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Nurseries

Find nursery advice from other Mumsnetters on our Nursery forum. For more guidance on early years development, sign up for Mumsnet Ages & Stages emails.

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Original poster

No interaction with babies in nursery - am i expecting too much?

42 replies

teatree · 25/03/2007 11:37

Hi,
we started settling in sessions with ds as i will be back at work beginning april and we had two sessions so far. my first impressions were that the nursery is quite good in some sense, nice staff, friendly, good menu etc etc but there is unfortunately no intercation between staff and babies!! there are lots of toys on the floor and walls and ds was amazed by so many different toys. but looking at the babies who were there for a longer period of time, they seemed to be somehow.... bored i think. some babies were walking around with indifferent looks in their eyes, im not sure if this is due to the fact that they are a bbit tired or bored.. as the other negative sign for me was that tired looking babies were just cuddled and staff was talking to them in a friendly caring manner but i would have expected them to pick the baby up and put it into bed/mat etc for a nap. it was obvious that he could not enjoy toys or anything being soo tired..

what do you think? pls comment as this fact has put me soo much off nursery, I started to look for a CM again although i couldnt fine here where i live one.. am i expecting too much from a nursery .. or childcare??
I cannot afford a nanny on my own and its very hard to find nanny share.. pls pls let me know what you think..

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Original poster

teatree · 26/03/2007 13:52

EllieK
several parents from the company i work for have their kids in this nursery and i got a few recommendations. but their kids are a bit older than ds - so i wonder if this is a baby room problem..

OP posts:

Original poster

teatree · 26/03/2007 13:53

hi hairybabysmum, I will look for another nursery as well as for a cm, i think we are in the wrong place. thanks for your comments.

OP posts:

Ceebee74 · 26/03/2007 13:53

Teatree- how old is your DS btw?

I know my DS enjoys nursery as he gives all the staff huge smiles when we walk in (although I get huge smiles when I walk in at night).

They also have 'freeplay' at the end of the day when parents start picking them up and I have walked in whilst they have been playing peekaboo with DS and just sitting holding him playing with other toys - so I know they do interact with them.

It really sounds as if it is the wrong nursery for you - I know it sounds a bit careless but me and Dh only went to look round this nursery and as soon as we had looked round, we put DS's name down (although he wasn't born at that point) as we just got a good feeling about it.

Always trust your instincts

EllieK · 26/03/2007 13:56

quite possibly, and in some cases a change in staff can make a huge change to a nursery, so if the staff are different to when your colleagues children were in the baby room that could explain alot

Original poster

teatree · 26/03/2007 13:57

ceebee74, ds 11 and a half mnts old, will be a few days more than 12 months by the time he starts nursery but he is very advanced - maybe this is another problem. he is walking for a while now and is always on the move, it is impossible to stop him. unfortunately he gets bored very quickly on his own and wants some play with us and i am chasing him arpound the rooms - one of his favourite games.
we had a look around some nurseries before but this seemed to be the best one and by that time the quietness of the baby room seemed to be ok tbh as i wasnt aware what babies really want at that age..

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amidaiwish · 26/03/2007 15:59

teatree, this def doesn't sound right and if it is the only nursery available i would look for a CM.

i have two DDs at nursery, DD1 is 3 and the other is 18m. I work from home so am popping in and out at all times of the day. like today DD1 has swimming at 10, so DD2 didn't get dropped off til 9.30 and DD2 got dropped off at 11. i get them anytime between 4 and 5.59 depending on where i am. I have never seen them look bored/lost/disinterested or miserable there.

cont below.. they don't let me post long ones!

amidaiwish · 26/03/2007 15:59

this morning when i dropped off DD2 at 11, DD2 was busy playing inside, in a sand pit. This just wouldn't happen in my house. They sing lots of songs (jo jingles once a week, included) play with water, paint, play dough, glitter etc. Quite often they get so messy that they have to play in their nappies and i find all sorts down there when i bath her at night.

DD1 can write her name, count to 100, recognises all the letters of the alphabet, starting to "sound out" words for reading, is fantastic at jigsaws etc... she has also started french and loves it. I am not being an alpha mummy here, she just adores it. She is very easy going around other children, can entertain herself, eats well etc... and has benefitted so much from nursery as otherwise i think she would have a natural tendency to be shy.

I am sure a good childminder would also be excellent though. It is not really a debate of nursery vs cm, just what is the best childcare available in your area.

Original poster

teatree · 26/03/2007 22:01

Hi amidaiwish, sounds really good, lots of activities and interaction - just what i wish for my ds too.. I made an appointment with a different nursery to see on wednesday - could find no childminder with a vacancy in april unfortunately
i will have a word with the staff and management tomorrow if i feel the same during tomrrow;s settling in session.. thanks for your comments,im happy for your two dds.

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Hulababy · 26/03/2007 22:05

I wouldn't leave DD anywhere where there was not lots of interaction between babies and carers. That is the most essential part of the job IMO!

My DD went to two different fantastic nurseries betwen the ages of 5 months and 4 years. They were great. She loved her time there and had real bonds with the nursery staff at both, We only moved from frst one as I changed my job when she was 2yo. Interaction was a massive part of every day - it was pretty much constant TBH!

NurseyJo · 26/03/2007 22:39

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EllieK · 27/03/2007 15:59

i think teatree said it was a Leapfrog NurseyJo

i've always found the independents more 'friendly'

NurseyJo · 27/03/2007 17:51

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amidaiwish · 27/03/2007 18:35

well mine is Teddies... so a big chain. but i guess it all depends on the manager and staff.

NurseyJo · 27/03/2007 21:01

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Original poster

teatree · 28/03/2007 14:46

hi all,
here i am again but this time with lots of positive update
when i was there yesterday 9.45am, it was as if i entered a different baby room - nursery staff must have read all our posts
there was lots going on, they build up small tents and tunnels and played with the babies, and most of seemed to be very happy ! to my surprise and pleasure, this was not all, the baby room mananger announced that they will have sandplay as well!!
after a while i decided to leave the room to see how ds will take it, said goodbye and kissed him, obviously he started crying, but i left the room thinking there is no escape, the longer i stay the worse.. the staff lead me to a room where i could have a cup of tea and she was very friendly as i had a bit of tears by the time i went back to the room - about 40mins later - ds was asleep in keyworkers arms (still sobbing tho.. )
and i saw the other babies very busy sandplaying.
i felt a bit ashamed of myself as if i had done them wrong but i must admit i would not have given this or any other nursery a chance if i had not shared my concerns here and got all your supportive inputs!
tomorrow we will have another session and i really hope it goes well and i see the same happiness in babies faces !
thank you all ever so much!!

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thehairybabysmum · 28/03/2007 15:04

Am v. relieved for you teatree, glad you have had a positive time there today...tis always hard to leave them the first time, but your ds will no doubt be v. happy once he's settled in.

Ive just peeked out the window at my DS playing outside on the slide, he was clearly having a whale of time climbing up and down (im v. lucky as nursery is on same site). Im sure your DS will be the same once he is familiar with the place.

amidaiwish · 28/03/2007 19:22

oh that sounds more like it!

they will often cry when you leave them - this morning DD2 & DD1 ran down the path, in the door and DD2 into the baby room with a big "harro" to everyone. Then as soon as i kissed her goodbye she started to cry, really bawl. I just said "have a happy day, see you after tea" and took DD1 upstairs to her room. By the time i was halfway up the stairs she had stopped crying. By the time i came down again she was tucking into weetabix smiling and laughing away. That's just how it is...

the fact your ds fell asleep in her arms is a good sign to me!

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