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Original poster

Should I send my child to pre school

218 replies

HearMeRawwr · 21/01/2021 10:22

My child's preschool is open as normal but given the current infection rates in England I'm wary of sending her. She's ambivalent, she seems to enjoy it, however she equally happy spending time with me (I'm a SAHM).
I'm also worried they may close all pre school settings as further covid reduction/control measures, and don't want her further disruption to her routine.
WWYD

OP posts:
Original poster
HearMeRawwr · 21/01/2021 10:23

Reported to move to coronavirus topic

OP posts:
Remmy123 · 21/01/2021 11:03

Everyone Here will tell you you are selfish by sending her 😳

.... I'd send her - rates are dropping and they need interaction from other kids

EatingAllTheCookies · 21/01/2021 11:26

I send my dd. Least she has some sort of normality.

covetingthepreciousthings · 21/01/2021 11:29

We haven't sent DC back to preschool this term, personally I felt whilst we can do childcare at home, we should. I wanted to reduce the risk to both our family and for the staff there.
I've since said we will keep off until at least feb half term now and then review the situation.

pinkpip100 · 21/01/2021 11:38

Personally I would say if you don't need to send her for work reasons, and she is happy at home, don't send her in. It's an unnecessary risk and she will be fine - don't underestimate how much you can provide just by talking/playing/reading/hanging out together.

0gfhty · 21/01/2021 12:15

Send her they're open. People were happy to mix and make the most of the lower restrictions during December when cases were rising exponentially at a higher rate than now. So don't let your kid miss out on something that will improve her quality of life. Kids have paid for this too much already. Unless of course you don't think she will get much out of being at preschool

Helbelle75 · 21/01/2021 12:22

We're still sending our dd, even though I'm on mat leave. She is struggling with things being open, then closed, only seeing grandparents on skype and not being able to do her normal activities anyway. She loves preschool and her friends there, and I dont want to take that away too.
We monitor the rates around here - they're actually falling quite quickly - and assess it every week.
It's such a hard decision, but keeping some element of normal for her is best at the moment.

IndecentFeminist · 21/01/2021 12:31

Mine goes to nursery/preschool even when I'm not working.

OrangeGinLemonFanta · 21/01/2021 12:34

I'd send my DS in a heartbeat if I could. He is SO BORED with us trying to work and homeschooling his sister, he's not getting the attention he deserves and he really misses his little friends. Sadly his preschool has closed.

MoirasRoses · 21/01/2021 12:35

Yes. My daughter goes to preschool (private nursery) 4 days a week, from 9am-5pm. I’m on maternity leave.

If I don’t send her, I lose £54 a day as they are open. But that aside, I’d be sending her anyway. It’s the one shred of normality she gets. It makes her really happy. It gives her some resemblance of a childhood. She loves going more than anything. Adores her friends, the staff, the activities. Her behaviour just falls of a cliff after too many days at home. Obviously be fine if we could do normal activities, she’s a really good kid on the whole but we are literally stuck at home or on yet another walk. And it’s not stopped bloody raining for the last 2 weeks.

I don’t feel we pose any risk to nursery. We don’t go anywhere other than local walks. We get food delivered. We don’t see anyone. Life is miserable. Nursery is more of a threat to us personally from other children. But we are low risk & we’ve all had covid anyway..

Personally, I think we are being awful to children. Nurseries are open, make the most of it! It’s so important to their mental health & wellbeing to play with friends & get ready school too.

sassbott · 21/01/2021 12:37

I would absolutely send mine if they were this age.

Bumblebee1980a · 21/01/2021 12:42

Send her.

My DS goes. They need the social interaction and routine. My DS is doing so well with the other children not being there (he's shy and some of the other big boys are prone to hitting him).

The teachers have more time with him. At the moment the teacher is having one to one sessions with him (he is speech delayed) which wasn't happening before the lockdown.

So yes less children so he is coming out of himself a bit more and more one to one teacher time.

GoldenPoppy · 21/01/2021 13:32

If you feel shes ok, please keep her home, the less children who are in the more staff can distance from each other.
I am typing this from my hospital bed where I am hopefully recovering from covid after lots of oxygen and a cocktail of drugs,
My husband is in ICU.
I caught it from a child who was brought in with 'just a cold' , 3 other staff members in the room caught it too.

moocow1 · 21/01/2021 13:34

Yes, I would definitely send her too.

