Looking at a nursery tomorrow!

[aPixie]

My ds1 has been on the waiting list for this nursery since September and they phoned today to say they have a place for him.

He's 21months and thinking of putting him in 2 mornings a week.

The nursery looks great on the pictures but a bit nervous now he's been offered a place.

I'm at SAHM so he doesn't really need to be in nursery. I do have a 20 week old boob monster though so think it will be good for the toddler to have time away from us where he can run and play and do all the messy stuff etc I don't get time to do at home with him because I'm stuck bf the baby.

He's also very active and rather quite boisterous so it'll be giving me a break but I'm wondering what the nursery will think of his "antics"

He doesn't talk yet either so do you think being with other children will help this along a bit?

I've asked this before a while ago but is there any questions you would ask while you're looking around?

I'm obviously going to be looking into the menu's and asking how much Outside Time they get (ds is much better behaved once he's had a couple of hours running himself ragged outside) but is there anything else you can suggest? My mind always goes blank when it comes to actually asking them things.

Many thanks in advance.

A few questions I asked when looking around

1. how do they 'discipline' and I use the word loosely, naughty/misbehaviour, I think you can tell a lot about a place by the response to this question as well as knowing if it works in with your values.
2. what is staff turnover like, you want some constants even at nursery and if staff are changing every other week that is very unsettling
3. what routines/structure do they follow? I know your DS is only 21 months and a bit young for set structured lessons, but it would be good to know what structure his mornings will take These are off the top of my head, will have another think about the questions I asked - BTW my DD is in a fabulous nursery and I asked loads of questions, but to be honest I knew as soon as I walked around that she/I would love it!! Thought of another, do you still have to pay for your place if you're on holiday?

A lot of it is on instinct. I walked into the one my children are at, and it felt right... similar to my home, messy but with a lot of activity and stuff going on, very open approachable workers, very low staff turnover, parents encouraged to stay. Also watched them disciplining children - workers v. good at handling prolbems, also very responsive to parent comments. excellent ofsted and, more importantly, extremely positive comments from parents I knew who kids went there. so ask around.

btw i am a sahm mother too - and sent my children for two days at three and a half because i thought it would be good for them (and to get some time for myself).

Don't know if I am too late, but also find out how they will feed back to you what he has been doing. At my first nursery they made a note of 'pees, poos, what food was eaten, any naps and what the key activities were'. I found this really usual, reassuring and also meant that I didn't try feeding DD the same thing twice in one day!

'usual', should have been 'useful' duh!!

Thanks for all your help. I did get to read your replies before I went, I've just been a bit busy.

You where right though. I knew as soon as I walked in it was right. Ds1 ran off without a backward glance.

No, really it was nice to see after the last nursery we visited. He has 2 free settling in sessions next week but I really think he'll be fine and it will be me who's sad. Lol.

Ah that's always the way. You stand there with a wobbly bottom lip and they run off all happy!! Glad it went well. I know you know this but you are doing the right thing