I cannot believe it’s that time! Time to start looking at local nurseries and day cares for Flo who will be 2 in April.
Where does the time go?!? 🙈😭🤷♀️
What do you look for or think about when starting the ‘school’ adventure. I’m thinking about how far I’m willing to travel for a good nursery, how many children they take in total, what’s they’re teaching style? It’s a lot, even if you’ve done it before. My older daughter Freda is now 4 and will be starting what we call ‘big girl school’ in September. We always planned to out Flo in with Freda until we moved further away and now seem to spend a fortune on petrol!
Thought it might be helpful to share what I do and the questions I ask when I visit a place I’m interested in.
After you’ve done the obvious (googled all nurseries within a certain miles radius from where you live) and you’ve got a list of a few places you want to look at, make a not of questions.
For example
- Is it a free flow environment? This is where the nursery setting leaves the doors to the garden open for the toddlers to roam in and out as they please.
- How do they discipline or what do they do if a child does something bad? E.g. hitting or snatching etc. I’ve found some places don’t know how to answer this question which I don’t take as a good sign. Others have said what do you mean? I’ll say about snatching and the response once was, ‘we’ll we normally have two of everything so I’ll go and find the other for them so they have one each.’ Which in my opinion doesn’t teach them anything. Others have a ‘thinking chair or step.’ It’s important for there to be boundaries this is what makes children feel safe and secure.
- Do they spend a lot of time outside? More nurseries are now factoring in ‘forest schools’ and curiosity approaches. Find out if the nursery is working towards a special accreditation or what they’re aims and goals are so you can understand how the work more.
It’s great to ask questions and find out as much as possible as this is only going to make you feel more confident in your choice and less anxious when the big day comes and you leave your little one for the first time!
Often we’re more upset to be leaving them than they are us 🙈
Also find out what activities they do in general. If you know your child enjoys play dough for example, ask if this is something they can do at the setting. You want to know your child is going to enjoy their time there.
Ultimately you’ll end up making the right choice and it’s going to break for your little one. They need social interaction and to learn things that we don’t always think to teach them at home.
Especially our lock down babies, they’ve not had the privilege of going to baby groups or mums and toddlers or lots of soft plays etc. It’s going to do them the world of good. Be sure to let me know how you get on! Good luck 🤞🏻
By Leander Rose 
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