Help me chose between these two nurseries!

[Bumperslucious]

Thanks for the tips on my thread yesterday. I've been to see two nurseries and I can't chose between the two of them so I'm going to list the points and maybe you can help me by advising me on whether these things matter (btw dd is 19m and will go for just one day a week):

Nursery 1:
Slightly cheaper as they offer a corporate discount, works out about £36 a day. Nappies included in price as are 3 meals and 2 snacks. Will mean I don't have to give her brekkie before work. But £50 non refundable registration fee.

Very into child led play, little structure. Naps when child wants in a separate room to the play room, either on little beds or a travel cot, at snack time the children help themselves to what they want when they want. Variety of rooms, DD is 19mo and would be in 18m-2yr room, then there is a 2-3 then 3+.

I'm going to be working on a Friday. Would have preferred Thurs but I will go on a waiting list, with prioity. Garden with pigs and a goat and a veg patch. Loads of wellies and outdoor clothes there. Children go out at least twice a day.

A lot smaller than second, rooms a little more run down, no carpets on plaroom floors, building works to improve the place will be going on for the next few months.

DD seemed happy to go off and play. Staff seemed nice and friendly.

Nursery 2:
More expensive, but only about £20 a month more and the deposit is taken off first invoice. But doesn't include nappies (incl wipes though). Only 2 meals a day, not breakfast (although they will give brekkie if you really haven't had time, I imagine they will talk about you though if you do this too often!). Two snacks, separate kitchen/snacking room.

More structured. and hour of structured play morning and afternoon. Structured naps on 'beds' in the play room at 12-2.

Large garden, go out once or twice a day at least. Whole place much bigger, better condition.

The structure thing isn't necessarily a bad thing. DD has little structure at home and that is partly my reason for sending her. In this one the LOs were off for snack time and DD just joined in with the throng and went to sit with them for snack time. The nursery staff fed her and looked after her while I looked around the rest! They couldn't believe how at home she made herself given she's never been to nursery!

I really can't decide and am sending DH to have a look next week. But I just wanted your views on these poitns.

The first one sounds the nicest to me. Sounds lovely and she is going to love the animals in the garden if she goes there (!)

Is the breakfast thing important to you or not?

Hmm, I don't know yet. DD is at home with either me or DH so we have never had to all leave the house on time!
I think the size and condition of the first is putting me off but just not sure how important that should be.

Suppose the building works might put me off. But the fact that it is smaller would be a bonus in my book.

Hi Bumperslucious,
The first one sounds lovely to me, but I think what really swings it is the second one not doing nappies or breakfast. My nursery does both and it is such a godsend, it's hard enough remembering everything in the mornings without rushing around getting nappies, and I think having breakfast at nursery is a nice start to the day and kind of gets them all settled in.
My nursery has hard floors too (easier to clean!) but they do put playmats down when they're playing on the floor.
We did look at a few nurseries when we were trying to decide, the one we went with isn't the biggest but it's the one where I got that warm fuzzy feeling.
Wherever you decide I'm sure your DD will love it, she sounds like a very sociable little girl

How did they feel atmospherewise bumper? did you have a gut feeling about either of them? Did either of them give you any testimonials from current or previous parents or numbers of parents you could contact?

they both sound nice, but the building works proposed for the first one would tend to put me off. No real reason other then the planned building works that meant DS's nursery was temorarily losing its garden never materialised after the initial ground clearance which turned the garden into a not to be used building site for the last year of his time there.

The first one sounds nicer on paper, but agree with Daisy you should go with your gut feeling.

Slight run-downness and lack of carpets wouldn't bother me, I think staff and general atmosphere are more important.

Agree about gut feeling. Both sound nice. It's difficult isn't it. Just remember that whichever you choose, if it's that close a thing that you have to ask us all then it prob doesn't matter which one she goes to.

I would say 1st.
But yes to gut feeling - I think you when you have found somewhere good.

IMHO kids don't care about a bit of carpet or cracked paint, but doing breakfast is a godsend, and DS thrives on little structure because he is an independant chap. I'd hate it if they were making him draw when he wanted to run, kind of thing.

Also age separation seems good in the 1st one.

One thing to consider - do either of them take younger babies?

IF you ended up having another, I presume you'd want them at the same place?

I don't know about gut feeling, I'm too fond of overthinking things to be able to access my gut feeling. The breakfast thing might swing it, but it was just so sweet in the second seeing her wonder off with the other kids into the kitchen and sit herself down at the head of the table and have her snack with them (she definitely made herself at home!). I like that in the second one they had a separate eating area, but they didn't have a seperate sleeping area. I worry about how she will sleep.

In the first one they had a separate sleeping area but they ate in the playroom.

I'm sending DH in next week to see if he can chose. I know I am making a bit deal out of this. I never thought I would. Even DH is surprised at how precious I am being.

I'd go for the second one. For some reason, eating in a separate room seems more important to me than sleeping at that age. All the children in DS's room nap fine - the staff sit and stroke them to sleep.

A hour in morning and afternoon of structured play (presume you mean by this that they do a making activity, or other specific thing) is quite good imo as it breaks up their day and changes the pace

If you can leave a big pack of nappies, it's not too much of a faff to supply your own (they will tell you when they need more). DS's nursery doesn't officially do breakfast, but they do offer the children cereal at 8 - some always eat it, some don't. His previous nursery they never offered, but were happy to give it if you hadn't for whatever reason, so if they mentioned it, I don't think it would turn out to be a problem

as a nursery nurse i like the sound of the 1st one. Love the idea of the animals! They sound more child centred which is important to me. But can I ask why would you leave the house without giving your child any breakfast? I have often wondered why parents do this. We offer toast and milk at 9 am in our nursery and feel sorry for children that arrive without having anything to eat

My daughter's nursery gives breakfast and I often wonder whether any parents really actually send their child in with having nothing to eat.

