Is My Child Ready for Nursery?

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Parents choose to send their little ones to nursery for many reasons. Perhaps you’re going back to work and require full-time childcare, or maybe you just want to prepare you child for “big school” by encouraging social interactions with other children their age. Whatever your reason, you might be wondering if your child is actually ready to join nursery.

The truth is, there is no right or wrong answer and you should never let other parents make you feel guilty for making different decisions for your family. All children develop at different rates and the age at which you choose to send your child to nursery will come with its own set of pros and cons that you should consider carefully. Here’s some advice from a nursery in Buckinghamshire.

Think about how your child copes without you. Do they scream and cry when you try to leave them with a babysitter? If so, it might be worth preparing them for nursery by helping them get used to shorter bursts of time without you. They need to learn that you will always come back for them. Another thing to consider is whether or not your child will be able to handle the busy timetable at nursery; are they used to lots of activities before lunch or do they still require a morning nap?

How does your child cope with interactions with other children? Perhaps this needs some practise as well, as its important that they are comfortable with it by the time they start nursery. You could consider joining a toddler group to help them become more familiar with social interactions and a more structured day.

Regardless of when you decide the time is right to send your child to nursery, you need to be complete satisfied with your decision of which one they attend. Be thorough with your research; don’t just send them to the nearest or the one where your friend’s kids go. Visit each of the options and make sure the nursery is a good fit for both your child and for the rest of your family.