Nursery Applications

Have any of you started applying at your nursery of choice for when your LO is 6 months old? Feels strange as they aren’t born yet but I’ve heard the waiting lists get super full!

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I starting looking and booked her in at 8 weeks pregnant after my friend told me to due to the waiting times. I’ve only managed to get her in Tues & Weds of the first one so far. I’ve got another one to look at, luckily I have told work I would like to go back part time and we have agreed Tues & Weds. My advice would be to look now 🙂

Just to add - that is for September 2026 🥲

I have contacted a setting I absolutely love but they said I can’t go on the list until baby is here. I have a friend who didn’t manage to get her baby into any settings and had to rely on family for a year until spaces became available so it’s definitely worth doing as soon as possible!

I've got my 2nd on the list for my son's nursery, we have been bumped up because of the sibling attending thankfully as the list is already quite long

I started looking at 20 weeks pregnant and got turned away from my closest 2 nurseries as they were full until 2027! Luckily got a spot for Sept 2026 at one not too far away. I think it depends where you live but best to start looking asap xx

We pre-booked our nursery a few weeks ago for September 2026 and went to view it yesterday, they are already full for 2026 with waiting lists, I’m so glad we secured our place because I don’t know what we would have done if not

Luckily my baby next year is starting at a childminder with his brother ( he already goes there currently). But she did say they have 7 families waiting on a list and she's already full. Can imagine it's the same with nursery 😢 best to start looking as soon as you can xx

I was 16 weeks pregnant when I told the nursery my daughter currently goes to about wanting a space for baby boy and they said they can only offer from sept 26 as they’re very full! So definitely worth getting a space asap! X

I’d do it asap, with my first we didn’t look at nurseries until he was 3 months old (for a place from when he was 12 months) - however with the extension of the 30 free hours there are much less places and for the same nursery we have had to pay a deposit at 16 weeks pregnant to secure a place in Oct 2026

Have people had to pay a deposit to be on a nursery waiting list?

yep we had to pay £200 deposit which is taken off the first months bill xx

We're secured a place for our little one at a nursery that's about a 10 min drive from us - they were full until Sept 2026 but that works for us as I'll be looking to take a year off anyway. We only paid a deposit to secure the place as opposed to being on a waiting list. I would definitely start looking now!

One thing to keep in mind that nearly caught me out. If you’re wanting to use the 30hr funded hours from the start you’ll have to return to work in September. I was originally going to stretch my mat leave until November but that would mean i didn’t qualify for the hours and would have to pay full until January. I’m now returning to work on the 30th September which means they should qualify straight away

Yes, I have submitted the initial forms although haven’t paid anything yet just got ourselves on the list! But yes, we started looking pretty early on

in our community

I've finally done it

I have finally done it. I have finally become the trope, the stereotype.

I have become bitter, resentful, and very overwhelmed and overloaded. I am very unhappy and hit burnout. And I snapped at my husband last night. I work full-time, and work has been very busy so im working late a lot. Im also in grad school. I also have a toddler that has become VERY clingy with me. My husband works shorter days but commutes, so he usually gets home after me by an hour or more. When he gets home, he usually heads to the restroom for at least 30 mins when he gets home. And now my toddler doesnt want anything to do with him. So im doing all the toddler duties until bed. I dont get 5 mins to myself. Not for almost 2 years. I finally hit my wall. I have also, somehow, become my MILs medical ride service and she somehow has an appt every week, it seems?! Shes not sick!! My husband was complaining that he needs to change routine to fit in a workout sometimes, and I lost it. I have been BEGGING for 5 mins to myself for months. I have been telling him how im not good, im going to burn out for months. And between his attitude and him complaining (which really got me b/c he blames me for not being able to work out?! Saying I need help when he gets home so he just cant workout now) I just lost it completely. I told him how unfair my life has become and I have the entire mental and emotional load and it is just not fair. He got mad at me and said "hes trying" when hes literally not trying at all. What do I do?? No one is taking the load from me! And im done and dont know what to do now.
I do not like this version of me.

AITA?

This isn't a major issue, just wondering if I'm being a bit of an asshole.

