Choosing a nursery or preschool is a daunting prospect whether your child is 3 months old or 3 years old.
There are a wide range of choices available and every setting has a particular ethos so it is essential to do your research.
All 3 of my children started preschool at the age of 2 as I wanted to increase their social interactions with their peers and develop their confidence without me being there as an over protective mum.
I visited 3 preschools when I was checking our suitable places for my eldest (a whole 6 years ago, yikes!)
One was very professional and had excellent Ofsted ratings but didn’t seem particularly warm or nurturing and was a bit too far to travel. One kept me and my son waiting outside in the rain and the manager was late for our meeting so even the outstanding Ofsted rating would have convinced me to let my son go there!
The final place had a real family feel. There were male members of staff which was important as I wanted Matthew to have male role models. This is the preschool I chose and am still using.
Zach has struggled to adjust to attending preschool twice a week but the preschool have been supportive and never gave up. He is looking forward to going back after the summer holidays!
Matthew, Anya and Zach have all flourished during their time in preschool and it is the perfect introduction to the world of education. I think the older 2’s success at school is due to the great start they had.
On a personal and slightly selfish note, I have loved being able to reclaim a little bit of my independence even as my heart breaks that my babies are growing up.
Wandsworth Preschool have helpfully produced this thorough checklist to help you make your own decision about the best choice for your family:
What were the main things that helped to inform your decision for nursery and preschool choices? Let me know in the comments!
*Collaborative post
3 comments