What to do about preschool and nursery?

[treelily]

Hi. I'm new and would welcome some advice/opinions about my nursery/preschool situation. DD1 is 2.10. She has been at nursery since she was 6 months and has just moved up (a little early, but she was ready) to the preschool room at the nursery. She is happy there and we have always been happy with the nursery. DD2 is due to start at the same nursery in March when she is 8 months.

So in Sep 2010 do I leave DD1 at the preschool in the private nursery or send her to the one at the school we hope she will be going to? There are apparently 30 children in the school?s nursery and 35 in reception and the majority of them move up. I don?t want her to be at a disadvantage by not being part of this group when she starts reception. I need almost full time childcare so she would have to either go to the before and after school club at the school or I would have to find a childminder who can collect her. The club at the school is privately run and has quite a negative ofsted report so I am not keen on that idea for such a young child.

I would also ideally like DD1 and DD2 in the same place for logistical reasons. So my choices appear to be leave DD1 at the private nursery for preschool and let her go straight into reception or apply for a place at the school?s nursery and try to find a childminder that is able to have both of them. So what would you all do?

Sorry, can't help too much as I'm facing the same predicament. I think that I will go for a childminder (or a nanny, if we can afford it) to take/collect DD1 to pre-school and care for DD2. I would really like both DC's to spend time together each day - I'm not too keen on them being separated off into different rooms each day, as they will be in nursery. (However, I'm also distinctly unimpressed with the nursery we use at the moment, so I have additional reasons for going the childminder route.) I'm not too bothered about DD1 spending time with her school year cohort before starting primary as there are a lot of pre-school children who go to nursery so she wouldn't be alone.

i would leave her at the nursery

she is happy there - and with your DD2 due to start there i would leave things as they are

Moving from a different preschool to school nursery doesn't pose many problems. Your DD1 will slot right in as not all children will come from the same place. They are very adaptable at that age too.

My DC go to a mix of state preschool and private nursery/ state reception.

The juggling is tricky but I work from home so do it myself.

Thanks for the replies. I think I am going to leave her where she is. It will definitely be easier and it is reassuring to know that people think it won't bother her too much.

Dontrunwithscissors a nanny would be a perfect solution, just not very affordable for us. My 2 will be at home 3 afternoons a week so can see each other then

If you are going to need before and after school care when she starts school, and you don't want to use the club at school it may be better to move her to a childminder and also to the school pre-school. That way she will be settled in with the childminder before going to school full time.