Please help me decide what to do.
My 3 year old DD is in full time child care - that's 5 days/week, from 9 to 5:30, due to both parents in full time employment.
She is at the local nursery which is ok - the staff is lovely, she really does get individual attention and the nursery has a good Ofsted rating. However, I am becoming increasingly aware that the nursery does not provide enough for her needs. It's a very small space, small outside space as well, they never go out so the children are kept in there for the whole day, every day, month after month, playing with the same toys, reading the same old books etc. I simply know that this environment is not stimulating enough for her. I don't blame them - the nursery is competitively priced, but it's just that while it was fine when she was younger, now I really think she needs more. She is up at 7am and doesn't go to bed until 11pm which to me is a sign of under-stimulation (no naps during day time either).
I was on a waiting list for another nursery (an expensive one, triple the price of the current nursery) and now a space has become available. That nursery has a lot more on offer, children go out to "forest school", local playgrounds etc, and have a range of structured activities in the nursery as well for which dedicated staff comes in (such as music, yoga etc). The staff looked lovely as well when I visited so overall a good feeling.
The question is: should I move her? Take her away from familiar environment and her friends, only to move on again in September when she'll be starting reception? It took her nearly a year to settle in her current nursery, and she was selectively mute for nearly a year to everyone there to the point that the nursery staff alerted me that she might have speech delays (I knew it wasn't the case, she speaks fine with elaborate sentences at home, but chooses not to speak to anyone else who is not part of her comfort zone). She has only now started to come out of her shell at the nursery and is talking to her friends and some of the adults (but will refuse to talk to new staff, for example).
DH is strictly against moving her. He thinks that her emotional wellbeing will be so affected by the shock of the change that any advantage from the extra activities will be minimal.
But I just can't bear the thought of her being "parked" in that tiny space for another 9 months - and 9 months is a long time for young children, they develop so quickly. I am one of those mums who is torn apart between children and career, and I very much feel that I have to ensure the best possible care for her during the daytime when I cannot look after her myself since I am working. I am even prepared to pay the much more expensive fee of the other nursery - to be honest I could not have afforded it for much longer than the 9 months she would be attending it.
Any insights much appreciated, thank you in advance!