Sending child to nursery

[doodledo92]

Sorry if this has been asked before.

Are you sending your toddler/baby back to nursery this week?

DD is 17 months old, I'm on maternity have another DD 5 months old. Due to go back to work in February.

My elder DDs nursery is reopening this week and to keep her place I either have to send her back 1-2 days a week or still pay.

What would you do?

I really want to send her back cos think it will be good for her, I can see how frustrated she is getting by being at home with just me and baby.
But... I'm also very worried about sending her back.

Just after opinions please

My dd has been back since June. She is a little older than your dd but she has been fine. Loved being back. Risk to children is tiny even if they do catch it. Do you have particular concerns for her or for you/other family members?

Dd has been back since July, and I'm vulnerable. Very strict protocols at nursery and no cases so far. She is loving being back and has given me and DH a little bit of time to sort our heads out.

Both DS went back on 1st June, no issues at all. DS1 starting school in about 10 days!

Thanks for your replies. That's good to hear.
I really want her to go back, I know she will love being around a others her age and having fun. Also gives me some time with baby and to get things done!

I don't have any concerns as such just a bit worried with all that's going on. Think I'm just being a little paranoid

My twins have been back for two months doing two days a week. I was very worried but it’s been amazing. They have been so happy being back!
Their bubble hasn’t been closed at all, lots of sanitising/Hand washing... it has been very well thought through

DS is starting nursery this week - I'm vulnerable because I'm immunosuppressed but I think it will be so good for him and the benefits outweigh any negligible risk. The procedures that the nursery have in place seem pretty robust.

I'm also on maternity leave, I have a 3 year old and 7 month old. My 3 year old has been back 2 days a week since June. No problems. In my area, there's currently 7 confirmed cases of covid per 100,000 of population. That to me is a tiny risk, compared to the impact of not socialising with any children his own age for months on end.

I understand the worry though. I tossed and turned over my decision, but ultimately, have been happy I made it.

Mine has been back since June. No problems. Get them back and save your sanity!

Mine’s been back since June. It’s been game changing. Despite a lot of silly, centrally imposed rules, nursery have been brilliant.

My DS is going back tomorrow (age 2.5) I truly think it's in his best interests but honestly I'm terrified about it. I'm 42, pregnant and diabetic. My mam has serious heart conditions and my dad is 82.
Will be a constant worry.

DD (14 months) has been back since June.
Worth work we didn't really have a choice as wfh with a (then) 11 month old was extremely difficult. But we'd have sent her anyway, she loves it and I think the benefits far far outweigh the risks for her and us (we are not vulnerable and neither are any of her grandparents).

Mine has been back since late June. I was terrified tbh, but working from home with a 17 month old was impossible and we just couldn't do it anymore. It's been fine, he loves nursery and they're being brilliant about keeping them as safe as possible - lots of outdoor play and cleaning toys more often. We've had two illnesses since, one required Covid tests but all ok. No cases at the nursery.

I am worried about how it will be when all their siblings go back to school and start spreading more illness, but we've accepted we might get it.

We're not seeing grandparents other than outdoors at a distance, to keep them safe (all over 70).

My DS has been back in nursery since July. No issues. Schools here have been back for 2/3 weeks, haven't had any issues at our local school.

I have a two year old who's been back full-time since 1 July, I'm on maternity leave and DD2 was born five days after nursery reopened. We've had no problems. She did bring back a cold, no covid symptoms for her but I got a cough (asthmatic) and mild fever so I had to be tested which meant a few days isolation for us all waiting for the result. Complete pain in the arse, but just hassle rather than a real scare. You'll need to accept the chances of having similar a few times over the winter I'd say.

In a similar (but different) situation OP and understand your concern.

Lots of people above saying “we sent them back in June” but it is a different question sending them in for Autumn and Winter than the summer months which were always going to be lower risk due to outdoors socialising and the previous lockdown.

Ultimately we will send ours in if I get a new job and may anyway as he is really missing having friends to play with. But will mean we can’t see my parents for (probably) 6 months which will be v hard.

My DD's been back since July. We've no medical issues in our house but MIL has COPD. A couple of family members have asthma. Nursery has been amazing for DD, they've had good measures in place to reduce the spread of infection. This has also had the affect of reducing things like colds, conjunctivitis, and the other usual grotty childhood crap.

It will be different in winter, for sure, but nursery have always taken them outside, fair weather or foul, and they've installed a huge gazebo-type thing in the play area to provide cover from the rain. So I'm hopeful.

We're living in an area that's thus far had really low COVID numbers but the reality is that given it's a uni town, cases may very well rise, and then we'll have to decide from there. I think I'll try and keep DD there for as long as possible and reduce my other activities - shopping in supermarkets, going out etc.

That also gives me an excuse to tell MIL she can't visit.

Lots of people above saying “we sent them back in June” but it is a different question sending them in for Autumn and Winter than the summer months which were always going to be lower risk due to outdoors socialising and the previous lockdown.

Yes but I imagine none of the people who've said that their child has been back since June are planning on taking the child out for the autumn/winter months (or if they are, they'd have said so). Except obviously kids who are moving to school in September.

Yes not planning on removing mine for autumn/winter........

If you are returning to work in February sending your older child back now gives you some time to get used to the routine. Plus they might get some of the other bugs (not covid) that go round now which might result in less disruption after you go back to work (although I appreciate your baby might still go through the cycle of picking up every cold going when they start).

My 2 yo will be starting back this week as I’ve got a new job. The chance of getting COVID is slim and then we’ve got a 99.8% chance of surviving it. Life must go on

Thank you all for your comments. Put my mind at ease a little.
I'm going to send her back for all our sanity! I know she will love being back and once she's been a few times sure my worry will hopefully ease!

My 20 month old has been back on three half days since the beginning of August. In all honesty, if they hadn’t have started to charge us full fees, I’d have kept him off longer but it was playing havoc with our health and sanity trying to work from home with him about all the time. He’s taking a long time to settle though as he’d only just started there when lockdown kicked in. He goes up to his contracted three full days a week from next week.

I should also add that within one week he brought home a cold which turned into a cough and temperature, so we had to Covid test. And he’s now on his second nasty cough and cold. All in less than five weeks. It’s going to be a rough winter!

@GrizzlebumsMum she just started in January to only been a couple of months before lockdown. I'm hoping she settles in ok.
Like you we have to pay full fees that's why I'm having to send her back!
I'm dreading the coughs and colds!
When she first started she had a constant runny nose. So got all that to look forward to again!

We were a back in June too. My mum is vulnerable but chooses to continue to see my daughter & us.. I’ll certainly be keeping my daughter in during winter. I’m somewhat dreading having to inevitably test her repeatedly but her enjoyment & development outweighs it all. It’ll be up to my mum if she still wants to see us but I think she’ll feel OK with outside, maybe not inside.,

I flipping love nursery. My daughters just gone into pre-school & she adores it. She’s got a gaggle of pals & frankly gets quite bored at home with just us 🙈 she asks to go everyday!

My 2yo is going back next week. I’m also on maternity leave. I would have sent him earlier but he is termtime only and they were only able to take him a couple of weeks before term ended in the summer, which seemed pointless