Nursery

So this is going to be bit backward timewise, but just recently, Drew's Nursery had to close for a day due to a 'suspected' case of Swine Flu (click HERE for the complete lowdown on Swine Flu).

Nursery? Yep...I sort of forgot to tell you about the transition from our childminder, Rhea, to Nursery.

This happened in May of this year as Rhea became pregnant with her second child and selfishly she wanted to take maternity leave too!

So, we had to look for a nursery that Jerry and I were happy with so the 'viewings' started.

Originally, we both chose the most expensive nursery and why not? It's our precious princess we're talking about!

However, after shopping around, poking our heads in and out of paint-splashed rooms and corridors carrying the 'number 2' scent our noses had come accustomed to, we asked ourselves a good question. The expensive nursery...what did it actually have that the others didn't have? The answer was as follows...
- a big car park
- CCTV cameras which parents could view from Reception
- parent key fob for front door access

BUT...did we actually need that?? Was it essential when choosing a nursery? Of course, every parent wants to ensure they choose the very best place for their babies, but you don't want to be conned into buying into something that you don't really need.

And that's what made our decision NOT to go for the top-notch nursery. The other important factor was OFSTED results. All registered nurseries are OFSTED inspected and you can view the OFSTED report, results and complaints for nurseries HERE. Just search for the Nursery name.

In the end, we went with our gut feeling. How we felt when we walked in. How the staff made us feel. What we saw and what we heard. Having a recommendation is also beneficial. This is what swung it for us.

So although Drew has only just stopped crying as of today (15th July 2009) when we drop her off, we are still confident we made the right decision for US and the proof is in the pudding. She actually sleeps on a mat with her other nursery buddies for up to 2 hours each day!! That's pretty good going!

So, it may seem like a minefield, but there are lots of tips out there. CLICK HERE for loads of helpful tips on what to look out for and questions to ask when you're looking round regarding the activities, the staff and the nursery itself and don't get panicky about it.

It's normal to feel like you're abandoning your precious pooper-scooper with strangers who will never get them to sleep, never know them like you do, never know what they like to eat, never know what they're thinking...but you'll be wrong. It's the Nursery staff member's jobs to know and do all of that. Just chill and give yourselves PLENTY of time to find the right place for YOU and make sure you start looking around as soon as you can whilst you are still on maternity leave. In most areas the best will have long waiting lists and it’s first come first served.

GOOD LUCK!