I keep my kids home, because it is better for them

I think SOME combined play is good however I like the idea of separate rooms as they do more activities relevant to their age group and they learn off each other.

there are some good comments here

What have you decided to do?

I prefer them to play separately, the little ones tend to get a little pushes around with the big ones sometimes.

I would prefer that they play separately as they have different interests and abilities at those ages – age appropriate play.

I hope you found the answers you were looking for.

i hope you found a solution for you

I never saw it as a problem, in daycare they usually do a lot of morning or afternoon activities with the older children anyway.

My daughter is in family day care where there are a couple of children the same age and a couple younger. They all play in the same spot, sometimes together, sometimes not depending on what they feel like doing. when they do certain activities, like cooking or craft, they do that together. I think it is a great way for my daughter to learn to interact with other children of different ages.

I think it depends on the amount of time the children are spending in mixed groups. Family grouping is ok for short periods (in the morning or afternoons) but it’s nice for children to spend most of their day with those of a similar age. That way they can develop appropriate social and emotional skills for their age. Good luck

If he is new to daycarfe I personally would rather my child to be with kids around the same age group as older kids can be quite rough.

Our son has been in a mixed group at day care and he loves it. I agree with the other comments. It teaches them to mingle with kids of different ages and abilities.

mixed is fine can learn to interact with all different ages

I think mixed is fine, helps them to interact, play with younger & older children, just like in the real world

i think its great they can all be social together

My daughters day care has a seperate room and outside play area for the under twos, I reckon this is good because the older kids don’t know not to be rough with the little ones. Very judgemental comment Faye, but you are entitled to your own opinion. I could not afford a nanny to look after my child, so daycare was the only option. Also she gets bored at home without the interaction of other children. She doesn’t go their to learn. She goes their to play. Thats all toddlers need to do.

It works both ways and a little of each is a good outcome for all. Family grouping is good for the children to learn from both sides, though seperate groups can be of benefit for educational purposes. I find that siblings enjoy being able to have contact though also need time apart.

Mixed is fine in most cases, you will find that different children like to do different things regardless of age. My children went to family daycare where they mixed with children from 3 months to 6years. They had a brilliant lady who taught them lots of things in play and how to respect each other.

I think it is good for toddlers to see and experience different groups. At our one, ages 2-4 play together early on and then they break into different room groups. It helps them see what others are doing and can manage.