Changing nursery schools - should we move?

[ParksidePen]

DD is 3 and has been at nursery since I went back to work after mat leave. She loves nursery and has lots of friends that she talks about all the time. For various reasons, we are needing to move her due to the nursery reducing their opening hours as they have issues with staffing both until 6pm and in the holidays. Her nursery is at least a 20 min drive, longer on a bad day, so that coupled with the earlier pick up is making things very hard with work. We’ve been muddling through for a few months but it is not workable long term. There is becoming a bit of an exodus within DD’s class due to other issues with the nursery and other parents have moved their DC already. Notwithstanding, moving her now also feels like a logical step as she’d then be with children she’d move up to primary with if we put her in a nursery locally.

I’ve looked at two nurseries / pre-schools within walkable distance that serve the primaries we’d be interested in. My preferred option was a nursery one of DD’s friends goes to so at least she’d be with a friend if she moves. Unfortunately, after visiting and being told there was availability, the nursery have now said there’s no space as they don’t have enough staff. They are unable to let me know how long it would likely before she would be offered a place but it won’t be before Christmas or the start of the new term.

The other nursery has availability but DD won’t know any other children.

Otherwise both nurseries have pros and cons.

If we were going to move her it would seem like a logical step for her to start somewhere new after Christmas as she will have been off nursery for two weeks by then. Our options are:

1.	Stays where she is and we continue to muddle through.
2.	Move her to a nursery with space after Christmas. 
3.	Wait to see if a space opens at the other nursery so she will at least be with another friend, but no idea if that will even happen. 

DP and I are going round in circles as to what to do so grateful from some wisdom. There are other changes going on at home which are likely also to be very disruptive, so he is worried it would be too much change at once.

I’d move her to the other nursery, so she’d make friends with people in the local area.

Move her to the nursery that has places. She will make new friends. Even if she finds it really tough, it's better to go through it now than when she starts school.

You're in a good position where yes, you don't want to upset your daughter. But you're just bringing forward a situation that will have to happen anyway, rather than disrupting her for no reason.

Thank you for the responses so far.

Rationally I know it's the right decision but the last two years have been so bumpy for us as a family we've been really grateful for nursery being so good and the friendships she's made. I don't know anyone who's had to move their child at nursery so I don't have any experiences to compare to.

I moved my DD aged 2.5 from a nice private nursery to a lovely school nursery. It took her about three weeks to settle in and she absolutely loves it now, six months later. She has loads of friends and is always in the thick of the action. I would absolutely do a similar move again if necessary.