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We go to an in-home daycare with only 8 kids of varying ages (3mos - 5yrs). My DS is almost 2. She definitely provides a nurturing environment. She focuses on things like manners, sharing, nice play with older/younger children, etc. There is some education but that's not the focus and I'm 100% ok with that.

We are also in home and it's nurturing rather than education. I sometimes wonder when she's older if this will bug me, but we LOVE our daycare provider & I can't imagine pulling her to send her to a more education based center. We will really just work on learning at home I think.

We have a private sitter (she asked to not be called a nanny) and her focus is definitely nurturing. DD is 3 years old and will be starting pre-school two days a week next week. DS is 11 months tomorrow.

I would say both. LO is so loved at her daycare and she learns a ton. She is 20 months and has been at the same center since she was 5 months. She is learning signs, colors, animal sounds, and lots of social emotional skills as well. It has been a really good fit for us and her!

I'm her childcare I focus on nurturing, but I feel like at this age (2) it's important to learn through play. She actually does learn a lot, I'm always surprised when she says something new that she's learned. Like a few months ago she randomly counted to 10. Who knew that she actually listens to me when I count?

Nurturing now but I'm ready to switch her to one that's more education based.

I am absolutely all for nurture-based child care. I am now a SAHM, but before that we had our daughter in a very child-led, play-focussed centre. And then we switched to a similar preschool. I am going to support my children in every way possible as they move through their education, but I believe that these early years are for learning-through-play and exploration.

Though to be honest, lots of our days at home are all about survival!

Like @Mrs. Jacks: our son goes to a Montessori school. He's 10 months, but he'll get both nurturing and education.

I've worked in several different preschools/daycares and I think the best ones have a healthy balance. But fostering social & emotional growth would trump academics for me.

I would say that our new school places slightly more emphasis on nurturing over education. But we did pick this daycare has a very good curriculum. We may change him to montessori once he is older though. LO is only 14 months old.

While she's an infant/toddler, the daycare we chose leans more toward nurturing the children. As she gets closer to preschool age, we might switch her to a more educational or Montessori/Waldorf based program.