With Sibling Day celebrated on 10^th April, Ladybird Nursery highlights the positive effects of sending siblings to the same school or nursery

Starting nursery is a big step for a child, as it marks the start of one of the most impactful stages of their lives – their long career in education.  While this can be a daunting concept for many, having a sibling or siblings at the same nursery offers children a support system that they can turn to for guidance, and which can ease the transition into their new and somewhat unknown environment.

It is often the case that when a child grows up seeing their sibling excited about going to nursery and enjoying their time there, it is more likely that they will foster an anticipation towards being able to do the same.  “Nursery school is vital for a child as it introduces them to interaction with adults as well as youngsters of their own age. Until the first day of nursery, they may have only been exposed to this in a familial environment,” says Monica Valrani, CEO of Ladybird Nursery.

She references the Sibling Spillover effect, saying: “The favourable outcomes of this phenomenon, where younger siblings are positively influenced by older siblings, is doubled when they go to the same learning institution, be it schools or nurseries.”  Numerous studies have proven this to be true, in addition to the strong bond that is fostered between siblings when sharing such an integral part of their young lives.

Children are not the only ones who stand to benefit from attending the same nursery or school: parents will have already established a level of trust amidst teachers and the systems of the school, making it easier for them to transition too.  Valrani points out that, “Another advantage of sending your little ones to the same school is being part of one connected community, whereby the family as a whole is comfortable with the educational establishment, and it also makes the practicality of daily routine simpler and more efficient, especially for working parents.”

Though some find that there is a risk of children becoming overly dependent on one another, the chances of this happening are low, as in most cases, they would be part of different age groups, and therefore would be placed accordingly.  This allows them to interact with friends and develop their social skills as individuals. “Furthermore, even if siblings were to be placed in the same age group, parents can encourage out of school hobbies to foster unique interests, while requesting for siblings to be placed in different sections within the same age group is always possible,” advises Valrani.

At Ladybird Nursery, consideration is given to teacher requests regarding parents that choose to enroll siblings of students into the same institution. In such cases, the siblings would stand to benefit from a ten percent discount in tuition fees. In addition to this, the nursery aims to accommodate for requests made by parents regarding the placement of their children within the available age groups.

For more information, visit https://ladybirdnursery.ae/