How to choose a nursery

As a working mum, finding good childcare is key, a day nursery is a good option and used by many. Let me give you the 4 key points on how to choose a nursery so your child will get what she needs.

1. Make a wish list

When you choose a nursery it is important to have a clear idea of what you want for your child. Make a wish list, like you would when choosing a new home: what are the ‘MUST HAVES’  and what are your ‘DESIRABLES’. Sometimes you need to visit one or two to get a better idea of what your wish list might be.

2. Look closely at the adults delivering the care

All parents want their children to be happy and cared for, and when they are small babies the care aspect appears to be the most important. So look closely at the adults in the whole nursery who will be delivering this care.

Remember to consider the whole nursery environment and all of the adults, not just the baby room or whichever room your child is starting in. Your baby will grow quickly and as a consequence will move through the rooms in the nursery. You don’t want to keep changing settings so look at where your baby is heading.

3. Ask about the qualifications of staff

Adults in the nursery need to be caring but they also need to be mindful of the role that their interactions and challenge have in helping your baby to learn through first hand experiences and opportunities for exploration and investigation. It is these experiences which help develop the brain during those formative years.

Research has clearly demonstrated that babies and young children make progress when supported by knowledgeable and skilled adults. When visiting a nursery ask about the qualifications of the staff. Many good nurseries are now employing graduates who have gone on to gain Early Years Professional Status (EYP).

Ask whether these adults work in all areas of the nursery and not just with the children aged 3+. Remember the majority of brain development occurs within the first 2 years of life and it is important that high quality https://premier-pharmacy.com/product-category/anti-fungal/ staff is caring for our very youngest children.

4. Check whether the children feel safe and secure

The environment that a nursery creates is of crucial importance to parents and children and key when you choose a nursery. When visiting look beyond the physical environment to the babies and children already in the setting. Do they appear to have high levels of well-being; look at the body language that babies and children display. Do they look at ease? Are they comfortable and cosy with the adults in the room? Are they showing levels of excitement and stimulation? In babies is there excited movement of the limbs?

All of these are indicators that the babies and young children feel safe and secure in a setting. Research has shown that when babies and children display high levels of well-being and involvement then learning will take place. “Well-being” indicates that the basic needs of the child are satisfied and refers to the degree to which children feel at ease, act spontaneously, show vitality and self-confidence. “Involvement” is evident when children are concentrated and focused, interested and fascinated and when they are operating at the very limits of their capabilities.

When you choose a nursery for your baby, you want somewhere which is safe and secure, not just from a safeguarding perspective but importantly for emotional well-being. You want play experiences for your young child, not hot-house pressure to produce a prospective genius but an emotionally secure individual who has had the opportunities to develop the valuable learning skills that are learnt through play.

After all, ‘a child’s play is his work’ – Friedrich Froebel, and this certainly applies when you choose a nursery.

Author: Sarah-Jane Butler, Director, Parental Choice Limited, the one stop source for all your childcare needs and Ann Clare, PHD in Early Learning and Development.  Sarah-Jane has a legal background and offers support with nanny contracts, requesting flexible work and can even take on finding and arranging your childcare for you.  

You can find more information in the book: “Creating a Learning Environment for Babies and Toddlers”, by Dr Ann Clare published in February 2012 by Sage Publications.