Preschool & nursery

[Norastroud]

Hello, has anyone had experience of a 3 year old coping with having 2 childcare settings? Our DC recently turned 3 & has been doing 2 full days at a nursery he’s attended for since he was 12months & started doing 2 mornings at a local preschool. The rest of the time he is with me & we do parks, playgroups, farms, museums etc.
Both childcare settings have said they think it’s confusing for a child to have 2 childcare settings (eg 2 groups of peers & different teachers)
has anyone’s child been ok with 2 childcare settings Or do you think it’s better to have one consistent childcare setting?
our son has become upset in the mornings & saying he doesn’t want to go to either …

im thinking maybe go back to just his original nursery & save preschool for next September? Maybe he is too young for both? Or persevere with the additional 2 mornings of preschool & hopefully he will start enjoying it by Christmas?

feeing like a bad Mum forcing him to go so any advice greatly appreciated!
thank you

I think one consistent setting may be better especially if he is getting upset in the mornings. Do you need him to go to pre-school for the 2 mornings?

thanks for your reply! I thought he may enjoy going to a different setting for 2 mornings but he doesn’t need to go - maybe I pushed the preschool too early & should try again next year?

Definitely try again next year. If he's unsettled and you don't need to have him there I'd rethink it.

Not personally but my friend has used 2 private nurseries since her kid was 2 - no issues and she has settled well at both.
reason for using 2 was that they both didn’t have enough days or hours to cover her work but between them they did!

My son did this and was fine. We only got funding for 5 afternoons at preschool and I just had a newborn. So I kept him at his old day nursery for Tuesday and Thursday mornings.
it helped he loved the preschool (hated the day nursery). I just needed the break. Both told me the minimum was 2 days at a setting to feel comfortable but because he knew the old day nursery and had friends there it was fine for a short while. It wasn’t long before we just gave up the day nursery and kept the preschool

Just keep him at nursery. They don’t need preschool. Preschool is more for the ones who have never been in any childcare and just want to do a little something just before starting school. Nursery will follow the same EYFS curriculum. Both of mine started nursery at 9 months and went from there to school, no preschool.

I think one setting is much less confusing for them!