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April 2007 - and breathe .................

454 replies

elliek · 06/09/2007 19:43

sorry again

OP posts:
Are your children’s vaccines up to date?
weeonion · 10/09/2007 21:42

idoc - i love the pics of S in her dor bouncer. c looks decidely unimpressed when we put her into one !

StealthPolarBear · 10/09/2007 21:45

No I loved the chocolates and am not ill - well unless you count chocolate induced sickness! I have to say that although they are lovely I am also someone who is happiest with a big bar of Dairy Milk
Ellie, my son has been renamed CBS (Cute But Stinky) so will no longer be referred to as T After being a bit screamy before we've had quite a good night, he's been smiley and laughing and went to bed still awake but tired, think he'd fallen asleep before I left the room!
Right, off to search the archives for questions to ask nurseries as we're going nursery hunting tomorrow. Anyone who uses one able to help?

weeonion · 10/09/2007 21:47

spb - WE were interviewed by a nursery recently - they asked us all the questions!!! i wasnt quite sure that was how it was meant to be but - i think we passed as we have been added to their 2yr waiting list

Idreamofchocolate · 10/09/2007 21:47

WO - she loves the bouncer. She literally dances in it and thinks she's really clever. Soooo cute!

StealthPolarBear · 10/09/2007 21:50

Arrgh! What did they ask you???
And 2 years??! I did mention on the phone that I was looking for something to start in April!

PillockOfTheCommunity · 10/09/2007 21:50

it's more about what you see and how it makes you feel SPB, questions are all very well, but they will give you the answers they know are the right ones, not always the truth

PillockOfTheCommunity · 10/09/2007 21:52

there should be no more than 3 babies under 2 with each member of staff, and there should be a minimum of 2 staff in the room at all times, even during lunch breaks etc

they should have a seperate area for cots, and ask what they do with bedding, each child should have their own cot on the day they are in, so they are not sharing bedding, and it should go in the wash at the end of each day (joe is in every day so just keeps the same cot)

StealthPolarBear · 10/09/2007 21:53

Well no that's fair enough but at least I'll be able to see if they have an answer at all!
And yes, I appreciate that a lot of it is about the feeling, we've both said that if we don't like a place then the other's not allowed to talk them round!

StealthPolarBear · 10/09/2007 21:53

Thank you - hadn't thought about bedding so will ask

weeonion · 10/09/2007 21:54

spb - they asked me why i wanted to be a mother and what skills / qualities / benefits i could bring to the nursery (apart from my dd and the £600 / month of course!!)
agree with potc - they will say pretty much what they think you want to hear. i have been known to wait around nurseries and ask some of the mums collecting their kids what they think. i do however run the risk of getting a rep as a dodgy woman!

PillockOfTheCommunity · 10/09/2007 21:55

ask if the prepare meals themselves, and can you see a sample menu. what would they do if baby had a food allergy and have they any experience of this?

look round all the nursery, not just the baby bit, as it's easier to see if older children are unhappy there, and T will be in the big room eventally too!

i found it very comforting to call in unannounced a few times when i decided on the nursery, so i could see what ratio's were like when they weren't expecting visitors

PillockOfTheCommunity · 10/09/2007 21:57

bloomin heck WO

i reported M's first Nursery to Ofsted

StealthPolarBear · 10/09/2007 21:59

Why?

StealthPolarBear · 10/09/2007 22:00

So far I have:

  1. Opening times
  2. Flexibility of drop off / pick up
  3. Length of commitment
  4. Settling in
  5. Food? Allergies?
  6. Naps ? where? Bedding?
  7. Structure of day
  8. Security
  9. Playing outside
  10. Trips outside the nursery
  11. Sickness? At nursery?
  12. How long have the staff worked with children
  13. Update parents ? how and how often
  14. Key worker (Thanks for allergies and bedding and I'll look round all the nursery, have to say I would have just concentrated on baby area )
weeonion · 10/09/2007 22:02

potc - why did you report them and was your at their questions or my lurking outside???

PillockOfTheCommunity · 10/09/2007 22:06

ok, i'd say that imo

Length of commitment - expect to be one month

Settling in - they should offer to let you leave him for about an hour free of charge on a couple of occasions, but should also be flexible to what you want to do

Structure of day - only thing that's important is that they are willing to work around the routine you have at home, and won't try to force T into a routine that suits them

Security - we have a door lock but if a parent doesn't pull the door shut it doesn't catch and can be opened, so while they tell you the security measures, make sure you keep your eyes open while you are there, and try to observe a 'busy' time so you can see what really happens when they have lots of people there at once

Playing outside - they have to offer outside space

How long have the staff worked with children - also a good mix of ages, those with/without own children, not just young girls straight from college

Update parents – how and how often

  • should be daily on how he has been, nappy changes, what he has done

Key worker - not really an issue as he'll choose hiw own favourites anyway!

Sexonlegs · 10/09/2007 22:06

IDOC, the photos on your profile are gorgeous!! We haven't tried K in the door bouncer yet. B used to love it, apart from when she choked on a rice cake and projectile vomited cod in orange sauce all over the place - eugghhhhh!!

WO, can't believe the nursery questioned you - how weird!

SPB, good luck with the nursery trawl. I can't remember what questions we asked tbh. Just seeing the children happy was good enough. Also I liked the fact it was a purpose built nursery (B had been in one that was a house coverted to a nursery, and it didn't really work imho) and they had a great garden well away from the main road, ie no petrol fumes.

Right, off to bed and hopefully to sleep.

Night lovelies. xx

PillockOfTheCommunity · 10/09/2007 22:09

the was at you getting questioned!

i think hanging around is an excellent idea, if they don't like it they have something to hide

i reported them because they regularly had low staff numbers, very few staff had completed training, most were college girls, and generally it wasn't run as it should be
they were fine until the nursery manager left, she had held the place together as the owner only gave a toss about getting the money in

StealthPolarBear · 10/09/2007 22:09

Thanks everyone
Think I'm prepared
Ellie, why did you report M's nursery?

PillockOfTheCommunity · 10/09/2007 22:09

ewww, what a nice image SOL

StealthPolarBear · 10/09/2007 22:10

ah
x post
Feel nervous after WO's story - better be on my best behaviour!

PillockOfTheCommunity · 10/09/2007 22:10

I bet it was montessori or Steiner sort of place WO?

weeonion · 10/09/2007 22:19

potc - no - it wasnt montessori / steiner. it was just the local one which has the best rep - they know they can kinda pick and choose as everyone wants a place there.

spb - dont panic! i have applied to 2 other places and they havent had that approach!

PillockOfTheCommunity · 10/09/2007 22:21

then i'm even more WO, maybe you just looked the dodgy sort

PillockOfTheCommunity · 10/09/2007 22:21

call me Pillock btw