When is the best time to start??

[mumclaire]

Ok now I'm in a flap - dd is 20mths old and just chatting with some Mums at toddlers - they tell me that in our town I have to get dds name down for preschool now or she won't get place. So started looking and tis true - there are 2 potential ones I think....
One starts at them 2yrs and has fantastic ofsted reports, good mummy recommendations and is potentially moving to our local primary site and will act as an unofficial feeder, so brill. The other starts them at 2 1/2 has good ofsted and really good mummy recommendations and is nearer in location and dd already knows some of the helpers thru our church.
The thing is I'm pg - due with dc2 at exact same time dd1 turns 2 - so do I go for brill preschool but dd1 starting at a time which will be very disruptive for her and could potentially be disastrous or wait for 6mths and she goes to other good preschool??
Personality wise - I think she could start now quite happily and cope with it - so would she get frustrated at home for another 6mths if I went for option no. 2??
Any advice??

First off, don't worry - it sounds like you've got 2 lovely options, so you should be fine

Would the one that takes them from 2 accept her at 2.5? Often they do termly intakes, so you could defer entry a bit.

I would probably personally try and not introduce nursery at exactly the same time as a new baby - lot of change all at once. Otoh, if she can settle at nursery before you have no 2, it'd probably be fab for you to have a couple of hours with just no 2

Oh, and my other thought - I think 2yo is still pretty little for preschool. DS started at 2.5, and I plan to start dd at around the same age.

Message withdrawn

My ds1 didn't start preschool until he was 3 and his first day was a week after ds2 was born. He didn't come to any harm being at home for an extra year or starting at the same time as ds2 arrived.

For us, we couldn't afford to send him to preschool until he got the nursery vouchers at 3. We can't afford to send Dd until she gets the vouchers either so she won't go until Sept 08 as she's an August birthday. Her name is down already so we have the option of her staring at 2 1/2 if we change our minds.

I'd put her name down for both so she has a definite place then you can send her or defer it as you feel is right at the time.

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