u/Charleesi

Link to my original post is here: https://www.reddit.com/r/ScienceBasedParenting/comments/1sogvpp/nursery_uk_or_other_childcare_before_2yo_harming/?utm_source=share&utm_medium=mweb3x&utm_name=mweb3xcss&utm_term=1&utm_content=share_button

One of the commenters in my post mentioned attachment theory but has refused to elaborate much on the scientific background. I have only just discovered this subreddit and but it appears I have been broadly adopting an attachment-led philosophy with what I think are some minor adjustments for attention / focus building (hubs and I are both neurodivergent so helping bub to develop healthy focus and independent play dynamics is important to us), although I confess I haven't read enough yet on attachment theory to know whether that doesn't align!

I'm just really scared. I don't want to send my son to nursery yet, but I have no choice. The issue is that places are in short supply so we can't currently get more than one day. We might be able to get a childminder instead for more days, but then he would ultimately have to go to nursery and change systems / locations all over again, whereas at least this nursery would see him right through to age 5 (which while a different form of consistency is also important for him, in my view).

Any help / advice much appreciated.

I'm sure this has been asked before but I've literally only seen in mentioned on another post for the first time 10 minutes ago.

My LO is 6.5mo and I have to return to work at 1 year (I'm the breadwinner). We have managed to cover 4 days with either me, my husband or his grandmother, but the last day we are going to have to put him in nursery or other childcare. We can't really afford for me to work only 2 days or for husband to reduce hours further and we don't have any village beyond my parents (who both also still work, hence why my mum can only do 1 day).

However, I now understand that nursery care before 2 can be bad for development. Can someone ELI5 why this is? I'm already worried and unhappy I'm having to do this, but if it's going to harm his development, I will seriously try to find other ways round it.