Nurseries

[charlie84]

Well me and OH this week have been visiting nurseries to find one which we think will be great for Calleigh to attend when i return to work in January.

Well i must say that we havent had a lot of choice due to lack of spaces at most in the area so have been to see three so far all are on my way into work which is ideal as i dont want to be travelling to far out the way.

The first one is right round the corner from me, very clean, lots of different rooms, lovely outside area, they seem to be very organised with everything and it seems such a nice nursery however i just didnt get the right feeling from the staff. They just didnt seem happy

The second one is alot smaller with a main area for the babies carpeted and some laminated for messy play and a little side room for naps. OH thought it didnt seem as clean as the other but i am quite particular about things like that and never noticed it being dirty The staff were fantastic there, so cheery and happy and we got to see the babies having there morning snacks, they all seemed quite content.

The third well was crappy only in the sense of we were shown the baby room and that was it, nobody explained to us the day to day runnings of the nursery at all they just stood there
So that wrote that one off completely for me.

I know i will always think that no one is better than mummy and daddy to care for LO but how do i go about making a decision when i have such limited choices.
We have a childminder as a choice too but i think i would like Calleigh to be interacting with lots of babies her age.
I do prefer the second nursery on the basis of the staff, OH likes the first as they seemed alot more structured.
Why is it so hard?

How is everyone else doing when it comes to choosing childcare for your child?

 

[nazmomi]

I had a similar situation when choosing a nursery 4 my eldest 2 and I went wit the staff.
The first nursery we visited was newly built and had amazing facilities but it felt like the staff were just not that bothered.
The second nursery we visited was no where near in terms of material things, but it did have everything it needed and was clean , bright and safe, but tthe staff were so amazing and friendly and both staff and children just seemed so happy. Naturally we chose that one and I'm so pleased we did.
I understand that staff to a degree do have to be professional but lets face it these ppl will be spending a lot of time with your LO and you want them to be with someone who will make them feel safe and happy.
My older kids went to that nursery for 4 years (sophie went to their after school club when she started school cos she didn't want to leave!!)
and loved every minute. I will not hesitate to send charlie there when I go to uni next year.

I would def go with your gut feeling, you know where your LO would be happiest.

 

[lisa282]

Its such a hard decision hun, but I would go with your gut instinct...personally I would put my childs happiness and group morale way up over the tidiness or cleanliness issue. Dont get me wrong, if the place was dirty it would be a no-no, but its a nursery, you expect it to be a little messy and chaotic - all good signs the kids are having fun!! Its worth finding out though if the ones you are interested in will allow you to sit in on a session with them, and allow your child to have a taster of whats to come. Above all else, that will tell you if you are going to be comfortable leaving your child there. You will see first hand how your child starts to integrate, how the staff involve them and above all how happy the other children are. A tour or visit to a place of an hour or so just wouldnt cut it for me.

We did full session tasters at 3 different nurseries when we were first looking to place our son. They all allowed us to spend one full day there, so my son could experience what goes on and also so that we could get a feel for it. Then we had a follow up a week later of another full session where my son went on his own and we stayed away to see how he coped with it alone. Personally this experience was invaluable in making our minds up which nursery to choose. As it worked out, the one we chose is also closest to home and the cheapest but that is beside the point. The staff were and still are excellent, the building is clean and well layed out and above all else, the kids are all very happy and my son loves it.

Good luck with your choice! x