How many hours do you leave your child at nursery for whilst at work?

[AC786]

I am due to go back to work when my baby is 11 months. I work full time. Is being at a nursery all day too much for a baby of that age?

It's not "too much " but it depends on you and your child's needs. Personally I went for a childminder and it has worked out great . ( too great actually as DS was crying when he had to leave his precious CM the other day , I think he is rather settled on ) I wanted a home environment for him as he was going to be full time and I thought a nursery might be a bit full on for 5 days a week. He is a quiet shy soul though your DC might love it.
Visit some CM and nurseries and see what you think

My first DS went to nursery FT

What is important at a nursery is they have quiet/sleep time so babies get the chance to rest like they would at home

I'll probably get flamed for this but I think being out of the house for 10-11 hours a day is too long - that's how long I am out of the house on work days. So we chose a nanny instead (we have twins so not any more expensitve then two nursery places), if I had just one child I would have gone for a childminder I think.

Would def recommend childminder over nursery for a baby. The staff at ds nursery even expressed concern to me in confidence that all day is too much, and even if they do get a nap/rest, there's still too much noise and overstimulation. At least with a childminder it's more one on one.

Our DSs started ft at nursery when they were just 1 and 3. The nursery was fantastic (we looked at several) and I never had any regrets at all. They still talk fondly about their old nursery. The hours were 8 - 5. And we had an AP. They are now 6 and 8 and very happy and well adjusted.

It worked for us, but everyone will no doubt have different views.

I went back to work when my DS was 9 months old. He did 3 full days at nursery and the rest o the week he spends with my mum, me or my husband. I was particularly choosey with nursery to find one that had a separate sleep room for them in the first 2 rooms ( up to 2years old ) to make sure the sleep he was getting was good quality.
Sleep has never been an issue in the year he has been at nursery and the staff have been really goo at communicating with us about the length of sleep and times of sleep they want him to have.

my daughter is in nursery from 8am to 4h30pm and has been since 8 months (she is 13 months)

I picked one with separate sleep rooms and she loves it there. they have a good range of activities and quiet time and she can nap when she wants, not when the nursery wants (like in another I visited)...

I personally think 10-11 hours a day at nursery 5 days a week is quite tough, but fully appreciate it depends on the nursery and the child.

My DD went to nursery 3 days a week but was there for pretty long days - 8.45 to 5.45. She started at 12 months, and we also chose a nursery with a separate sleep room and which followed the routine of the child - in fact she had her own cot in there with her own things / comforters so sleep at nursery was never an issue. Its the fact that its full on, lots going on which is exciting for them etc so even though she slept well, she was still shattered at the end of the 3 days. We then made sure she got a little bit extra sleep the days she was at home to make up for it, i.e. didn't wake her in the morning, or let her have a longer nap.

You do what you have to do, don't you ?
Personally, I chose CMs rather than Nurseries for my dc - much more of a 'home life' situation than being in one room for 10 or 11 hours.

DS has been ft in nursery since 9 months, which works out at 8-4 most days, longer every so often. They have a separate sleep room and he's always seemed fine there - rushes in at drop-off, has friends, is in a good mood at pickup. A friend has her ds at a cm and dislikes the fact he gets dragged out in the cold walking from school runs and so on a lot; I know some people like this aspect but personally I prefer nursery. The staff love him and know him well.

DS is at nursery 1 day a week and has been since he was 10mo. He is there 0730 until 1745. It was a 1700 finish until about summer. He gets 3 meals at nursery.

This works for our family. But I would be uncomfortable about putting him for that length of time 5 days a week. Even a 1630 pick up would make all the difference as I really would like him to have 1 meal a day with us if he was in nursery every week day.

My son went to nursery at 9mo full time (8-6) although I built up to that slowly. I'd have chosen a childminder but couldn't find one I liked.

Was it too much for him? Well, he seems fine so hard to say. It was hard for me to be apart from him generally but there was no possibility of anything but full time hours. We made it work; I still breastfed him all night for about 9mo after my return to work as he wouldn't take a bottle during the day.

