Would you put your 20 month old in nursery if you didn’t have or need to?

[Fitnessmum1]

I am eligible for funded hours but don’t need them, my lo has been with me every day and only been left with his aunt about 3 times for a few hours.
I am at home and don’t need childcare but whilst it’s on offer with just a small supplement I could send him a couple days per week.
He does have older siblings and I take him to playgroups.

No, I have just put my 18 month old in as need childcare for work but if I had a choice no way! I know she will settle but at the moment it is very upsetting for her (and me)

No different to nursery being a shock? And a 4 year old will understand better what is happening.

No I wouldn’t.

That’s what Reception is for. And pre school activities like football, music and dancing. And spending time with other adults-relations, friends. And Rainbows. And,frankly, nursery or pre school’s a shock too. And a 4/5 year old understand much more than a 2/3 year old.

I put mine in nursery and went back to work pt at four and five months, and i didn’t even need to have to work. They didn’t need to go of course. But I needed them to, and I was steering the ship. Over twenty years on all is good and all bonded just fine.

And for the child whose parents cant afford that? Each to their own but I don't see what's wrong with going for a morning at a preschool to get used to the idea of school. How come you are so against it? From what I can see when I have took my son for his taster days it looks fun. Also did your children leave you at all before school? I can't remember if you worked or not but if they haven't been left that is a shock for them.

I think it's child dependant. My son started a little bit of nursery (10 hours a week) at 24 months old. He settled in straight away, absolutely loved it. He wouldn't even say goodbye, he was off to play straight away. He's very sociable and talkative, a great sharer. It was a relief for me because I was the opposite as a child and had separation anxiety from my mum. Don't get me wrong though, he's always happy to see me when I pick him up, and he's excited to go home, but he's never upset to go to nursery and he gets excited to go be with his friends. He's now 3 and a half and still enjoys going. He said to me today as we walked home 'nursery is fun isn't it?'😄

I’m not against it. And obviously a lot of people don’t have the choice. I was just saying what worked for me and what I wanted-and was lucky enough to be able-to do.

Quite a lot of "I" in your post if you don't mind me saying. I often think parents who don't send their children to nursery often so in some part because they don't want to be separated from them.

The question is literally about whether you personally would put your child in nursery, how is anyone going to answer that without I?

I have. She started at 17 months because I was expecting DD2 when DD1 was 20 months and I wanted her to get used to it before the baby arrived (and so she didn’t think she was sent there because of the baby). I’m not going back to work, but I’ll send DD2 when she’s 18 or so months so I can have a bit of time with each of them individually (going on different days), as well as having a day just for me to volunteer somewhere.

Everyone’s different OP. Fine if you want to and it’s fine if you don’t.

Well, of course there’s a lot of “I”! There’s a lot of “I”in everyone’s posts-because we were asked what we thought. I was lucky enough to be able to choose-i am well aware that many people
aren’t.

Absolutely. It's so good for them. My DC have such special friendships which were formed at nursery.

Yep!! Eldest started a 2yr2 months and I was pulling my hair out by then. We did so many clubs and groups but she gets so so much from going to nursery. Youngest is starting at 18 months!

Ok, but that means there are around 10% that don’t. Even then, I'm told, the children that are at home full time until they start nursery at 3 take longer to settle into school than the kids that were at nursery whilst their parents worked.

There sometimes seems to be a sense that it’s either nursery or spending every second of every day clinging to your mother’s skirt!