Nursury for 1 day a week

[Abe99]

I was wondering if anyone had experience of sending their child to nursury for just one day a week. My DD will be 10 months old when I go back to work four days a week. GP's will be looking after her for 3 days a week (and have offered to do 4 but I think that will be too much for them). She will go for a full day (8am-6pm).
Worried that she will having trouble settling in as its for just one day a week.

my neice was fine and i know others were to but my ds couldn't settle until we moved him to two afternoons instead. Could you do the same?

Yes, my DD2 goes one day a week-and has from 11 months. My PIL did other days. DD2 is now 3. She didn't have any trouble settling in as such-i sold it to her as her 'play day with friends her own age' as she has older siblings. I think a lot depends on the nursery and how many children attend full time. Would she be in the minority / left out of the friendships if most went full time?

My friend's DS went 1 day from 9 months (nanny other days). He took a while to settle but after he did he was fine.

FWIW - my DD went 3 full days from 13 months and took ages to settle as well!

DS went one day a week from 6 months old until he changed to pre school just before he was 3. He loved it, no problems settling in at all.

Thanks for all the responses.

Glad to know other children do settle at nursury if they attend one day a week. Unfortunatly its not possible for DD to go two afternoons a week due to drop off/pick up problems.

In my experience it's not ideal - children who do one day a week tend to take longer to settle and are generally more tearful. Not all, but most.

Rita, thanks for your response.
When you say in your experience is that through your children/friends children or your experience as a nursury/childcare provider.
I'm quite worried that my DD will be out of her depth by only going for one day a week but its so trickly finding a nanny/CM for just one day a week.

Can you find a nanny share for one day a week? Keep trying the CM - a friend of mine was able to.

Could your DD do another day and your PILs do pick up/drop off?

DD is just coming to the end of her nursery career, having been going one day a week for nearly 3 years. She was always difficult to leave and, with hindsight I should have moved her elsewhere. I don't think it was so much the one day a week as the nursery itself. But, I'm sure being 1 day a week didn't help.

one day a week does not allow the child to settle in....remember there is such a large gap between times at the nursery.

I was planning one day a week, but my nursery will only take them with a minimum if two sessions per week. So they go for one full day (that I need) and one half day (which I don't need, but do appreciate!).

I agree with my nursery that once per week means they'd forget nursery between sessions (aged 1), and the other session bridges the gap.

My DS (pfb) has recently started going to nursery 1day a week 8-4.

He's 18m old now, I went back to work when he was 9m old and he was cared for by a family member but that didn't work out so I chose a nursery instead.

Nursery were really good, and obviously aware that 1day per week children do take slightly longer to settle, they let me take him for visits 2/3 times a week for the first few weeks, then leave him for 1hr, 1/2 a day etc to begin with.

He's been there 5weeks now, I'm confident that he's happy at the nursery, as when I collect him he drags me around gibbering and showing me stuff, he will eat/drink/sleep at nursery and when asked 'where are you going tomorrow?' he'll answer 'skooool'!!

He does however get a bit upset when he's left in a morning, tho staff advise that this is normal and he soon settles, he also can get upset throughout the day if something happens but again I'm advised that he soon comes round and can be soothed and easily distracted.

I'd advise you to go for it, it's is a bit unsettling for everyone at first, but we won't be the first to do 1day a week and we won't be the last either!

DD2 did one day a week from about 14 months, she absolutely loved it. Much better than being stuck at home with boring old mum.
She kept it up right until she started school, by which time she went to pre school the other 4 mornings a week.
She liked having the variety and the two sets of friends and helpers (she is a very sociable child )
She carried on going to nurseries holiday club until she was 8, and still waves to "Kerry nursery", Kerry was her key worker at one point and she was very fond of her.
Anyhow that's a bit long, basically try it, your DC may find 3 lots of carers unsettling or may, like, DD find the variety offered by a day at nursery huge fun.