My DD does well, cos she has cereal and toast at home, followed by more at nursery.

I'm a childminder so biased in my opinion but if I had to choose between the two I would go for the first one as long as you are 100% sure the building work will not affect your dd (like there will never be tools left lying around etc)

19mths is very young to be going to a nursery imo (my own very personal opinion) this is not to say that she won't be happy/ thrive there but I would go for the least structured option and also the place she can get a good quality, much needed rest. Animals are a bonus and the outdoor bit sounds very healthy, fresh air etc.

I'm not suggesting that I am going to go out deliberately without giving DD breakfast, especially if I though she wasn't going to get anything else!

I am just wondering how I am going to manage to get me ready, DD breakfasted and ready, leave enough time for a half hour drive to work and however long it takes to drop off at nursery without having to get up at some godawful time, as I have never had to do it really before.

And love my girls do you really think 19mo is very young to go to a nursery? DD is the last of the children I know to go to childcare. Most have been going in one form or another since 6 months.

I think both nurseries sound nice, though I'd want to know the effect of the building work.

It's possible that the structured/unstructuredness may not be "strictly" true. At my DD's nursery they say the children sleep when they want, which they do as babies,but by the time they get towards 2 they are wanting them onto a more regular after lunch nap time. Equally it is mainly child led, but more stuctured where the children are younger, for example in the 2 year old room if they do a craft everyone does it, whereas by the time they get to 3 the children choose whether to do the craft or not.

I wouldn't put any weight behind nappies and breakfast - if you use disposables you'll just leave a bag at nursery and if you use resusables it's just a question of put new in in the previous night. Equally breakfast you'll probably no anyway.

If you have to work then of course you need childcare for your DD. AT 19mo, I think I would prefer a nursery over childminder as they are starting to get to the age where they'll appreciate other children about them. But it is very personal (my children started nursery at 6 and 10 months BTW).

Re getting out in the morning. you'll find you soon get into the routine. We get up at 7 and used to get myself + 2 children fed, washed dressed and out the door by 7.50. (though tis bliss now DS is at school and 1 less child to get ready)

Bumper- It's all about personal choice and the individual child imo, some children are better suited to nursery some to childminder (both cases needs to be the right minder/ nursery for that child/ family).

Personally I think a 19mth old that has been at home with mum could do with an environment similar to that but where she is also introduced to lots of other children through toddler groups/ other mindee's/ play dates etc and goes out and about like popping to the shops/ school runs and on day trips to places like the farm, park, muesum, feed the ducks, soft play places, woodland walks etc with a childminder she would also mix with a range of ages too.

For eg - I care for a 20mth old mindee he goes to a variety of toddler groups everyday that are set out very much like nurseries (craft, playdough, sand, water, bikes, cars, drawing, dressing up, kitchen, rice, snack time where about 30 children all sit together) then we come back for lunch and he naps (where he gets good quality sleep because it's quiet and the other mindee is also asleep, there are 2 afternoons where my dd2 is also at home but she has learnt it's quiet time when the lo's are asleep) then when the lo's wake we have time for a drink/ snack and nappy change and set of on the school runs when we get back I have 5 to 6 children in total aged from 10mths to 10yrs and they all love it they build den's together or split into groups sometimes the older ones will play with the younger ones, sometimes the older ones play a game together, sometimes they all do the same activity, at the end they all tidy up together (granted the 20mth old isn't so great at tidying but if the older ones give him a toy to put in a basket he does do it and he'll learn eventually) and then they sit in a circle and do singing while I get dinner on the table, then they eat together. It's so varied and they are such a lovely group of children and they love all being together in their small group.

Actually Lovemygirls, though the reasons you state are perfectly valid, I actually preferred a nursery at this stage as it's only one day and she is at home for 4 days (well 6 incl weekend) so I liked the idea of a nursery setting as a change, I might feel differently if it were full time. SHe doesn't need a home away from home setting as she is home the whole time! But I do understand the benefits of a childminder.

Interestingly I spoke to a woman at my knitting group today who took her child out of the 2nd nursery at 2 months because she didn't like it. And the person who runs the group had her children in the 1st nursery 15 odd years ago and her daughter went back to do work experience there and some of the staff are still there! This might have swayed me, but the first woman has suggested another nursery that I might check out. Thanks for all of you indudging me in this btw!

good luck with that. As for the morning rush have you thought about starting work later to give yourself more time in the morning. IME mums rushing off to work and rushing the child is the biggest cause of children being unsettled at nursery. I have only started working earlier in the morning now my DD (12) has started at high school and goes by herself to the bus stop. I don't think your DD is too young to start nursery, and don't let people make you feel inadequate for considering it. We all have to eat! But, as a nursery nurse, I know from experience that some children do find it hard to settle in nursery when they only do 1 day a week. It might take you longer to settle her in.

Thanks purepurple. I could start later, in fact I can start at any time, but then I would be back later. I am going to be working 8.5 hour days (incl lunch) otherwise it is just not financially worth putting DD in a nursery. I think I am going to go with the first one. I spoke to a friend last night who is a job advisor and sent a client to work there. She met the owner a raved about it and said that's were she will send her baby when she has one. That's a pretty good testimonial!

If I'm not having to give DD brekkie that will save the morning rush. She's not a huge breakfast eater, likes to graze at it, but she always has a big bottle of milk when she wakes up so isn't starving. I was going to pick the second but I've come round to the idea. I think if dd could talk and I asked her would she rather go to a carpetted nice looking nursery or see some pigs I thing she'd probably say 'pigs'!