Help me pick asap!!

[HMama]

Hi,

I am torn between two nurseries for my child, who will be one when starts. Both are equal distance from my home.

option 1) this nursery is uni run. The funding isn’t great so it is around £170 more expensive per month than our other option. The staff have been there for 20 years plus and are incredibly kind and supportive. The building is lovely and I just get a good vibe from them. They have 8 babies in the room max but do not provide food.

option 2) this is a private nursery. It is cheaper and they provide food. However, the building is run down and resources aren’t as nice. Staff seem lovely but are younger and seem to have higher staff turnover. There were a few little things that I didn’t love when I looked round e.g. baby gates being lose etc. however, people love it. When my daughter starts there will be 18 babies in the room which feels like a lot.

what would you do and why?

I feel torn between what I think might be best for my baby and what might be best for me.

Option 1

What is best for your baby

given it’s not you that will be there for hours at a time

Not having food would be a massive draw back for me. If you went there what are the rules about foods? Because I know someone who can only take sealed pre-packaged foods because of allergies and it’s super expensive and unhealthy

18 babies? That’s why there is a high staff turnover.

Number one, but what's the deal with the food? That sounds unusual for babies not to be catered for.

Option 1

18 babies in a room sounds like some sort of communist-era orphanage, sorry.

Option 1 if you can afford it (assuming their rules about packed lunches are not completely impossible) – what babies need most is the chance to build relationships with a couple of consistent, responsive caregivers, so stable staffing and a smaller baby room are huge pluses for option 1.

For option 2, how run down is run down? How loose is loose? A nursery that looks lived in and toys that look used don't bother me – minor marks from play on floors, walls, furniture, and toys; a bit of wash wear on cushions, soft toys, and rugs, no worries, you can't possibly be repainting a nursery every time a three year old bashes a toy car into the wall. But resources need to be good quality and enough for the number of children present (including enough variety), any damage that could present a risk needs to be fixed (or the item removed). A loose stair gate could easily become dangerous.

Option 1. I provided lunch for my LO the first two years of nursery and it was fine :)