To think my baby shouldn’t be in this nursery room?! Or am I being precious?

[Hippan]

DD is fifteen months (last week). She is quite big but can’t walk yet. I was told when joining the nursery that she would be in a room for 8-9 months to 16-18 month olds, depending on her physical development. Every day I have collected her in the last 2 weeks she has been in the room up which is 16-18 months to 24 months. AIBU to think this is wrong? She is still crawling around two years olds above her?

Yes the fact many nurseries are 0-2 anyway really hadn't been acknowledged by the OP or some pps.

I do think you are being a bit precious OP.

As for the Google screenshot of babies not interacting, just because you are able to screenshot something that you believe, doesn't make it so. I am sure there are plenty of screenshots I could add saying that babies do interact below this age. Of course they interact. Ok they aren't making cups of tea for each other, but they are interacting.

Liklihood of choking at 15m ? Really ? As long as children are sat up at a table to eat with an adult present the chance of choking is miniscule. What are you talking about ?

Our nursery took children between 6 months-3yrs. It was small, so there were usually about 15 children spread across 3 rooms with about 5 adults. Never crossed my mind to worry about my child when she was smaller - she was a late walker. It was like a big family and lovely that the children were all ages. Just chat with the staff. The important thing is that your child is safe.

My elder daughter went to a bigger nursery with split ages. Agree with others that it’s normal to combine ages at the end of a day. As child are picked up, it makes sense to send some staff home and have children in one room with a few staff.

Sometimes they merge the children towards the end of the day

In a family setting there would be children about a year or two older playing near a crawling baby. It is not that far of natural or normal. Perhaps being the only baby the carer is free to pay her extra attention easily.
Like they say, your baby might gravitate towards that space and be happier.

You need to ask to find the answer.

Both my DS were moved rooms early. the eldest was moved because he was "a bit of a bulldozer" and had been walking / running from 12 months. I think he was moved up from the nurserys older baby room to the toddler room.

DS 2 was moved up at 14 months before he could walk because "he liked sitting on the younger babies"

Its possibly the case that your daughter can more than easily hold her own even with children who are older and on paper look a bit more competent.

It might be the case that your nursery have taken in a few very young babies and its more appropriate for her to be with bigger kids than for the young babies to be with her. Nurserys have to juggle safety for all children and I really wouldn't worry too much about it. As long as she is happy and safe which she will be if the ratios are working she will be fine.

At 15 months she is much younger than a 2 year old but she is also much older than an 8-9 month old. A somewhere in between. Maybe they want her in the walking room so she can watch other toddlers who can walk so she can maybe try copying? Other than walking she’s probably closer to the older ones though for the kids on things on offer to play with.

It may also be to do with ratios. They change with age.

Mine didn't walk 'til 22 months (bottom shuffler)and i never even thought about this as a problem! ....but i rejected one (ofsted outstanding rated) nursery because when i turned up for a visit the staff member who opened the door then disappeared upstairs to fetch someone and i found a young toddler wandering around downstairs on her own smeared with poo. Staff ratios and how they balance the needs of the kids ie. mobility versus appropriate age stimulation/aactivites are probably more important.

I was in the same situation. My DD wasn't walking yet but all of her baby room were moving into the next class (where all children could walk and run). They moved her so she wouldn't be left behind and she was the eldest in the bay room.. I was worried she would be trampled etc but actually the opposite happened. She became really confident at asserting physical boundaries with the faster kids and began walking really quickly afterwards. It is scary for us. I would still voice my concerns so that the nursery are aware this is something you want them to keep an eye on.

IME nurseries are generally obsessed with moving them to the "next stage" as quickly as possible.

Speaks to the wider issue of childhood being seen as a race imo.

I wouldn't be happy about it. But that's why I kept DC with me until 3

How is this even remotely helpful?

Of course babies socialise! Even tiny babies smile when being interacted with, older babies will start to pass objects and look for parents. By the age of 1 there's a lot of social learning going on and they will have strong relationships with family and some friends.

Don't trust Google for all your answers when common sense can tell you otherwise.

That's why nursery is only beneficial for children from the age of around three. Before then, it's unnecessary.

And that is why the age that children can enrol in and attend preschool nurseries is from three years.

We're talking about being "precious" with babies. There's nothing wrong with it.

Go with your mommy instincts, and what's right for you and your situation. Don't be shamed into thinking your instincts are wrong.

When DD1 started nursery she was in the baby room 3 months to 2 years, she was 9 months and barely crawling but in a room with kids who were walking and running. I was so worried but it was absolutely fine, the older kids would even bring her toys etc (and when she was walking and one of the oldest she’d look after the little babies 😭). She then moved to 2-5’s which as a summer baby meant she was literally in a room with kids who were a week or two off being 5, again I was worried because she was so small in comparison but it’s done her confidence and development a world of good and she loves it!
I really would t worry, the set up you’ve described (seperaye baby rooms) is quite unusual anyway IME so at most nurseries she’d have been with kids about to turn 2 from the get go

It isn’t - but in my short time on MN I’ve found that some posters will use any excuse to project their views on using childcare for babies and toddlers!

My nursery mixes 0-2, 2-3 and 3-4. Occasionally particularly able children (think brutes with older siblings who play rough) are moved up to the toddler room slightly sooner.

Sorry - you kept yours at home until 3 because you thought OP might run into this issue at some point in the future?

Well hello Mystic Meg.

Why not ask if she's in there for the full day or just part of it - and ask if she can stay in the other room for half or most of the day (depending on what you want).

My little boy goes to a small nursery where all ages mix at all times.

The staff will be making sure she's okay.

We haven't had any issues with older ones knocking into or pushing our little boy who started before he was walking as well. Now he loves playing with the older children and it's lovely to see the older ones being caring and helpful towards the younger ones.
Can understand why you'd like to have been informed but I don't think it's worth worrying over.

I would imagine it's because she's too mobile (and big, probably) to be in a room with the smaller babies who aren't yet mobile or as robust. All sounds fine to me as long as properly supervised.

Both of mine went to a nursery that was 6 months to 5 years all together in one room. They did split them off at times - the 3-5 year olds would do forest school, the 6-12 month olds did baby only playtime and more naps - but a good bit of the day they would be together and had all meals together. I think it was much preferable to having them artificially separated into 'rooms' with less flexibility. I also found that the older ones really looked out for the littler ones.

I really disagree. As someone, who was not socialised with other children my age before the age of 3, I remember feeling stupid at the drop and play playgroup I attended from that age. Had I been around more children, I would have fitted in better.