Best age for boy to start at nursery

[reren]

I am in a major quandry! We have been offered a few mornings a week at a nursery and i cant decide whether to take it up. Im worried if i dont accept i will lose the place - but we have an au pair who my son is very happy with and so dont need to send him yet to nursery. It would be good to have him established in a nursery by june when the au pair leaves - but obviously that does give plenty of time still (of i can get another place). Quite a big issue is the cost - as we dont need the childcare its added expense - but bigger issue is whether it would be good for my son to start in sept. he will be 2 in october so part of me thinks he is still young and getting more out of adult relationships at the moment than needing to play with other kids (and he does a lot of playgroup type activity and plays well with others already). But by the time he's 2 will he need the stimulation of a more structured environment with lots of activities? He is a sociable child and i think would adjust to nursery - just cant decide whether he needs it just yet...i wonder what experences people have in terms of when their kids started nursery and what their experiences were? need to decide by today - so difficult - i keep changing my mind!!

[susyp]

My experience with my daughter was that 2 was too young, and 3 was seamless.... (but lots of 2 year olds started when she did at 2 and were fine). Horses for courses...

Susypx

[Yak]

I don't think there is an objective "best age" for boys to start nursery - so much will depend on them, on you, on your family circumstances, and on the nursery environment that it really is horses for courses like susyp says. I think there's quite a bit of scientific research out there on boys and nurseries in particular but like so much research we all have a tendency to cherry pick what supports our own particular viewpoint.

For what it's worth, the yaklet went to nursery full time at 9 months old. He's having a whale of a time.

[charlottep]

My little girl started at 18 months (just under). I would have preferred to send her at 2 (her brother started nursery when he was 2) but the nursery only does one in-take in September so she wouldn't have been able to go until she was closer to 2.5. She does two full days and absolutely loves it. The rest of the time she is looked after by my au pair (our au pairs are friends btw), so a good mixture between an adult carer at home and nursery. Personally I don't think 2 is too young, both my children got a lot out of nursery at that age, my eldest still loves popping in to say hi!

[susyp]

When I tried my daughter at 2 I have to say there were about 20 that were absolutely fine straight off and about 5 that weren't (including my daughter) - and even then I think the other 4 stuck at it and became fine. Just depends what you want to do really. It would be fine at 2 even if you had some difficulties initially , I just couldn't swallow the pill initially - and was glad I did this when she waltzed in to her school nursery at 3 with no problems. No right or wrong - just do what you want to do I think - he won't miss out not going at 2, plenty of time!

Susypx

[Cora]

For what it's worth I have found a couple of mornings good from 2yrs, up to 5 mornings from 2.5yrs worked for my boys.