What age did you..

[solo7100]

...put your child into Japanese nursery school?

Curious as we have a little one and have applied to local nurseries, but they were full so gotta wait another 6 months to reapply.

If this happened to you, what did you do with your little one(s) in the meantime while waiting?

[captainspoke]

Both kids (four years apart) into 保育園 at ~9-10 weeks, wife went right back to work. It was challenging, but we had flexible schedules and a MIL that was sometimes free to help out.

(I also think this was one of the best things that could have happened to them, developmentally.)

[deezy]

My son went in at 3 months, after the end of my wife's maternity leave. I agree with captainspoke: it was fantastic for his development. Also, the kids he was with in nursery school are still his friends now ( he is 17). He went through elementary school and junior high with them, and even though they all went to different high schools they still meet up to go out to movies and karaoke together.
The other positive thing for me was that I was the primary caregiver and my wife was basically working salaryman hours. I finished work at 4 and picked him up, and then the only input he got was English until my wife got back at 9 or so.

With regard to the second question: when he was about 18 months my wife took voluntary redundancy and we had to take him out of the public system. She then found another job after 3 months but we couldnt get him back in the public nursery immediately.We made the decision to bite the financial bullet and sent him to a private one until a space was availlable 3 months later.

[goran]

...put your child into Japanese nursery school?

Curious as we have a little one and have applied to local nurseries, but they were full so gotta wait another 6 months to reapply.

If this happened to you, what did you do with your little one(s) in the meantime while waiting?

How many weeks/months in advance did you apply before your expected date of entrance? (eg; applied in January for April entrance, but couldn't get in)
I am also expecting a child early next year, and would like to put them into a local nursery by 6 months from birth. So, curious as to how far ahead should I apply or plan.

[captainspoke]

... Also, the kids he was with in nursery school are still his friends now ( he is 17). He went through elementary school and junior high with them, and even though they all went to different high schools they still meet up to go out to movies and karaoke together. ...

I've said it elsewhere, maybe here, too. Early childcare can be a lot like an extended family (the modern version of it). Even 1st kids kind of grow up with 'sibs'--a group they're with for several years or more--in addition to having a bunch of older 'sibs'/cousins around as well.

It helps the parents, too. There's someone very much like you to share it all with while climbing the learning curve. Not since the pandemic hit, but we continued going back for the summer bazaar/party for years, meeting some of those other parents (and hobo that were still around) for that even when the kids were high school age and beyond.

[solo7100]

...put your child into Japanese nursery school?

Curious as we have a little one and have applied to local nurseries, but they were full so gotta wait another 6 months to reapply.

If this happened to you, what did you do with your little one(s) in the meantime while waiting?

How many weeks/months in advance did you apply before your expected date of entrance? (eg; applied in January for April entrance, but couldn't get in)
I am also expecting a child early next year, and would like to put them into a local nursery by 6 months from birth. So, curious as to how far ahead should I apply or plan.

We applied in early June for a Sept entrance opportunity (weird timing I know), so maybe 2 months or so? I do know that when we applied we were told straightway about the fullness of the school. A rejection letter came about a month later. This will be used for extending my wife's maternity leave (without which she would not have a guarantee for her job when wanting to return).

[TokyoWart]

We would have loved to put our kids in 保育園 at a very young age but could not get a spot at that time. Each of our kids started the 2 year Japanese kindergarten (幼稚園) at age 3 which was the youngest age allowed in our part of Tokyo. We were really happy with their experience; seemed like some of the best, most caring teachers I've ever encountered are working in early childhood education in Japan.

[Tokyo]

Both of our children entered the same city-run 保育園 from about 4 months old. I must admit to initially being very hesitant to leave our first child - still a baby - with strangers all day but my wife could only get a semester off work (unpaid) and both of us were still trying to establish careers in Japan. But my fears soon vanished as I witnessed the constant dedication of the teachers there and the steady development of our child. In contrast, my wife had researched 保育園 thoroughly before applying and had no similar concerns. It was a positive, active and stimulating environment which we were extremely grateful for. Also, it’s where our kids learned Japanese since we had an English-only policy at home.

[Bubblegun]

...put your child into Japanese nursery school?

Curious as we have a little one and have applied to local nurseries, but they were full so gotta wait another 6 months to reapply.

If this happened to you, what did you do with your little one(s) in the meantime while waiting?

At first We had to find a private one which wasn't cheap. but that was 20 odd years ago. Then for the second one, the kindergarten had this stupid first come, first served system, so you had some granny sitting there at midnight,or 5 o'clock in the morning. Which didn't go down well in the area. Then they had the LOTTERY system, so single parents couldn't get a place. Some women with a job couldn't get a place. So they lost earnings or had to quit. Parents who had problems and needed support with their kids couldn't get a place. Then some mums who just wanted to pop their kids in, would go back home, meet their friends would get places. Especially in the three-generation family homes. Eventually, the city hall had to step in and implement some priority system for single parents, parents with certain needs, and women who had a job.

[kuma]

...put your child into Japanese nursery school?

3 children; 3 different answers.

Eldest child started at approx 6 months.
Middle child started at 57 days
Youngest child started on her first birthday.

Partly by circumstance rather than absolute free choice.

Eldest: Sept birthday aligned well for April start at hoikuen at about 6mo, and that fit with work/other commitments.

Middle: very fortuitously got a place in Oct (ie partway through a school year); didn’t intend for her to start nursery so young, but had we have waited even a couple of extra weeks, she wouldn’t have got a place at the same hoikuen as her brother.

Youngest: childcare leave, then nursery.