Day Nurseries- Pros and Cons

Day Nurseries are definitely a popular childcare option as discussed earlier. In this article I have highlighted some of their advantages and disadvantages that could enable you make an informed decision.

Pros of Using Day Nurseries

1. The social, mental and educational needs of your little one are usually catered for at Day Nurseries. Your little one would be engaged in an extensive range of activities that get to teach different skills. Your little one gets to mingle and play with other children. This helps indeveloping confidence and better social skills.
2. Most nurseries usually provide a settling period for mum and child at no charge to enable the child to adjust to the new environment.
3. Day Nurseries are reliable in providing care, as they will open despite staff illness or lateness.
4. They usually open as early as 7a.m and close as late as 7p.m. This provides a lot of flexibility for the super working mum/dad to drop off their little ones before work and gives enough time to pick them up after work.
5. Most day cares also offer part time hours as well: 7a.m to 12noon and 1p.m- 7pm.
6. They are regulated and inspected by Ofsted.
7. It has also been found that most infants who attend nursery are more prepared and confident for when proper school starts at 5 years old.
8. Even though kids catch a lot of germs at day care and fall ill they get to build up their immunity system in the process.

Cons of Using Day Nurseries

1. It is a costly option especially if your little one attends the full hours 5 days a week.
2. Day Nurseries take monthly payment and this is usually fixed, so you’ll have to pay even if your child is off sick or on holiday.
3. Your child is likely to catch frequent colds and other illness since he/she is mixing with other children. I sometimes refer to day nurseries as the “germs for free” environment! Bionic has fallen ill more often since she started nursery, but like I said it is building up her immunity system
4. If your little one is sick – vomiting or diarrhea, you have to take them out of nursery immediately for at least 48 hours. This may mean you have to find alternative child care arrangement or take time off work.
5. Be aware that your child would not get dedicated one on one time with a key carer as there are usually at least 3 children to one key carer.

Other points to note

1. You will be adding a new journey to your daily routine so discuss with your spouse about the logistics of pick-ups and drop-offs. Agree who does what.
2. Whoever does the drop off should do a dry run before the 1st day of nursery to map out the route (or you could just check on Google maps).
3. Whoever does the pick-up must be on time as there is usually an extra charge if you are late to pick up your little one.
4. Always have a backup plan for times your little one falls sick. If your child starts to vomit or stool at nursery you will be called immediately to pick up your child. SWMs, you are entitled to take time off work at short notice to take care of a sick child so take time off work if possible.
5. Let your child’s key carer know about your child’s routine at home, likes and dislikes.

Super working mums, your little one is tougher than you think and will cope in nursery. You need to stay calm as well and trust that your little one are in good hands.

For veteran mums who make use of day nurseries, please leave your comments below to share your experience and other points to consider. Thank you.