Fri, you couldn't to Tues - Thurs (because they'd never fill Mon/Fri otherwise. DS started on M/W/F as that's what they could accommodate and we added in Tuesday in his second term. Having a block of days together probably makes it easier to settle in though.

I’d go Tues, Weds, Thurs for nursery.

At our nursery Friday was the quietest day, which I initially thought would be a good thing (thinking DS would enjoy a smaller group of children).

But it actually meant that there was no consistency - they had a lot of different staff covering Fridays and often they would combine two rooms of children, it just felt like they were muddling through until the weekend.

But, that might have just been our nursery.

I've worked in loads of nurseries and Friday always seems quietest, followed by Monday. If a parent works 4 days they usually want a longer weekend. Fridays often have a Friday feel about them. Bit more relaxed. On a child's 3rd day in a row they'll be more tired than normal so to have that on a Friday might be good. I'd go Wednesday, Thursday, Friday.

Tues-Thurs will likely give you the best working hours and your DC the best nursery hours, but as PP said they nursery might not allow this because it's what everyone wants!

I'd take Weds-Fri as second choice and Mon-Weds as third choice. I wouldn't want to break up the nursery days or my working week unless absolutely essential.

I think it partly depends on your job - is your employer more likely to allow some days over others? Eg my colleague worked PT at the back of the week so it made sense for me to work the front.
If you put down a deposit I can’t see nursery withdrawing the offer of a place.

Tuesday-Thursday would be best I think. Even tho we did Wednesday-Friday but only cos that's the availability at work I had. You get to miss paying for bank holidays when they're closed.

Tues-Thurs if you can

I do Mon/Tues/Fri at work as it gives me two days break in the middle of the week.

A lot or nurseries will take a child two days so don't fret about that X

Thanks everyone for the responses. My work doesn't have specific days but other girls that work part time tend to work Tues, Weds and Thurs or Weds, Thurs and Friday.
I think I'll ask for Tuesday and Thursday with my baby going to my MIL on a Wednesday and see what they say. Xx