Nursery advice for young children

[ginger]

Hey guys any advice would be appreciated.

 

We have a 3year old little girl, in the UK it wouldn't be too long before she would join the local preschool nursery for free. I don't think that is the case here in Oz?. I am on a 457 visa so I think the cost for us would be about $70 a day which I just cannot afford.

 

I think this is why in general kids brought up here are definitely behind kids in the UK in the early years. My other 2 children went to nurseries where they leant to write their names etc.... my wife can deal with these things but socially my youngest will not be the same as my other 2. She goes to playgroups but these are not for learning only fun.

 

Anyways any advice on costs or general advice with this matter would be great.

 

Thanks

 

ginger

[LKC]

I think that the only things I can suggest is for your wife to get out and about as much as possible with your daughter, maybe she could try to socialise a bit with the other parents at school who have children of the same/similar age.

 

To be honest, I wouldn't worry too much about the learning aspect, more about the social skills. Our eldest daughter started school last year and in her first year learned to read and write (amongst other things), so although they start later I would say that they learn quicker (if that makes sense). She only attended pre-school for one day per week for about three months before she started school to socialise her a bit more away from me, and really they don't do any sort of structured learning, more learning through play. Youngest is at pre-school now, although three days a week because I am working and they haven't really done anything in the way of formal education, I don't think there is as much emphasis on that at pre-school. I wouldn't say that children here are behind, it is just a different education system and providing the outcome at the end of schooling is the same I am happy.

 

Cost wise, unfortunately I don't think that there is much that you can do. We were in the same boat as you (on a 457, paying $83 per day for nursery/pre-school) until we got PR a couple of weeks ago.