1day or 2?

[2LittleFishes]

m due to finish my maternity leave in the new year, DD will be 2 and Ds will be 8m.

Money-wise Ive worked out that i can return for just two days per week quite comfortably, after this any extra days just pay for childcare.

If I work these two days then the Dc would be in nursery 1 day per week.

Initially this seemed okay, but I was wondering how well they'd be able to settle with such a short time in nursery? Or if it would be better for the both of them if I worked an extra day so they could go twice a week instead.

[ladygracie]

I would say that 2 days is better for the exact reasons that you said. I have absolutely no evidence to back this up though.

[TiggyD]

2 days would help them settle in better. Children who only go one day a week sometimes never get use to nursery. How about 2 days to start with and when they get the hang of it dropping down to one?

[Mumof3xox]

2 days ideally spaced out so not Monday and Tuesday

More like Monday and thurs / tue & fri etc

[madamweasel]

My DS goes 1 day and settled fine.

[FamiliesShareGerms]

I'd disagree with the pp about spacing out nursery days. I think consecutive days work better all round:

• means activities can spill over from one day to the next if needed eg finishing a painting. If the others have done that on the next day but your LO isn't there it's a PITA for everyone to go back and finish off just one picture therefore might not happen
  

• routine is easier with consistency - LO will be a lit older before "getting" the pattern of one day in nursery, one or two days off, one day at nursery
  

• ditto for you at work - longer periods of time there then not there are easier for you to manage your work and for your colleagues to "get" your working pattern

[2LittleFishes]

Thanx everyone

Think we'l go with the two days then. Work would rather I did three consecutive days too so would prob be Thursday/Friday in nursery.

Found a lovely nursery near work where they have a brilliant settling in program where the two weeks before they'll build up to a days stay. So hopefully they'll both settle nicely.