How much nursery from 2.5 to school age?

[Carolinaa]

I currently work 4 days per week and have my DS, who is around 2.5, one day. Then me and DH are both off on weekends. I signed up to this working pattern when I was offered a new job while on mat leave but just before I actually had my son. Once he arrived I always wanted to only work 3 days really but didn’t feel like I could ask to do less with it being a new job.

Now I’ve been doing it for nearly 18 months I feel well enough settled that I could ask to drop to 3 days. It won’t be good for my career but I feel would give me and my DS a better balance with only 3 days at nursery not 4. He’ll go to school in 2 years time so it will only be for these 2 years.

BUT my question is, now he’s getting older, how much nursery do kids usually do/like? I don’t want to take the career hit then find that he’d be better off/happier in nursery the extra day! The days are fairly long tho, roughly 9-5.

Thanks!

I did 3 days with my DD, it's fine as long as you choose the days wisely so they go consistently without a huge breast each week. So mon-weds is worse than Mon, weds and Friday because if they only go mon-weds it'll be 4 days before they go again by weds afternoon and that can be quite disruptive.

Break not breast

I think any combination of three days is fine and will become the normal routine very quickly. Some kids like lots of nursery but usually most are very happy having a couple of days at home with their mum.

Thank you - I had been thinking 3 days in a row would be ideal to get stuck into work the forget it for a bit, but maybe not. The ongoing breast(feeding) is a whole other issue!

I really struggle with this too but my DS is nearly 4 (he will start school in September 2022 and be one of the oldest in the year.) he currently goes 2.5 days and he loves it, but I’ve only really felt it’s been beneficial to him since he turned 3. Before then it was very much just childcare while I worked.

My DS started going at 2.5 and he goes 3 days a week. It feels the right amount for him and he loves it!

DD did two half-days at 2, up to 2.5 full days at 3, and now at 4 will go to nursery 9-3 daily until she starts school next year. I did find that after 3/3.5 she needed more, plus I'm heavily pregnant so feel less able to do things with her that I'd like.