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.

I wish that all children could be cared for and educated in well designed buildings and with lovely, quality fittings and equipment. The thing we should rant about is the shoddy, awful conditions that many endure, cramped, poorly designed, poorly maintained and ill equipped. This came home to me recently when I’ve had a career change and been interviewed in several secondary schools. I nearly cried after seeing around the private school when I realised what it was like compared to the state schools locally - and we have good schools here. The school building was 26 years old but still pristine, not a mark on the walls or scratch on the desks. The corridors were carpeted, the playing fields stretched into the distance beyond the swimming pool...The state school I work in is only about 8 years old and the roof leaks, everything is scuffed and chipped and worn and grubby. Why are our kids not worth more?

That sounds lovely myusernameismud if you're in the SE I'd def apply to come work for you (as long as you paid a living wage, I left nursery work as I could get paid more doing basic admin, then I was as an EYP)

I have a baby zen yoyo... it’s much easier then all the carriages other parents lug around, I stroll down the street like I’m dancing on daisies ...and I have an ombre long bob... cause I accidentally bleached my hair trying to strip it of red hair dye and had to cut it into a bob and now it looks like an ombre lob !...DD goes to an expensive school. We drink ginger and beet smoothies. I feel attacked lol. I’m not a douche I promise! the hair was an accident!! Give the Baby zen a chance you’ll like it?

(DD’s kindergarten sounds nothing like the nursery you describe though, I get why it bothers you)

@Notcopingwellhere exactly what I mean! We've never called it forest school because it isn't, we go to the woods every Wednesday afternoon come rain or shine, and have for since the nursery was founded 30 odd years ago. A nursery round the corner has started doing the same on a Friday and marketing it as forest school. It's just not, you're going to the woods. That's it! Winds me up a bit.

@camomila I jacked it all in at one point to work in a burger van for £12 an hour, which was nearly double what I was on at the time! But I just couldn't do anything else now.

@GraceSlicksRabbit hi neighbour!

Sara, it is scandalous how state schools are so under funded, equally so is how much money parents have to dish out quite often for various things that used to be free or very cheap. Must be difficult for some who have three children in school at one time.

The government has to sort out priorities better; what is more important than the care and education of children? They deserve decent surroundings and facilities.

I don't see the problem? It looks nice? I did let out an audible snort reading some of the menu but when you break it down, most of the food is normal stuff you'd probably serve to your DC in some shape or form anyway - seemed slightly lacking in protein though.

I give my kids smoothies, it's a great way of hiding veg. I can't see how that's wanky- are some posters are confused over what a smoothie actually is?! I know the whole "superfood" gig is a marketing ploy but it's fairly mainstream these days and within most people's reach - can pick up a pack of chia seeds in aldi for a pound or so if you were so inclined!

The prices are extortionate in my opinion but I'm not in London. I have lived there though (in the stabby part 😝) and would have loved some gentrification where I was. Prices aside the whole "ethos" and menu would appeal to most parents around my age I imagine? Yourself included OP - you know the brands (I had to google all of them) you had the very buggy you mentioned, you follow people on instagram who have this stuff etc. you ARE this demographic.

I grew up on a council estate and I now live in the absolute sticks on a dairy farm, yet most mums I know feed their children healthy food/are familiar with Montessori/Steiner etc. it's just standard parenting nowadays due to the internet giving everyone access to information we wouldn't otherwise have. I think it's a good thing overall and not really to be sneered at.

Get angry about the rich/poor divide if you want to but I think your anger is misplaced in regards to this nursery!

I need white floorboards

Why is it irritating?

If you don't like the idea or can't afford it, send your child elsewhere.

Jealousy is a horrible trait op. Reign it in or it will destroy you.

Can I go there?

My daughter’s former nursery featured in the daily mail once. Wooden toys only, parents hub, cookery lessons, yoga etc.
And £2k per month. They’re all that price around here. Not sure what people on a lower income would do, I remember realising that I had to earn around £45k just to break even on childcare fees. I was a bit 🤬😱🤮

*rein

Jealousy is a horrible trait op. Reign it in or it will destroy you.

£90 a day seems a bit above the average, but not extremely posh for London. I was paying around £80 for a quite crowded setting with bright plastic toys and relatively basic menu.
I am more interested in the £55 / day nursery mentioned. Feels really cheap.

My ds's nursery is £57 a day, all meals included. No bells and whistles but it's lovely, lots of 1:1 attention, small, low staff turnover.

and (prepares to get shot down) I think 1 on 1 care is infinitely preferable for under 3s
Infinitely preferable if the person is right, yes. A total disaster if not (especially with a very small child who cannot tell you that the nanny just put them in front of the TV for 8 hours).
A nursery, at least, diversified the risk of inadequate care.

I like the smoothies...who are they? I think private schools without smoothies and Scandi toys would be cheaper though, sounds extortionate. The parents sound like sheep. Are all these designer accessories good buys? If so if I had the money I would buy them too but maybe add a rebellious no label bunch of stuff or seconds just to continue the delusion that I’m not a sheep. Otherwise I would happily rub second hand items in faces and be safe in the knowledge that I’m not a sheep and consider it a public service I’m providing by widening the demographic and their experience....baaaah

I don't think the op is jealous!!!

I find the criteria which are mentioned on this thread for choosing a nursery bemusing. My DC are 28 and 30 now but when I was looking for childcare when I was teaching full time my priorities were educational, not design led. I visited a few nurseries but found them full of young assistants whose English was poor and manners lacking. The DC ended up in pre preps with staff who were older women and qualified teachers. There was a happy, secure, disciplined atmosphere and the pre reading activities were excellent.

I paid a lot for it but being an aspirational working class woman who wanted children who could read and would read avidly, who were academically stretched, who had manners and who would develop the ability to think independently, it was worth paying every penny of my taxed salary.

Being aspirational I was not troubled by ideas of inclusion or diversity though when my children started grammar school at eleven they were open to meeting peers from a wide range of backgrounds.

My DS started pre school in a bedraggled Prefab type hut but his teacher got him reading at four. I don’t see where the Swedish styling comes in or the smoothies unless they are a deterrent for the ‘wrong type’ of child and mother.

It most likely won’t be the extras that cost more but the location. It’s probably not the most expensive in those areas.

I loved our nursery, very hard to get into with long waiting list, started at two, not as expensive but in SE not SW or N London

And of course everyone was going on recommendation which included the warmth of the staff. Disinterested does happen, even with 1 to 1.

I think that nursery sounds lovely and I'd 100% send my child there.
I probably fit all stereotypes mentioned, skinny blonde with a bugaboo, married to a banker, with a range rover and skinny terraced house in SW London tennis/Pilates every day. It is what it is.
On the surface, I probably couldn't be more of a stereotype if I tried.

The point is that none of those things define me as a person.
Not everything is black and white.

I don't really get the point of this post
Oh come on. It’s yet another opportunity to bash those with money who choose to spend it as they wish. Surely you recognise those by now!

That smoothie is no more nutritious than simply eating an apple.
Because food is only about nutrition. I presume you only eat a plate of raw fruit and veg every night because that’s what’s nutritious? Or do you prepare meals which are pleasing to eat. Boring old apple v lovely smoothie with a whole load of different flavours, probably with a better range of nutrients. I know what most would prefer.

But, I get it. Can’t possibly do anything different from what you want them to, how extravagant of them to pay £11 an hour for someone to look after their children.