• I do shift work, 5 out of 7 days, full-time.
• My partner works from home (mostly, sometimes he goes into the office) M-F, full-time.

Anyway, whenever I have a day off during the week he gets in his feelings when I make myself food (breakfast and lunch) but not him. His reason is he's working, I'm not - Which is fair but I've asked him how many times on a weekend has he gotten up, on his day off and made me breakfast and a lunch to take with me to work? You guessed it, 0.

So basically, just because I'm at home I don't think the responsibility to feed him should automatically fall on me when he manages to feed himself just fine while I'm at work.

Is this clever or cruel?

My husband and i were talking and with social media and the internet in general being a terrifying dumpster fire, we are trying to figure out the best way to keep our son safe while still teaching him how to safely be online and moderation.

We landed on the idea of giving him the 90's kid treatment. A computer in the living room for us to keep an eye on what hes doing online, and once we feel hes mature enough to hang with friends without adult supervision he gets a flip phone. When we feel he is responsible enough and he earns and saves up the money for the physical phone, case, and screen cover, then we will be happy to take him to get a smart phone.

I thought this was air tight, but now my brother says its cruel to give a kid a flip phone, and besides he can just use his friends phones at school.

My husband and i remember a time before the internet, and we remember having complete access to something no one understood yet. We saw unspeakable things and are always battling with the urge to put the phone and social media down. I dont want that for my son, especially with his brain so vulnerable still.

If your partners parent passes away

And you and that parent didn't get along are you still go to the funeral?

Not my situation!

Big vent!

Hi mums.
I'm a first time mum in my 40s to twin boys.They are almost 5 months old and the biggest miracle in my life!
I am struggling!!!
I'm pretty sure I have ppa as my pregnancy was a very high risk and all I remember was crying from anxiety of all the ifs!Thankfully even born at 35 weeks and skinny,didn't need iu time.
My husband is not helping much because he's always too busy with work.He will "look" after them usually between 8pm-12am so I can have a chance to sleep.
He expects me to just sleep when I touch the pillow,even though I hear tje babies crying and him don't really bother because most of the times he'll be on his laptop working.
When I tell him I can't relax to fall asleep because I feel you r neglecting the babies,he says I'm the problem becauae I'm always there with them and don't give them alone time!!
I am angry!!I am furious!!
I can't keep.up.with housework becauae someone alwaya neess me and most of the times they nap I either cook and clean tje kitchen,do laundry or try and take a quick nap.
He doesn't help.around the house,becauae..guess what?always super busy.
I asked him nicely we could clean the house together every Saturday morning so it's easier and quicker for both of us and he said no,because he has a lot of work but probably wants to sleep until 12 or 2.
2 days ago a button of his coat ripped and I told him I'll sew it these days.
Earlier this morning while running late for his work,as always,he weara the coat and told him didn't get the chance to fix the button and sarcastically said..of.course u didn't!!!
I spent all night awake because one of the babies had congested nose and we've been trying to reduce one fees at night.
I wanted to punch him!!He left and I started crying...I cry so much,even at 5 months pp...
I can't go on like this anymoreeeee...
The crying in my ears is constant..my head is always numb..I've gained so much weight and can't find the strength to get back on track..
Even if I try to.find a therapist to just talk,is it gonna help?I really don't know😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭

Partner no longer wants baby #2

Before our son was born we originally both wanted minimum 2 kids but we were hoping for 3-4. My partner found the birth traumatic to watch and also struggled a lot with the newborn/baby stage. He no longer wants to have any more children and it’s completely breaking my heart. I need another baby. We’ve spoken about it a lot and the options. He said he wasn’t COMPLETELY closed off to it so I asked him to try and work through his feelings and reconsider his decision. He eventually said he definitely doesn’t want another. I know that I will always want one and my feelings will never change. Do we have to break up or does anyone know anything else I can do to help change his mind? Has anyone else’s partner said this and then changed their mind? I don’t want to break up because I adore him and our life together and I’d hate to split up our family for “selfish” reasons and make my son miss out on having both of us together but I just don’t know what to do