to think this nursery is the very embodiment of gentrification in London?

[roundaboutsroundabouts]

I won't name the group of nurseries as I don't know if that's allowed (is it?) but I've just seen them referenced on instagram by a scandi toy brand. They are all in vair gentrified hipster parts of London and the fees are fcking EXTORTIONATE - £90 a day for the under-threes. I know that isn't unusual in London (although in my much cheaper part of London I only pay £55 a day). It holds a "curated" "programme" of monthly "events" (including pilates). The children get a daily smoothie - tomorrow's is beetroot, banana, ginger, berry, lemon and hemp. It describes itself as "design-led" and it's all vair tasteful scandi wooden toys in neutral colours. Design led?! Why does a NURSERY need to be "design-led"?!

You just know that everyone who sends their child there is going to have an ombre "lob", wear clothes from Arket, carry a fjallraven kanken backpack, own a bugaboo or a babyzen yoyo, dress said children in varying sludge colours from Mini Rodini, and have linen bedding in their Victorian Terraced house with white painted floorboards and scandi style planters.

I am BVU I know. But it is so irritating. I grew up in London, the child of an immigrant, and I feel like it's just an endless line of artisan coffee shops and overpriced farmers' markets these days.

My husband grew up in London the child of an immigrant. He loves the never ending line of artisan coffee shops. So do his siblings. Don’t know why anyone would be against improvement.

Don’t know why anyone would be against improvement.

Improvement for whom?

Angry, sad, whatever.

I won't apologise for being angry, it's nothing to be ashamed of.

Why do women always get shot down with the 'jealous' label when they have an unpopular opinion which includes some criticism? I don't notice men being told they're 'jealous' everytime they give some stinging criticism.

I can't believe the prices I'm reading... I'm in outer London and Forest School is about £60/day and even the lovely pre-prep set in acres with all manner of fancy stuff (taking children from age 2) wouldn't cost nearly as much as the 'privilege' or a few wooden toys and a smoothie

The prices don’t surprise me, I bet they’re all that level in those areas

I'm back with my two-penneth again. This thread is interesting.

OP, pretty much agree with everything you've said about, well, everything.

The icky feeling about hemp smoothies is, for me, because it's such an obvious signifyer of class, status and tribe. It's not just wanting the best for your kids that you can afford, but feeling like you're living a certain lifestyle and doing well at it, so other people will notice and put you in a certain bracket. That in itself is cringey. Hemp/stupid backpacks/whatever the latest thing is are also really unimaginative, obvious, boring ways to do this. So it's double annoying.

It is reasonable if not REQUIRED to be comfortable yet still angry that so many people are poor. Otherwise we could say "You've still got a clitoris why are you pissed off that FGM exists?".

And we are right to be angry at the world right now because so much of it is FUCKING SHIT! Anger is a motivator and catalyst for change. We know more than ever that there's massive inequality nationally and globally yet things are getting worse not better, the climate's fucked, right wing arseholes seem to have carte blanche to be, well, arseholes, its deeply depressing and rage inducing. In my view anyone who isn't angry needs their head seeing to.

People get upset about it all but when it comes to selling up will want full market price - but they could not make it worse and sell to who used to be able to live in the area

It happens by small degrees and no one wants to miss out no matter how rage-induced they are about artisan cafes and smoothies

Beetroot smoothies and neutral colours - what could go possibly go wrong?

motorcyclenumptimess

Ohh, I can see they have a couple of branches very close to me. I think I'll have to go and take a look at one now. I do have a nursery aged child so I have a legitimate interest:) There are quite a few nurseries around here that are very similar to this chain. A couple of friends have pulled their kids out of these nurseries as they felt they were not getting their money's worth (£85-£90). One now sends her DS to the slightly worn out looking nursery in the middle of a council estate and has found it is amazing.

They obviously do market to and attract a certain type of parent and this reflects the reality of gentrification in this area as a whole. There are certain schools and nurseries that are overwhelmingly white and middle class as they are situated in the little pockets of affluence in the borough. It was not like this when I grew up here, all the schools were much more mixed, and I do think it's a shame as the community is becoming increasingly polarised.

Someone asked about forest schools. DD attends a primary school a few minutes walk from one of the nurseries and she goes to forest school every week. The forest in question is about 40 mins away.

Eastie77 you've hit the nail on the head.

It's polarising.

Surely we don't need any more of that right now? The personal is political and all that.

I haven’t RTFT. I loved your first post. Completely get it. I don’t think you’re envious or angry. It’s all bonkers but it’s a business, they’re appealing to a certain type of parent and good luck to them.

Sounds awful. I am not jealous. I hate that kind of robot...all the same...type thing.

Hemp aye? 'Hemp' meant something else when I was young, not to do with smoothies......definitely not given to kids :-).

Not everyone who sends their child to a private school is part of the ruling elite. Quite ordinary people do so because they feel a particular school will be good for their child or if their local state schools are not up to scratch. It's quite scandalous that state education is so under funded nowadays but while that is being sorted out, people will do what they think is right for their children in the here and now. It's good that we have choices.

Yeah, agree OP, but each to their own. Let’s face it, kids are happy making a mess and rolling about, this is more for the adults but it’s individual taste. I’d be more worried about the parents you see swearing and shouting in front of the kids than a hemp smoothie.

I found the nursery website based on discriptions here. Honestly, it is great value for money as it offers 12 hour days. Very few places offer this. The fees also go down once children turn 3. For that area, the fees are charged cheap as well.

Sounds awful. I am not jealous. I hate that kind of robot...all the same...type thing.

This makes no sense whatsoever to me. Robot? All the same? Every crèche and school is ‘robotic’ and ‘the same’. It would be nigh on impossible to look after a large number of children otherwise. The main difference with this chain is it offers languages for preschoolers.

I understand that people are saddened that not all children are given the same opportunities.

Many parents who strive to parent in a certain way do the things this chain offers, themselves. It doesn’t mean they should be sneered at either for being a ‘certain type’. They are just parents who want to do the best they can, for their kids.

Personally I find it sad that little children are in these places for sixty hours a week, 50 weeks a year. I wouldn’t envy any parent or child who has to choose this option. I’d feel envious instead of children who go to a loving grandparents home instead or have a stay at home parent who wants to be at home. The most expensive isn’t necessarily the best.

I live in SW London, and feel peeved that I am paying the same amount per day, but without the smoothie, or being told my child’s day has been ‘curated’. I’m being robbed!!

when your child is two we offer Mandarin lessons

Surely mandarin segments are more appropriate?

What does ‘vair’ mean?! Obviously I can tell it essentially means ‘very’ but I still don’t quite understand?

A posh cunt saying 'very', mabel

Keep up!

GibbonLover

I used to have all lovely wooden toys when I was a small girl,and they were all made by my grandfather..but this was in the 1940 era .I had to play with them on the cold kitchen floor,or on the concrete paving slabs outside, but was near the lovely garden shrubs.

Of course,this was in the days,when little children were not taken to a nursery all day long, and we could all stay happily at home !!