Nursery or home school until 5?

Is anybody keeping their child/children at home with them until 5? I love having my son with me and we want a second. Nursery fees in the UK have become so expensive and I’m wondering if I should keep them at home with me. I also don’t want to deny him making friends. Ideally I’d like him to go three days a week if we are able to afford it.

Read more on Peanut

The views expressed in community are solely the opinions of participants, and do not reflect those of Peanut.

Learn more about our guidelines.

Add a comment

Girl! I've been trying to get my 2.5 year old in as she's at that stage where she would sooo benefit from being in that environment but we dont qualify for any of the state help. Its infuriating. At 3 they automatically get 30 free hours so that is always an option for you if you feel like it's needed. I have always had the midset of I'll follow what my kids need and what they'd benefit from but unfortunately the state don't agree with that 😕 I'm hoping to get her in from her 3rd birthday but I guess we'll have to wait and see

It's not home schooling until they are compulsory school age. I home educate, my oldest tried nursery and didn't like it, my second is in nursery at the moment but isn't enjoying it and would rather be home with us. Both have loads of friends out with nursery or any formal education. HonestlyI am thinking of dropping my youngestto one day a week instead of 2 as he gets more sovial engagementout of nursery, he has one friendin nurseryand dozens outwith. If you are planning to send your child to school, they should probably do at least 6 months before school to get ready for that environment. Nursery is free from 3 years old anyway.

They hit all developmental milestone whether you send them or not the only benefit is the free childcare tbh. Childminders are a good option as well.

I would recommend utilising the 15/30 hours from 3 years old.

We went straight to school nursery and I’m so glad we did to ease into that environment and become more familiar with different grown ups and kids

For me, I would be the one saying I’ll keep them home until school age but for my son’s sake, I’m going to start him in school nursery some time after he turns 3. He’s so sociable and I know he would absolutely love it, I just get anxiety about it 🙈 he’s never been to a nursery or anything without me before.
Luckily, the school we are sending him to allows children to start in nursery straight after their 3rd birthday and they can go for as little time as you want, which I think is ideal as he will get used to being there easier.

Can’t deny though the thought of him going in 6 months makes me emotional!

My 2.5 year old is home with my 3 month old and I. I’m not planning on sending him anywhere until he can go to kindergarten when he’s 4 (we live in Canada). For social interaction I’ve signed him up for several classes (music, art&crafts, sports and swimming). We also go to the library, playgrounds and have play dates with friends

in our community

How you manage with 2 ?

Girls How do you do to manage with 2
My big one is 4 years old and he is so demanding … and my second is 2 months old.
I feel if i take care of one of them the other one is crying or waiting to be changed of pop or the other one is not taking the shower 2 days or not brushing the theets uffff
My big one feels alone i see it and now he is all the time with the dog.
I don’t manage to share time with him when my husband is at work and then he act very bad few times a day and that makes me so mad also he want my attention by doing bad things
I feel very bad mum what I try to do is mornings before my husband leave to the job. I get shower get cream on my face. Have a breakfast have my coffee and do whatever I need to do at home like organizing or cleaning something if I have to cook, I also try to cook in the morning. I think this is something good but after the baby requires me a lot of times in the day and when I am busy, the big one wants to be on top of me all the time and I need to be with a baby and I need to sleep the baby and the big one makes a lot of noise and wake up the babyand like this sometimes it happens 34 times after a while the baby cannot sleep anymore without me and I have to take him with me and again I cannot be with the big one end by the time that the baby sleeps it’s already a nap time for the big one and at night at the bed I think about the day and barrelly I pay attention to him or play with him I just remember me saying no, no , he quiet stay there , don’t shout don’t do noise , I can not I don’t have time … all day 🥹
And he Mamá we play this, look at this , read me a book , but when I can do the things he don’t want and I cant correct him sometimes because the little one is on my chest and get scary fuck! 🥹🤐

My husband shaved his head and i give birth next week.

He used beard trimmers and shaved his head… i can’t get over it. I’m 36 weeks pregnant and set to deliver next week because i have hypertension. He didn’t even tell me he thought it’d be a good surprise. I told him last week don’t do it just wait until the holidays are over. I’m having such a hard time cuz i don’t even recognize him anymore. it’s a shock everytime i see him. I don’t like it. It’s also causing conflict between us maybe because i resent him for doing this while im already stressed out with moving, unpacking and then finding out im getting induced next week. I’m so sad and miss him but my brain can’t get passed it…. how would you feel…?

Do I report to the police?

Guys need advice - My neighbours making life incredibly difficult lately. He keeps climbing his ladder to look over into my garden — it makes me feel so watched and uncomfortable, especially with my two little ones playing out there. He keeps going on the ladder to question my builders while they're working. He climbs then bangs on my windows with a broom …
Today he banged so hard my kids started screaming !! , I went out and he was moaning about noise when it was just my washing machine finishing its cycle this was at 2pm!He also keeps calling the council to report me about my extension, so I think he climbs over to actually take pictures as well . There’s a
bit of mess rn while we're having work done — things that are literally none of his business.

But I feel like since i went over to try to talk to him at his door things have gotten worse ! he didn’t even open the door so I just wrote him a letter as I just want peace .
I explained to him I don’t like him climbing over and still he climbed over!
He also came on to my property and painted my fence at the front of my door without my permission still I said nothing as his a older man . But I honestly feel like theirs more to this now his Greek Cypriot and my partners Turkish Cypriots and the Greeks hate the Turkish Cypriots so I feel like his actually racist and just trying to bully us. Do I call the police?
I’ve already emailed the council but I’m not sure what they can even do as his bought his house. But why does that mean it’s okay for him to paint my property fence ? Or constantly climb the fence. He also went to his back garden to sharpen some tools after the argument and also told my partner to come closer to the fence 😭when he had a broom in his hand .

Potty training and getting out of pram

Wanna start potty training my 26 month old but really don’t know where to start I tried her a few months back and she was nowhere near ready I’d ask her if she needed potty she would tell me yes so I’d put her on and she wouldn’t go she would wait till she come off then wee and poo all over the floor but she is now telling me when she has done a poo but not that she needs it or telling me anything about wanting or needing a wee she kinda shows when having a poo but I try strip her off to put her on the potty and I’m always too slow I’ve got another little one due end of may aswell and I was hoping to get her potty trained and out the pram before new baby is here or am I just wishful thinking and she only started walking a month before her second birthday in the start of September

Have any of you tried gentle parenting with your youngest child now that you're older and was a little strict with your now adult child?

My son told my husband and me that we're way more gentle with our daughter than we were with him at her age. She's definitely the little princess around here, and her big brother treats her like one too! 😂 I guess our talks with him were more stern. However, he's grown up to be such a wonderful young man.

Christmas traditions

🎄✨ I’d love some inspiration!

I have a two-month-old baby and I’m really keen to start some lovely Christmas traditions that we can enjoy as a family and carry on as they grow up. ❤️

I’d love to hear what Christmas traditions you have with your little ones or what you did when they were babies.

It could be anything, big or small – special Christmas Eve traditions, festive outings, baking, matching pyjamas, Christmas books, decorations, little keepsakes or anything else that makes Christmas feel magical.

I’d love to start some special traditions of our own, so please share your ideas! 🎅🏼🎁❤️