Childcare & Education

On the blog

Why More Schools Are Switching to a 4 Day School Week: And What It Means for Parents

Tassia O'Callaghan

The Juggle: Childcare Options for Working Parents

Tassia Agatowski

The Savings: How to Get the Most Out of Your Childcare Budget

Tassia Agatowski

The Benefits of Childcare for Working Parents (& Kids!)

Tassia Agatowski

Top 10 Tips for the First Day of Preschool

Tassia O'Callaghan

Key Signs of Diabetes in Kids

Keshia Sophia Roelofs

When Do Girls Stop Growing? Height, Puberty & Brain Development

Tassia Agatowski

What Age is Preschool? Preschool Age Range

Tassia O'Callaghan

How to Have a Happy First Day of School: 60+ Books, Quotes & Tips

Tassia O'Cakllaghan

How To Get a Toddler To Take Medicine

Team Peanut

40+ Essential Nanny Interview Questions

Deborah Vieyra

How Much to Pay a Babysitter

Alicia Wallace

What to Know About Childhood Sleepwalking

Team Peanut

How Much Does a Nanny Cost?

Deborah Vieyra

When Do Kids Stop Napping? How to Stop Napping

Team Peanut

100+ ‘Would You Rather?’ Questions for Kids

Team Peanut

From the community

Recent discussions

Can't choose between two nurseries!!

Help!! My partner and I can't choose between two nurseries.

We want our son to start nursery in January as working from home is becoming impossible now😅 he will be 16 months by then.

We have visited two and they both have their pros and cons but can't decide especially since nursery A was visited on a Saturday so didn't see staff and children in action.

I know the decision is up to us at the end of the day but if you saw this list below what would you choose?

Childcare outside of term time

Hi, what do people do during half term and holidays for childcare. My kids are both under 5 and I’m planning to go back to work once they both start nursery. What do you do during school holidays? Babysitters?

Nursery app- what does this mean?

Does it mean anything? It was a post on the app to say how my LO is settling into nursery.

School

How many of you home school and why?

Could someone explain the UK school system to me please?

I'm not from the UK but I asked my husband who grew up here and went to school here and everything and he also seems confused.

My kid is at nursery but I'm really confused about all the options after. There seem to be preschools, but some nurseries are also preschools, some people talk about kindergarten from 3+ but I think they are American. Then there's reception and year 1 and maybe some other things I didn't mention.

I read a thread about kids born in the summer months and that they can be held back. I'd like to do this with my kid but from what people said, it's not as straight forward. Several people said that if you hold them back a year, they would just start in y1 instead of reception, which I don't understand. They said there are only downsides because the kid would no longer be with their peers. A mum friend of mine has been talking about sending her kid to school once he turns three and that she can't wait to be done with nursery.

I'm just so confused. When I grew up in a different country, all we had was kindergarten from 3 till 6, then school. There was an option of going to preschool for those old enough for school but not mentally or physically ready yet. That was it. I think it had now changed there as well though.

If anyone could explain all this to me, I'd be super grateful!

Universal Credit Help Please

Hey, I got my first payment today. It's a lot lower than I was told it would be.

My total entitlement before deductions is over £700 (the amount I was told at my job centre meeting). After deductions I got just over £300.

In the breakdown, they've got my savings as over £5000 but most of that is the savings for my daughter & I was told that they don't take into account money for your kids so I'm so confused.

Anyone able to shed some light please?

Also, I thought I would get help with childcare but the 'report childcare cost' link isn't available on my home screen (my friend said that's where she sent her invoices through).. So does that mean I won't be getting any help with childcare cost after all? I was getting tax free childcare before.

30 hours funded childcare

Has everyone applied for this yet? When is the best time to do it?

Deferring Primary School

Is anyone considering deferring their July babies starting primary school?

We're applying for schools at the minute, but I'm worried my son won't be ready to start in September as he has some additional needs.

I'd be interested to know others thoughts, especially if you are planning to defer the extra year.

Nursery sign up reminder

For any first time mums thinking of sending their little one to nursery some time between 6months to 2 years, go sign up for the nursery now!!

I'm 19 weeks pregnant and submitted the paperwork for this baby to join the same nursery as my first when I was 15 weeks. Their waiting list is currently over 17 months so they don't have space at my planned return to work time when this baby is 10 months old. This is a small town nursery, I also enquired at my one at work and the wait list was over 24 months.

So just a gentle reminder for anyone thinking of sending their child to nursery, it's never to early to go and look at nurseries and sign your future baby up to one you like.

Nanny/Sitter vs Daycare

Hi moms! I need input. We currently have had a sitter for 2 months but feel like it gets expensive some weeks almost $1000. The day care is $400 week. I want to continue to work but with cost it’s starting to not make sense. We are considering a home daycare the lady has a 2nd child a few months older than my son. She has cameras but we won’t have access unless an incident occurs. Do we stay with the sitter and bite the bullet with cost or daycare where he can socialize and I feel learn from the observing. Keep in mind I get to work remote 3days so I get to be with him and BF. I only pump 1-2 days out of the week. I’m nervous being away so long I’ll lose my supply. If we go with daycare it’d be 5x week I can’t work with him yelling in the back.

I know it’s a lot just wondering what you guys are doing with them being this age.

Educational shift

Has 5th grade been a significant shift for your kids education wise? The subjects must son did good in previous years are now his worst subjects this year .

Working

I’ve been a sahm for the past 7 months. I’ve been unemployed for a little over a year now. I am to the point where I really do need to work but the thought of not being with my baby is stressing me out. I was previously a nanny and it’s been difficult to get another nanny job. Daycare really isn’t enough money for me especially if I do bring my son. Has anyone else felt like this?

School places

I have been lookimg at primary schools for my little boy. I had originally presumed we would go for the local non-religious primary, however, we have a catholic primary school literally across the road so i booked in to see that too and now I am stuck.
Me and my husband are both atheist and i always said i wouldnt send him to a religious school due to my experiences at a C of E growing up. The non religious school is an old building, half the facilities, no AC and the head couldn't answer a bunch of my questions but it does have a good ofsted and i know one of his nursery friends will be going (his best friend). The catholic school is brand new, lots of facilities, local artist visits, music programs but they do prayers, mass and grace.
My big worry is him being taught religion as fact which is not what we believe at home, being upset when he doesnt do communion and him being confused when the school teaches differently from us at home.
My husband is set on the catholic school but even though the school is great i cannot get past my doubts.
Has anyone been through similar or is non religious with a kid at catholic school?

What is a good time to start daycare?

My husband needs to travel for work, i would be alone with the baby. I am concerned that they don't have immunity built up at 2 months old.

Nursery lost sons new coat

I bought my son a new coat 2 weeks ago, it’s labelled and was bought specifically for nursery.
On collection on Friday it wasn’t on his peg and when I asked for it they couldn’t find it. When I dropped him in this morning they still said they haven’t found it

It wasn’t expensive (£25) however price shouldn’t matter… what is the general thing to do next? Ask them to send a message around? Can they replace it?

I’m quite frustrated it’s been lost after him only having it for a week or so!

Part time teachers

For those of you who work part-time (3 days), what does your set-up look like? How much PPA do you get? Do you attend every staff meeting? And how do you manage childcare arrangements when your little one is ill?

Fact-checked by experts

We work with acclaimed women’s health experts and leading voices in fertility, motherhood, and pregnancy to ensure our content is medically reviewed, expert-approved, and written with care.

Learn more