Nursery World - Child-centred choice

I have been reading the debate regarding children under three attending nurseries and feel that the decision should be down to parental choice, taking into account their own child and family's individual needs. While it may be desirable for young children to stay at home with their mothers it is not always practical.

While it may be desirable for young children to stay at home with their mothers it is not always practical.

When my first-born child was three months old I returned to work and put him in a nursery. In my particular financial circumstances, I felt I had no other realistic choice.

With my second child, I decided in advance that I would not put her into childcare. But when my daughter turned one I was again left with no choice.

There was no local nursery so I used a childminder.

In my experience, both nurseries and childminders offer fantastic opportunities to children, including chances to be involved in activities they might not experience at home.

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