My feed
Premium

Please
or
to access all these features

Find nursery advice from other Mumsnetters on our Nursery forum.

Nurseries

moving child up to 2's room early?

10 replies

grumpytubwumper · 23/05/2011 00:20

My daughter is 20 months and in the baby room at nursery 2 days a week. Her room senior was talking to us on Friday saying that she felt our daughter was ready for the 2 yr olds room but she couldn't actually go up until September when she turns two.

I've felt for a while that she wasn't being stimulated in the baby room. She's the only one that can talk and she wants to play with other children not just alongside them. She's getting into mischief by trying to get into the places she's not allowed, which is what she does when she's not stimulated enough at home and I'm worried it will have a negative effect on her if we keep her back for another 4 months.

Its an expensive nursery and she loves going but she doesn't have "peers" as such as the other children are so much younger than her and her age peers aren't as developed as she is. I sent her to nursery to teach her to socialise with other children but all she is doing is "helping" the nursery nurses, which defeats the purpose.

I know about ratio's of staff to kids based on age and I wondered if this could be a legit reason for not moving her into a room more appropriate for her development level. Does anyone know if there is legislation that states they cannot move her up before she turns two?

I'd hate to think of her being lonely or bored and she's desperate to play on the big playbus in the garden which she can't do until she's in the 2's room. She gets left on the decking with the babies to look at the other kids playing.

OP posts:
Report
wigglemama · 23/05/2011 08:56

My ds always moved up to the next room before he was the age stated. My impression was that the age thing is a guide and it should really be based on stages of development. I think you are probably right about the ratio thing. If they don't have enough staff in the 2yo room to accomodate your dd then they won't move her, unless a child from the 2 yo room moves on. Did you tell them you were concerned about her stimulation in the baby room? I would make a point of telling them how you feel and see what they say. Good luck! xxx

Report
dribbleface · 23/05/2011 09:37

may well be that there is just no space until then. They will have a maximum number of chidlren per room based on floor space. This time of year the top end of nurseries get jammed packed waiting for children to move up to school. If you think about it schools generally only do one intake, so unless nurseries stay empty from sept -dec they will always have a bottle neck at this time of year.

However there should be a solution if your little one is being held back developmentally. Would she not be able to visit the bigger room for short periods, or go into the garden bit with the older ones (there should be extra staff to cover for such situations). The nursery should have quiet periods over the summer so they could arraneg a daily visit to stimulate her.

Report
grumpytubwumper · 23/05/2011 19:56

thank you both!

I'm speaking with her keyworker tomorrow. I like the idea of her getting an hour or so a day in the older room and wonder if that would be a good compromise. I know its not at capacity at the moment as loads moved up in April but there could be other issues.

This is so new to me, I have no idea what I'm meant to be doing!

OP posts:
Report
ChitChattingagain · 24/05/2011 08:12

I certainly agree with getting her to go up for a few hours a day. A short while before my DS was due to move to the older room they would send the older children in the middle room to 'visit' and to play with the older children in the garden. That can cause some confusion for them, though. There was one section of play equipment that only the older class were allowed to use, and when DS was visiting the older class he was allowed to play on it, but when he was in the middle room he wasn't. Try explaining that to a 2 1/2 year old!!

Report
reallytired · 24/05/2011 08:21

I think you are a worrying too much about your pfb. The staff in her room will give her plenty of simulation. Many children do not go to nursery at 20 months and they do just fine. Provided your child is happy then I would not worry.

I delibertely choose a nursery where children were moved according to thier birthday. Was speaking at 9 months and she got plenty of simulation in the baby room.

Report
nenevomito · 24/05/2011 08:23

My DS was moved from the toddler room to the pre-school room when he was 2 as he was getting frustrated and cross with the other children.

I don't think its pfb to want your child to be moved if its in their best interests. I suspect this is to do with the staff ratio laws for under twos though, so you may have to wait.

Report
sparkleshine · 24/05/2011 22:30

My DS is 17 months and has been ready to go up to the next room for about a month now. They generally say 18 months for the step up at DS nursery, but there is no set rule when he goes. He is moving next week as it happens.

All children develop at different times and they go off that rather than a specific birthday. There is another boy who has only just started walking at 17 months, so they will give him longer. They said the basics for moving up were walking confidently, feeding themselves (of a fashion) and starting to talk or make recognisable words.

For the last 2 weeks DS has been spending time with the older toddlers for an hour or so a day, getting to know his future keyworker and getting more stimulation that way.
they also have more free reign of going outside which he loves.

Hope it works out for you and your dd, it would be beneficial if she could get to spend time with the older ones, even for an hour a day.

Report
Lizcat · 27/05/2011 13:42

Moving up early is a double edge sword. My DD was very ready to move up at 18 months to the toddler room (2-3) and we were lucky she could move up. She missed her friends who she had left behind and never really settled till they arrived around 4 months later. At 22 months Nursery had a long conversation about moving her up to pre-school (3 on) both because she was ready, but also because she was a bossy little madam who was telling all the other children what to play when. In the end we all choose to move her up early to allow her friends to run their own games and for her to discover that older children wouldn't allow her to boss them around. It was the right thing to do, but it was hard for her.

Report
jaabaar · 28/07/2011 23:43

When babies move from baby room to toddler room earlier than 2 years do they still pay the same fees (prices given are by age) or do they pay the lower 2 year old fees as there is a higher ratio?

Report
HoneyPablo · 30/07/2011 08:01

jaabaar the fee stays the same until they are 2. Regardless of which room they are in, the age ratios still apply.

Report
Please create an account

To comment on this thread you need to create a Mumsnet account.