What age did you put your LO in nursery?

[alixxx1]

Basically, as titled. What age did you put your LO in nursery?

What did you feel they learnt/the main benefit to them is/was going to nursery?

And is anyone looking at nursery's or has sent a child to nursery during the pandemic?

All stories and advice appreciated. Thank you x

They went mornings for morning after they turned 3, it would have been later but they start school when they just turn 4, so thought it best pop them in, they were well socialised but they just needed to get used to not being with me.
It was sept he went, we went off recommendations and a virtual tour.

My DS went from 6 months until he started school. It was a great Montessori nursery with mixed age rooms, child led learning/ playing,etc. The staff seemed very happy too which I think is a good indicator.
We were both at work full time which is why he went at 6 months.

13m and 14m, I think they started seeing the benefit at about 22m/23m, before then it was childcare so I could work and I was happy they were safe and looked after. By nearly 2 with each dc they seemed to benefit from the stimulation and interactions and playing with different people and enjoyed outdoor play equipment and crafts available there. Having to communicate their needs to other adults helps their communication and being in a group of children is helpful for learning to wait/ take turns/ share/ listen/ play with others etc. I value nursery in the pandemic more than ever before as it's really hard to recreate the social skills aspect at home right now, and I need to work!

Mine will hopefully start just before he's 4 for a year before school. Probably 4 morning sessions if we can get that.

Full time from 8mo when I had to return to work. He absolutely loved it (once he settled in) and it did wonders for his development seeing other children.

He still is going now, so we're able to keep working. Again, he loves it and needs that socialisation with other kids. He was getting so cranky being stuck at home when nursery's closed during the first lockdown,

My DS first went at 5 months, but only 2 mornings a week. Its led to a child who is so at home at nursery. Its lovely. Hes 10 months now and goes 3 days per week. When hes about 18 months he'll be going full time.

Age 3 when they got their free hours. Didn't need it before then

When funding started at 3.
Possibly would've been sooner if I'd had a job which paid enough to cover the cost.
As an only she was desperate for socialising and I'm not sociable. Did groups which were painful but she seemed to like them.

Oh and a doorstep visit from the teacher there which was nice.

First one started at 9 months, second one at 11 months. The main benefit was really so that we both could work. At that age, I don't think there is a real 'benefit' to them (there's no detriment either), but the benefit is for them is having a financially secure family with one/two working parents. I think the benefits to them start from around 2 when they start to develop social skills and self-care routines. Mine has been back since they re-opened in June, 4-5 days a week, and it's been fine. No cases in nursery and never had to self-isolate. It's normal times there, except we wear masks for drop of and pick up and there is more handwashing.

My daughter was just short of a year when she started doing a few half days and 13 months when she started doing 2 full days a week and I went back to work (I wanted to ease her into it)

The main benefit was her socialising with other kids and adults, but also the opportunity to do different activities and it helped her development. Even really small things like she wasn’t walking and they suggested get her some shoes to make her feel more stable. She walked as soon as we did that (and yes she can walk and run just fine in bare feet too now, she was just back to front in the order she did it!!)

She was almost 3 when the first lockdown happened but as I’m a key worker she went throughout. I hadn’t the slightest qualm about it. It was a bit rubbish at times for her when there weren’t many kids in and then when they had all the kids in the same room so she wasn’t getting the structure she would get if they were in a separate preschool room but that was a resourcing issue.

Started at 6 months two days a week. Now three days a week at 18 months.

The benefits to me are not just about her, but our whole family because we don't exist in isolation. I went back to work at 3 months and DH took over until she went to nursery. Now we both work P/T and do equal childcare on our days off. She loves nursery, settled in well and is very confident, and we have an equal and balanced home life.

From 9.5 months, 2 full days. I cant imagine it was particularly beneficial at that age but I had to go back to work and reducing my hours wasnt worth it financially. Hes 21 months now and he skips in and doesnt look back. He has attended throughout the pandemic bar 8 weeks during the first lockdown.

Dd was 1, she’s been going 3 full days for just over 3 years now. It’s a cracking nursery, although I can’t bear to think how much money I’ve spent on fees in 3 years

DD is 12 months and started last Monday. We both work full time so she goes 9-5pm five days a week. She's absolutely loving it and is so happy there.

For dd1 and 2 when their free funding kicked in after they turned 3 - they went for 3 mornings.
For ds he went at 2 1/2 - as he had finding due to being disabled- but I went with him for about 2 terms.

15 months for DS and he only did one day a week...he didn’t go full time until 3 and in hindsight he should have gone a lot earlier. We worked shifts around him and it was exhausting.

Dd full time at 6 months, she’s 17 months now. She’s so so much more confident than DS ever was. She’s so social and such a sassy pants. Her speech is amazing and all this I put down to nursery.

Aged 3, so I could work. No particular benefit to the children, except obviously the family income

3, they enjoyed it when they were there but they didn’t especially love it or long to go. They have returned to the same nursery for wrap around care recently and it has helped that the staff remember them.

2.5 years. Just for 2 morning sessions (9-12) a week. In the year before they started school, I gradually increased their sessions as the year went on so that they stayed for lunch sometimes and were also doing a couple of full days (9-3) in the summer term before they left to move up to school.

From 8 months with my first and 6 with my second. So I could go back to work. It was great it meant I could work and they could socialise with other children. It also means they can do different activities that I probably wouldn't do at home and it helps prepare them got the routine of school.

9 months as i went back to work.

Nursery has been great for her development. They also do all of the messy play type activities i dont like so means i dont gave to do them at home!

10 months, all 3 of them.

Mine went at two months old, full time. I had to work and was overseas so it was very normal there; I didn't know of any babies who weren't in nursery at that age.

For their benefit- 2.5 yrs. before that is childcare.