Mumsnet Talk

I'm returning to work in September and am looking at childcare options for my eleven-month ds

We're looking at nurseries in the docklands. I've seen Lanterns, and liked it, but reviews on MN are very mixed, although the threads are quite old. Has anyone got recent experience, particularly of the baby room? We're also thinking of 'My Nursery' in East India Quay - has anybody used it?

I live in Greenwich (and work in the docklands) so any recommendations for childminders in either area would be much appreciated.

Please help - I'm very worried about leaving my baby and would be so grateful for any advice/recommendations.

Tir! We've just moved out of East London and obviously had to move nursery. My daughter, now 3.5 had been at My Nursery since September 2010 at 11 months and I can honestly say I cried my eyes out when she had to leave. I was terrified leaving her there but we've had the best experience with them, the staff are really lovely and caring, the reports when she left showed us just how much they understood the little lady. She has developed so much and most importantly was so very happy. I honestly can't recommend them enough , but with the caveat that every nursery is going to have it's little problems so much of it is down to instinct. I would definitely go and visit but would also say they're likely to have a waiting list so get there asap. I do also think they're planning a new nursery in Canary Wharf but don't know when. Any questions just ask! Oiche Mhaith

Hi there. I don't have an recent experience with lanterns. DD goes to the Montessori nursery at Crossharbour which might be an option for you. The management can be downright scary & it seems to be a very top down approach to staff but DD is happy there. DS did well there before he went off to school & it prepared him well for school. I've had friends with kids at my nursery and they never had a bad word to say about it.

Thanks so much for the replies - I have no family in London and none of my friends have babies, so I need all the advice I can get!

I hadn't known about the Crossharbour Montessori but will look into it. I've heard only good things about 'My Nursery' - my only issue is that it's a little out of our way, so it would be harder to go there at lunchtime, which we could easily do with Lanterns.

Did you ladies find the settling-in period traumatic? My little boy's never even had a babysitter so I'm dreading it.

I would DEFINITELY avoid Lanterns. We had an awful experience there - I took my daughter out after the introductory sessions.
I had to return to work early, so my DD was very young when she went there and couldn't yet crawl. What looked to me to be a 2 yo kept trying to bash her on the head with a plastic toy. I asked the staff how old the other children in the baby room were and they told me they weren't allowed to tell me. The staff didn't seem bothered whatsoever. With the exception of one woman, I thought the staff were dreadful. Not only did they seem unconcerned about safety, they didn't seem to engage with any of the toddlers and were not very welcoming to parents.
The owner of the nursery did a fantastic sales job on us. She told us that the staff had been with her for several years (not true for the baby room), that the babies were separated by age (also not true), etc. I quickly found out why the deposit was so high -- she wouldn't return it after we decided to pull out our DD for her own safety. I've since found another thread on here where a mother had to take the owner to court (she won) to get her deposit back. They had left her daughter wandering around the halls!
I can't tell you how much I love her new nursery (Mudchute). The staff are fabulous and DD jumps out of my arms to go there each day. I've also heard very good things about My Nursery, Little Unicorns (it's expensive but good), and the Barkantine nursery (I've not seen that one). I saw My Nursery and Little Unicorns and liked them a lot - I'm not surprised that people seem happy there too.
I don't have any family here either, so I can definitely sympathize. My advice would be to see as many as you can and you'll quickly figure out which one feels right...and you'll be much happier leaving your DS there ach day

I know this is an old thread but if the OP is still around, what did you decide? I'm considering Lanterns myself but the MN threads about it are not exactly encouraging!

Hi PuffPants, sorry for the late reply - I only saw your message now. Well, I eventually opted for My Nursery. BUT he spent his settling sessions screaming his head off (from a baby who never cried). And I lost my nerve and found a nanny instead. He was happy with her from the outset, and, all considered, it was only a bit more expensive than a nursery and the peace of mind is beyond cost. Please do send me a private message if you wish to discuss further. x