would you change this nursery for another one?

[CristinaTheAstonishing]

DD1 (2.7) attends a nursery for 1 or 2 full days a week. She's well settled and we are very pleased with it. Just one drawback: it's a bit far from home (5 miles) and the traffic can be v bad. So, I've been thinking of taking her to a different one.

Potentially new nursery is a Montessori one, close to home, she'd be going 2 x 2.5 hours a week. My misgivings about it: too school-like, all children sat at tables and getting on with work, as soon as one spoke any louder he was quickly hushed by the owner/manager, no outside space at all, owner didn't ask me ifg I had any questions, she seemed v stern, there was even a teacher's desk at the front of the room with an old-fashioned bell on it. The work she showed me was brilliant, beautiful writing and maths from 3 year olds. DS has been to a Montessori nursery, so I'm not really questioning the philosophy/methodology which I agree with, just whether this wasn't a bit tough for my 2.5 year old, it looked more like a pre-prep than somewhere to go and play and learn a bit in the process too.

I was really looking forward to this visit as I hoped this would mean the end of driving and the start of walking to nursery but now I'm confused. DD's happiness is obviously more important than environemntal concerns over the driving and the inconvenience for me once or twice a week. Or should I just accept my DD is growing up and this is it from now on - learning like in school?

[MamaG]

gut answer - no.

[lemonaid]

I definitely would not send your DD to the new nursery, not in a million years (my DS is the same age and I shudder to think of his trying to fit into that environment).

[CatIsSleepy]

doesn't sound like much fun for her...plenty of time for that when she's older maybe

[RubyShivers]

you already have misgivings - at 2.7 isn't nursery still about fun?
Also, no outside space isn't great IMO

[Sunshinecursedmummy]

It's a no from me as well. Particularly the lack of outside space and the hush.

[CristinaTheAstonishing]

I tried to imagine DD1 there and my heart sank at the thought she'd be told to keep quiet. She was with me and followed me around the room and tried to touch a few objects, timidly, but didn't go any further as she didn't have any encouragement. The owner was showing me all these fabulous Montessori equipment which is child-centred etc but all was at our eye level, none at DD's eye level although she was straining her neck up to see what it was. She wasn't asked her name or spoken to at all during the 10 minutes.

You are right, if I already don't feel right about it, it can't be right for my DD.

(We also saw another nursery a few days ago. Now the flooding were when? back in June/July?, one of the two rooms still didn't have any flooring replacement after they'd been flooded. That's not right either, not because it looked horrible, it just felt as if they didn't care enough about the children.)