To Nursery Or Not To Nursery?

It is a decision many parents have to make, and can often be a very stressful one when you are unsure whether or not to put your child in a nursery.

There are mixed opinions about the benefits of nurseries to children, however the truth of the matter is that most children adjust very well to nurseries, and actually benefit a great deal from their time there, which in turn benefits the parents.

Also Read: Parenting Begins The Day You Have A Child
To Nursery Or Not To Nursery?
Image is licensed under CC Attribution

The decision to put your child in nursery comes a lot easier when you realise the benefits it has to the child, rather than just seeing it as a way of simply being able to get back to work. There are many benefits to sending your child to a nursery, and we will outline a couple of these below to hopefully make your decision an easier one.

Prepared for School
During your child’s development, he or she will naturally become very attached to you.  You spend day in day out with the child, so the prospect of sending him or her out on their own can be slightly daunting.  If you were to keep the child at home with you for 5 years until the point they are of an age to start school, you are likely to be met with a lot of resistance.  It is alien to them to spend the day away from you, and they are old enough to feel and express that they are not happy.

If from an early age you begin to introduce your child to nurseries, perhaps starting at just 1 day a week, the child will naturally learn to be comfortable when away from you, and slowly adjust to their new surroundings.

At the point it comes time to introduce the child into a school routine, they are already well practising in saying good bye to you, and understand that you will be back to pick them up at the end of the day.  By sending your child to nursery you are preparing them for the future, and giving them the best chance at adjusting to new surrounding as they grow and mature.

Friends and Socialising
Again, like with the above example, if you spend the first 5 years of the child’s life interacting one on one, but not introducing new faces and other children into the mix the child will not learn socialisation skills with children his or her own age.  Children that have been to nursery have already had practise in making friends, asserting themselves in a group, and being comfortable around children their own age.  They have also already started to learn how to deal with conflict and squabbles, and are adapting to the life that is in front of them.

Children benefit massively by experiencing this from an early age, as by the time they are old enough to truly understand what is involved in making friends they have already established the foundation skills they require to do this successfully

Development
Children who attend nurseries are also likely to develop emotionally and intellectually at a faster rate.  In terms of their language development for example, putting them in an environment with other children their age will mean they are able to converse more frequently, and are constantly being challenged by the environment.  Their personal development is also likely to accelerate as their confidence grows, and they find a new level of independence amongst their peers.

There are of course counter points to this argument, with some believing that keeping your child out of nursery is best for their development, however by socialising your child in this way, and challenging their development, you will see a lot of positive changes in your child.
Natalie
About the Author:

Hi, my name is Natalie and I am the manager of Pennies Nannies, specialists in childcare in Kent. We run both a nanny service and nursery for children of a variety of ages.

You Might Like

Comments