DH and I always spend the weekends/mornings/evenings/holidays having a brilliant time with DS (I love the time we spend together so am rarely ratty with him) and we are very close; he is a very affectionate and loving child at 2.5.

For what it's worth, he went to a small family run nursery so he had the same few staff in the baby room that he has now as an older toddler so he is very, very familiar with them. And he still likes to visit the baby room as it's so lovely and snuggly in there.

Is it too much for him (or was it)? Well, personally I would have a more flexible career if possible and family living close by to help but that isn't actually our life. So we do our best with what we have and all seems fine for now.

I think full time in a nursery for a child is far too long, I worked in one for several years & it's not an environment I would choose for my children, the staff mainly only work at most 8hr days when the children can do 10hrs a day 5 times a week!!

I think you will find it much harder than baby will.

Completely honestly... I always felt quietly sorry for some of the children who were at dcs' nursery full time. It was an absolutely lovely nursery, the children were very happy, lots of quiet time etc. My two were there, part time from 6 months until starting Reception.

It's just the length of the days for some children. They were doing 7.30am to 6.30pm, five days a week. It was okay for some, but there were a few who would have clearly been better at home or with a child minder.

I think full time does depend on your child.

Both of mine have done 8 to 6 or just under.since 11 months, admittedly only 3 days a week. They are thriving on it, judging by eagerness to go and reluctance to leave. It's a small friendly place which I think really helps - max 12 kids in a room, 3 rooms, and lots of mingling at the start and end of the day. Dn went to a huge nursery with over 30 children per room and about 250 overall which I wouldn't have liked, but it seemed ok for him.

Thing with a nanny or childminder is if your child doesn't like them, or if they are on holiday, off sick, stuck in snow etc, you are stuffed.

Hi my DD has been in nursery 3-4 days a week (depending on whether my OH) had a job or not from 7.30/8-6/6.30 since she was 8.5 months old she seems ok to me! She is now 2.10 months.

It's personal choice and preference but I would prefer her to be in nursery where she can mix with lots of other kids, learn from a range of people, she always eats well at nursery (she's so fussy at home).

It's all well and good voicing an opinion that FT in nursery is "too much" (I certainly do not have that view), but some people do not have much choice if they work full time. I would absolutely prefer a nursery than a childminder (again- everyone is different- not intending to sound judgmental of others' choices).

Its a personal choice. Remember that the paranoia we have in the UK about nurseries is not necessarily 'normal'. For example in Belgium where maternity leave is only 15 weeks, most babies are in nursery full time from the age of 3 months and it is seen as completely normal. Childminders are very rare here.

My daughter goes to nursery 5 days a week from 8am til 6pm. She is 2 yrs old and started nursery at 8mths ild going 3 days a week.

She is very active and social and she loves it. She doesn't sleep til about 9pm and has a huge appetite so when we get home she has a meal with us and we spend quality time together.

We have a great nursery and she is really happy. Everyone is different and you have to do what works for you and think about your child's personality. Soon they will be at school five days a week so it cant be all that bad

DD went to nursery from 8 months, full time. She is in nursery from 8.30-4.30 usually. She has always been very happy there - she loves it!

DS went to nursery for 3 days a week from 4.5 mo. And he loved it, baby room was seperate so could nap whenever. I worried that with a cm he could be out in all weathers doing school drop offs and pick ups and I liked the nursery.

I too think nursery full time is a bit much for a baby. My 14 month old goes to nursery all day, 3 days a week. The crèche is attached to my work and is a lovely, small nursery with a separate sleep room. She has her own cot and they are happy not to impose too strict a routine, but to let her sleep when she needs to. But even so, she's exhausted at the end of the day. I think because there is so much stimulation she finds it hard to nap. We have two quieter days during my days off and she catches up on sleep. If I was working full time I would chose a childminder and a quieter home environment.

DD did 10 hour days from 11mo, having done 2 mornings from 6 mo to get her used to it. She went up to 9.5 hours 5 days a week at 16 months and then back to 9.5 hours 4 days a week at about 24 months. She has always been fine with it and as a very sociable only child she has benefitted enormously from it.