by Frances Laing

Created on: August 24, 2009

Plan ahead as far as you can.

As a new parent you might be thinking you can secure a place at a nursery or pre-school of your choice without further ado. It's not quite as simple as that - depending on which country or continent you live in - most pre-schools and nurseries will have waiting lists and there are lots of forms to fill out. As a parent you may not wish to take up paid work outside the home immediately after your child is born but you'll be surprised at how time flies and you want to be aware of any future registration deadlines which might restrict your choices if and when you want to take up employment.

Take your geographical location and your community into account.

The school or nursery 'run' can be one of the most stressful parts of your routine. Try to choose a pre-school or nursery which is easily accessible from both your home and your workplace. Walking to school or nursery is great if you can manage it and can enrich your child's experience - as well as providing some exercise each day - but this is only enjoyable on a relatively short or quiet route. If you have to drive miles to your workplace after dropping your child off for pre-school this is going to add to travel expenses and will ultimately mean you have less quality time to spend with your family after work.

What happens if your child is ill and needs picking up from pre-school urgently? Choosing a nursery or pre-school in your community might mean you have access to much-needed back up friends or family. You might need to nominate a person who can pick up your child in your absence and fill out the appropriate forms at nursery or pre-school. That's your back-up plan. There are many other benefits of choosing a pre-school in your community too: your child begins to recognise her friends in the neighbourhood. Similarly, it is often a good idea to register your child at the nursery or pre-school which is attached to the school you would like them to go to. That way - 'starting school' won't be such a huge leap for your child. They'll know the route already and pre-schools attached to schools like to work together.

Cost

Don't assume that sending your child to nursery or pre-school is beyond your reach. Find out if your child is eligible for a free nursery place, which forms you have to fill in and when you need to apply. Your local government education department should be able to help you with this one. If your income is under a certain level you may be able to apply for

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