Baby starting nursery at 6 months

[Polariod16]

I will be sending my DS to nursery at 6 months old. He will likely go 2/3 days a week and will then be with family for the other 2/3 days a week from 6m-1y before going 5 days a week from 1year.

Just wondering if anyone else sent their DS to nursery at this age, and what their experiences are?

I have been attending baby/toddler groups and I am very much the exception among the other parents, who have taken extended mat leave and then returned to work part time. As such, I haven't heard much about how people felt/guilt/missing milestones/other comments about returning to work and baby going to nursery.

Just to add - 100% returning to work full time when DS is 6m and extending mat leave is not an option for us. However, I do WFH so will have that time, and the 2/3 days a week DS will be looked after my family will be at our house.

Hello @Polariod16 , DD is now 4 at started school last sept. She started nursey full time when she was 6 months 3 weeks old, we had no choice as mat leave finances didn’t stretch far enough for me to take any longer off.

it was hard, admittedly, DD was a rubbish sleeper, still is now…. It also happened that my first day back was the first day of the covid pandemic. She went to nursey throughout bar about 3 weeks when I had to WFH as nursey closed.
The bond with nursery was amazing, she learnt to crawl there, took her first steps there, she loved it. She also wasn’t the only earlier starter, there were two there that hadn’t started at 4 months full time.

She is now a sassy confident 4 year old, despite only turn 4 a week before she started school (she’s dinky and the youngest) however her confidence I put purely down to nursey.

I have zero regrets about going back to work so early, needs must!

My kids are fully fledged adults now and I can confidently say have turned out 100% fine long term despite going to nursery from 5-6 months old. I’m sure you suffer more than they do being away from them.
I also breast fed all till between 1 and 2yrs. I even worked close enough to pop in to feed youngest at nursery

I was a full time teacher and went back when my baby was 7m. I felt guilty about not feeling guilty to be honest! Obviously I worried a bit but the nursery was great and she was fine. They soon get into a routine! She's now 2.5 and loves it, and I see lots her age starting around now and finding it understandably very tricky but for her, it's all she's ever known!
I actually went pt when she was 2 and really enjoy my one day with her now. When she was a baby she obviously didn't do much so I feel like I haven't missed out too much if that makes sense!

I was self employed ran my own business so didn't take maternity leave with either of mine, not competitive "no leave" kind of post just to let you know different situation, my DH took a year off with my eldest and my youngest went at 4months 2-3 days a week. It's been a juggle and exhausting but as older teens now I genuinely can't see, feel or know any difference between them and non nursery babies.

Mine were sick lots that was the main nuisance of a larger nursery setting, I move them to a much smaller family run private space and it was amazing.

I don't have the guilt as I didn't have anything to benchmark, back in the day! 2004 no social media, no judgement and nobody really passed comment.

Mine started at 6 months, which was fairly normal at the time. I.was able to pick up mid afternoon, but they were there for five days a week. No problem at all, and they thrived.