Whether you’re a parent who stays at home to care for your child or you’re a working parent with help, at some point, you may decide that you want your child to attend nursery. It could be because you need a couple of hours a day to yourself or you’re on your way back to work after your maternity leave. As a result, you may be looking into potential nurseries for your child to attend.
There are several questions that you should ask yourself before deciding on one. The answers to these questions should help you narrow down your search. Here are 3 IDEAL questions to ask before choosing your child’s nursery.
IS IT CLOSE ENOUGH TO HOME?
There are several reasons that parents choose to take their children to a nursery. For some, it’s because they have to resume work, while for others it could be so that their child gets the chance to interact with other children outside of the home. Irrespective of the reason, when choosing a nursery for your child, you should think about where it’s located and whether it’s in close enough proximity to your home or workplace.
There will be days when you may end up running late because of traffic, running behind in the office or faced with unforeseen circumstances. On such days, you’ll likely get to your child quicker if their nursery isn’t too far away.
You should, therefore, do some research and look up nurseries in your area that meet your requirements both financially and academically. If you decide to nominate a family member or friend to pick up your child because you work late hours, you could consider choosing a nursery near them as well. Location, it seems, is everything.
WHAT WILL MY CHILD BE LEARNING?
Every nursery has a different approach to keeping children engaged, entertained and learning. Before choosing a nursery, you should ask yourself what your personal preferences are regarding how your child is taught (and what theirs might be!), what kinds of activities you would like them doing, and what you want them to learn. Just because your child is under the age of five, it doesn’t mean they can’t begin learning in preparation for school. St Clare’s Private Nursery, for instance, cover topics such as colours, seasons of the weather, animals, nursery rhymes, opposites and shapes, celebrations, and mini beasts over a two-year cycle, and although a fixed curriculum, as such, isn’t common, beginning to tackle this type of subject matter is. Before choosing a nursery, try and have a look at each nursery’s topics to help you make an informed decision.
CAN I AFFORD IT?
You have probably gotten the memo about the soaring cost of childcare in the UK presently. In Britain, the average cost of sending a child under the age of two to nursery full-time is said to be around £222.36 weekly; an exorbitant fee for most parents, which is why some opt to stay home and raise their children until they’re at least 5 and can enter full-time education.
If you do decide you want to work and taking your child to the nursery, however, you could consider government initiatives that may offer financial support. An example of one is the Flying Start programme which is free quality part-time childcare for 2-3 year old’s if you happen to live in the South Wales axis. If you’re eligible, you will get childcare for 2 and a half hours a day, five days a week for 39 weeks as well as 15 sessions during school holidays. It should help significantly reduce childcare costs on your part if you’re a working parent.
