Starting pre school/primary school

Hi all ☺️ a question for mums who hadn’t sent their LO to nursery, just wanted to ask how they took it when they started school? My daughter is 20 months old, we haven’t sent her to nursery yet as we are lucky my work is flexible and we have help from family to work it between us taking her to groups, classes and days out. I’m not concerned in the slightest that she may have missed out from not going to nursery, she’s become a little social butterfly, she’s so friendly and polite and no problems interacting and chatting away with other children at the classes, we often get comments on how well she is with her speech and interaction so I’ve always been comfortable with my decision not sending her to nursery but just one comment made by another mum got me thinking if it’ll be harder for to transition once it comes to sending her off to school so just wanted to ask for other mums who hadn’t sent their LO’s to nursery on their experience, TIA ☺️

Show your support

You've got a while until you need to worry about school so I wouldn't worry there 😄 it's not compulsory that they're in some form of schooling until the September after they turn 5. Although most people send them when they're 4. I'd advise giving her some experience of preschool even if it's just a few sessions a week by the time she's 3/4 for exposure to being around other kids a lot as well as letting her immune system take the hit. My kids started nursery at 14 months old and for the whole first year they were off several times a month with various bugs and illnesses. Better that happens when they're little and only missing some play than when they start school and they're missing out on making friends and things like phonics.

I’m not saying it’s wrong to not send your child to nursery that’s completely your choice. In my experience when my oldest son started school he was one of the only children who didn’t cry when I left him. The teacher asked if he’d been to nursery and I replied yes she then said a lot of the other children hadn’t that’s why they were upset because going to groups here and there is one thing but it’s 6 hours straight when they start school so a little bit different in my opinion. That’s one of the reasons I put both my kids in nursery so they would get used to me leaving them for long time periods.

My eldest started school reception in September and hadn't been at nursery/preschool before, she is very reserved with new people but has settled in wonderfully and is right on track academically....So plan to do the same with youngest who is currently 2.5years old.

Ours was different since it was when we were just coming out of COVID/quarantine so even tho our firstborn is similar personality to how you described yours she had an extremely hard time transitioning to preschool. It got better tho but it was really hard. I would say definitely start em off 1-2yrs before they start Kindergarten cause it’s a little more structured than they’re used to which is what makes it harder cause then they’re expected to follow a schedule.

‌

‌
‌

‌

‌
‌

‌

‌
‌

‌

‌
‌

‌

‌
‌

‌

‌
‌