Sending our daughter to nursery was the best decision we made

It prepared her for school, built her confidence, sharpened her fine motor skills, and developed her social skills

“Bye Mummy, see you later!” was my daughter’s reaction when I dropped her off on her first day at school. There were no tears, no drama, no apprehension.

Although excited to wear her new uniform as she was getting ready to go to “big school” (as they have been prepping her at nursery!), I was concerned that she might be overwhelmed with the magnitude of the school’s campus; or the unfamiliarity of the teacher and her new classmates. I was so wrong! She went in and came out so easy and breezy.

My daughter has been going to nursery since she was 2 ½ months old, and I credit so much to that decision. As a mum who wanted to go back to work after maternity leave, leaving her at nursery while she was so small was not an easy decision. When weighing our options of leaving her alone with a nanny, or in a formal nursery environment with other babies and multiple people looking out for her — including a nurse, choosing nursery was a no-brainer.

At a very young age, my daughter learned to be with non-family members, interact with other babies, and was exposed to so many educational and sensory activities that I couldn’t be more thankful for our ability to afford a nursery and have easy access to one.

There is much debate over when is the best age to send your child to nursery. Truth is, it is a very personal decision that depends on so many factors: if you can afford it; how long you have maternity leave; how you feel about your other options, to mention a few. Covid adds a new dimension to the decision making process and is again, very personal.

When I talk to other mums, leaving my daughter full-time at nursery from the age of just over 8 weeks does come as a surprise. Two things I will say if you are on the fence of whether to send your child to nursery or not:

1) If you can, and you are comfortable with the nursery’s environment, don’t think twice, it will be the best decision you make.

2) No matter what you decide, follow your gut, it is always right.

“Ah your daughter is just a dream”, was the feedback I got when picking up my daughter after her first day at school. Big relief. I am a very proud mum!

I hope your child’s first day back at school was good too. In these times where remote learning and social distancing has become a norm, I feel that our children have suffered the most. Being isolated from other kids, and having to do classes on a computer screen at a young age is the last thing you wish for them. I’m grateful that things are seeing some level of normalcy as my daughter begins school.

Now we just need to work out what she will do at home everyday from 1pm-5pm. Ah, if only I had a more flexible schedule!

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