As soon as Erin turned 2 she started going to nursery somewhere attached to a private school. The children from the school and nursery all spent time together and it was such a lovely thing to see. Erin especially gained a lot from eating hot lunches with the whole school and learning from the older children. When we found out that the school and nursery would be closing before Christmas we knew we only had a few other options for Erin. We don’t drive so the nursery had to be within walking distance and also, it had to be somewhere that Erin would love and thrive.
John and I both loved the Montessori nursery we looked at as soon as we got there. We went to see it for the first time without Erin though but we had a good feeling that she would get on well there. Montessori ways are very different to those in a more traditional nursery. Previously Erin was able to pick and choose where and when she wanted to play and the atmosphere was a lot more playful and loud. This is where we worried about whether this new nursery would be the right choice.
Luckily, after taking Erin for a short trial she seemed happy enough and she actually cried when we had to leave. Something else that made us a bit more relaxed was that one of the teachers from the previous nursery would be working at this new and one and Erin LOVED her so that really put our minds at ease. It’s always nice to have a familiar face somewhere and we knew Erin would be less worried because of this.
On her first day, Erin went off so happily because of the teacher she already knew. Erin was so excited to explore and to discover all of the new things she could play with and learn from. I barely got a goodbye out of her before she had run off to see what she could find. I was so relieved and happy that she wanted to go off that quickly.
One of the biggest differences with a Montessori nursery is that the children play on mats. If Erin wanted to do a particular activity, she has to take a mat, lay the activity on it and play in that area until she is finished. At this point, Erin then needs to clear the activity away and put the mat back as well. I always liken Erin to a hurricane because of her personality and ability to get every single toy out we own in about 5 minutes. Her old nursery was a lot more relaxed about how things were played with so this was a huge change and I worried she wouldn’t take to it very well.
Erin has had some slight issues with the transition such as forgetting to say she needs the toilet so there have been a few accidents. I think this is partially because it’s a new building and everything is different and also partially because she is so excited about whatever she is doing. This hasn’t happened every day and it does seem to be getting better the longer she is there.
The Montessori nursery has a much calmer feeling to it compared to the old nursery and Erin usually comes home with a lot more energy and is far less tired. She used to fall asleep on me by 5pm at the latest but we get a much nicer amount of time after nursery now. Erin also is super happy when I pick her up and she’s so excited to tell me about what she’s done that day. I never used to get this before so it’s nice to hear a bit about what she gets up to from her.
Even after only a month I know we have made the right choice for Erin. She is learning so much and I can see a difference in her every week now. I can’t wait to see where she is after 6 months at this Montessori nursery.