It's good for them to have some sense of normality and also to socialise, learn and get to be creative. Personally there is only so much of that I can do at home before going loopy.

My Daughter goes 3 full days a week while I'm on maternity leave. She loves seeing all of her friends.

Freddiefox · 21/01/2021 13:37

@GoldenPoppy

If you feel shes ok, please keep her home, the less children who are in the more staff can distance from each other. I am typing this from my hospital bed where I am hopefully recovering from covid after lots of oxygen and a cocktail of drugs, My husband is in ICU. I caught it from a child who was brought in with 'just a cold' , 3 other staff members in the room caught it too.
@GoldenPoppy

I remember you from another thread, I’m so sorry to hear you are so poorly. Our nursery is getting busier and busier, 2 staff have resign due to Covid concerns, so we are limiting the numbers. It’s amazes me how many people send their children in when we are in a lockdown and they are at home.

Op send your child by all means, but don’t send her under the belief that she won’t bring covid home.. she might not, but it’s a risk

mindutopia · 21/01/2021 13:40

Do you need to? By that I mean, do you need to work (you don't) or do you or her need it for good mental health and wellbeing?

My nearly 3 year old is in 5 full days a week. I do work, so it's more for me than him, but the alternative is him being home watching tv all day while I deal with home schooling and am in meetings most of the day. It's better for everyone's wellbeing that he's in. No cases or even the need to self isolate in his nursery since he went back in June, so feel pretty comfortable. It's probably safer now with lockdown than in November/December.

Jessuk86 · 21/01/2021 14:10

I have been sending mine and she has now caught covid! Isolating with a 3 and 2 year old is horrendous she has had really bad fevers over night so we’ve had hardly any sleep and now my husband has started with the fever and chills so he was up all last night.....if your happy to take the risk as unfortunately it is there then send her, I know my family will get through this but have heard a lot of stories like mine from friends and more distant friends of it spreading in preschools and nurseries makes sense as it’ll find its way to places it can spread.

OnlyFoolsnMothers · 21/01/2021 14:12

I say send her in, with everything else shut surely it adds some variety to her week.

YonderTweek · 21/01/2021 14:12

I'm pondering the same thing. We took our son out of nursery after they had a couple of cases in early November, and he's due to go back tomorrow. Or at least that's what we've agreed with the nursery but I'm still not sure. The nursery are keen for him to return and haven't had cases in my son's group since Nov - they had a single case in another building last week but no other group was affected. It's a really good nursery and my son loves it, but we don't have to send him as I'm not working much at the moment. It's just for him as he's an only. We've had a great time at home but I think he's really missing his friends now and is asking when he can go back. I'm quite concerned about catching Covid (I'm not quite vulnerable but have health issues) and we've been pretty isolated since the beginning of the pandemic, so going back to nursery would be a big step. We literally don't go anywhere otherwise so my son would not be bringing Covid to the nursery, so that would be ok, I suppose.

Argh, what to do? Confused

MumandnotMum · 21/01/2021 14:14

My 3 year old is going. He’d stopped talking to me. He was just grunting and pointing. He came out of school after his first session after Christmas and was talking to me about the black birds in the trees and the wet leaves in the drains. I could have cried.

Smurf123 · 21/01/2021 14:34

My nearly 3 year old is going but I'm a sen teacher and expected in school. I would have liked the opportunity to reduce his days as his dad is at home some days now - he's sen assistant in secondary school so only in on a rota basis though he does spend the majority of day in zoom lessons too. But as it stands nursery will continue to charge us nearly £1000 per month and I can't lose the place as will need it full time once his dads school are back full time again

Ruby1991 · 21/01/2021 14:45

I wouldn't unless absolutely necessary. I work in a nursery and we have had to close due to a large number of cases. Better to keep them home

HereComesATractor · 21/01/2021 14:52

I am sending my older child to nursery. I’m on maternity leave and it is absolutely necessary for our circumstances.

rainbowruthie · 21/01/2021 14:59

@GoldenPoppy

If you feel shes ok, please keep her home, the less children who are in the more staff can distance from each other. I am typing this from my hospital bed where I am hopefully recovering from covid after lots of oxygen and a cocktail of drugs, My husband is in ICU. I caught it from a child who was brought in with 'just a cold' , 3 other staff members in the room caught it too.
So sorry to read this, sending lots of get well wishes to you and your husband Flowers
covetingthepreciousthings · 21/01/2021 15:10

@GoldenPoppy I hope you and your DH both recover soon Thanks