To be conflicted about nursery - montessori vs standard

[RubyEmma212121]

So I absolutely love the montessori pre school my 2 Yr old dc has just started she has thrived in her settling in sessions and adores her key worker. Only issues were that during one of the sessions an older boy almost dropped a hole puncher on top of her head (they use heavy metal ones not kiddie ones), she also picked up a pair of scissors which are freely on display and put a load of small beads she found on the floor in her mouth and her key worker had to force her to spit them out. There were also many glass stones and marbles on display. I know this is the montessori way to expose children to 'real life' objects and materials and par take in risky play to build autonomy and confidence. I love the concept but still feel a bit unsure re safety.

My dc is the kinda kid who loves putting things in her mouth so the choking element is a real concern for me.

We then have a more standard nursery 30 seconds from our house but upon visiting it had a more dishevelled feel, plastic tired looking toys, very small 2 year old room and quite young bored looking staff. But it all looked very child friendly.

AIBU to be worried about these things at the montessori or should I just go for it?

Hi
Did the staff tell you about the scissors and hole-punch ?
Almost dropped....assume a member of staff intervened ...
Talk to the staff about your worries and see what they say before rushing to move her...

don't most children have an obsesson with putting things in their mouths?
presumably they haven't killed anyone yet. giving them freedom to learn rather than wrapping in cotton wool & constantly saying no sounds a good option, but talk to the people that run it if you have concerns.
Does your daughter like it, is she happy there?

Ugh both sound terrible to me.

It's commonsense not to leave small beads and things small children can put in their mouth around until you know how the individual child will act.

Talk to the nursery and if you are still unhappy look for a third option even if you have to travel further.

Loved the concept in theory, but when we visited one there was a child in the bathroom playing with toys in the toilet bowl. No thanks.

Neither sound good I’m afraid

My mother was a Montessori teacher and so I've often seen the equipment. The beads were not a small choking hazard size, they were enormous - you wouldn't swallow them, you wouldn't leave them in your mouth, especially if you were small. So check if this Montessori is working with the proper equipment.

These were the beads @PleasantBirthday

Those beads are too small for 2 year olds imo. With the teaspoon it's like an invitation to a toddler to tuck in . There's a balance between exposing them to real life objects and a safety concern.

These are the types I've seen used in preschool:
www.montessoripreschoolsupplies.ie/product/lacing-beads/

For the spooning and pouring work, they used dried lentils, not tiny beads.

I wouldn’t fancy that safety wise!

@Chiefofstaff thats what I thought. She found some on the florr she put in mouth then went up to this and put a spoonful in.

This is a pic of the other small items on display for the 2 Yr old to access.

@ThinWomansBrain i agree. Yes she is. So conflicted.

My ds was at an excellent Montessori and this is what they also used. They didn't use beads.

Those items look like a choking accident waiting to happen. I'm not an expert on Montessori but glass beads with a spoon next to them is ridiculous.

Is that marbles?? That is a hazard, I'm shocked that it is allowed.

Did they allow you to take photos? Or are they stock images?

If so that's a problem- no phones should be allowed in the nursery.

I wouldn’t go to a Montessori place.
My friend sent her child to one, and lost the ability to even say nursery.
It was Montessori this, Montessori that…
I would be afraid to turn into a wanker.

Was this an activity done with a teacher at a table

@Cottonfrenzie these were taken during a visit when the nursery was empty before opening time but you are right I was told no phones allowed due to safeguarding when they saw me with my phone

I'm a nanny and my last bosses were into Montessori(not just nursery, but everything at home too) I didn't know much about it until then, but now I know it's downright dangerous and not to mention completely ridiculous! Wouldn't work for another family who were into that no matter how much they paid me, it was a bloody nightmare!

@RubyEmma212121 Montessori teacher of many years here. Have you talked to the staff about your concerns? The spooning activities indirectly prepare the child for reading and writing later. Holding the spoon strengthens the hand and with all Montessori activities we work from left to right and top to bottom as that's the way we read and write.

That is a lovely and perfectly normal activity to see in a Montessori environment. However, the beads are far too small for under 3s. All the activities in your photo are not what I would have on the shelf for under 3s. I would expect to see similar activities but fewer on the shelf and larger. For example, the spooning, I would have 3 or 4 very large beads (each big enough to only fit 1 on the spoon at a time).

What age are the children in the room? From years of experience, I feel very strongly that under 3s (or at the very least those under 2.5) need their own separate environment as their needs and stage of development are very different to those over 3.

@RubyEmma212121 forgot to say in my previous post, please feel free to PM me of you would like any more info.

Another Montessori teacher here. Those beads are too small for the children.

Also, check the training of the staff. They should be AMI trained. Sadly Montessori is not trademarked and anyone can use it, which leads to many problems for those of us who are correctly accredited.

Why is the perceived age of the staff relevant? "Young" people can't be competent and trained at looking after young kids?

Neither setting is great.

the one you’re at is not true Montessori and those beads are far too small for 2 year olds.

@LucyLucyAppleJuice thank you! Have sent you a PM 😊