Nunu's Daycare

Archived Q&A and Reviews

May 2015

RE: Toddler program/daycare for 2-year-old
You may want to check out our old daycare - Anushka Bliss. Her number is 510.908.7123 and located on the North Oakland/Emeryville border. She's great about easing kids into daycare by having them visit with their parent many times and has a nice outdoor space. JJ

Feb 2013

Has anyone got any feedback on Anushka's Daycare in N Oakland? It also goes by the name Nunu's Daycare. She seems to have an extremely flexible approach in terms of drop-ins and no minimum to how many hours a child HAS to attend per week etc, which is amazing and unlike the policy of any other daycare I've seen. Also, how do parents feel about the daily breakfast bacon for their kiddies? Any feedback would be great. Thanks, Curious But Bacon Weary Mom

Anushka is an amazing gem -- warm, nurturing and laid back, yet structured about routines and organized about important details. She is our neighbor, and my son spent time at her daycare during his toddler and preschool years. She is truly gifted with the younger set. She fosters a great sense of community and sharing food reinforces the sense of community -- and expands your child's taste beyond the home repertoire. Anushka doesn't apply too much dogma, so I can't imagine that she wouldn't mind restricting bacon for your child, if you are uncomfortable with it. I have seen her keep elaborate sleeping and bathrooming logs for parents who needed this -- joyfully -- even though you may not peg her as the log-keeping type. I suggest that you spend some time hanging out at Anushka's with your child -- and see how you feel the routines would work for you. marjorie

My son was cared for by Anushka for a couple of years, a while back. She may be in a different house at this point. The flexible schedule was very helpful for me, returning to a part time position while gradually increasing my independent contractor work. We really liked her calm, clear manner with all the kids and her nice way of encouraging good social behavior. My son did so many fun things there-drums, music, garden time-- and has good memories of his time there. She didn't have daily breakfast bacon at that time, but that would have been OK with us. I'm guessing a parent could ask her about some breakfast alternatives. mom of bacon lover

We were with Nunu for two years, and it was a wonderful experience. Nunu has a gift with children; she is very loving and real, and all of the people she hires have a great feel to them, and are also wonderful with the kids. Usually her kids come from word of mouth, so many parents know other parents or previous parents, which makes it feel like a familiar and vibrant community. I loved the fact that she understood and advocated for the ''nourishing traditions'' approach to food, but if you don't, she is not pushy at all. I know one mom who wanted her child to just eat what she brought, and that was fine. I actually loved that everyone shared their food b/c I knew that my child would find something to enjoy, and in fact, he was able to experience a lot of new foods. Regarding the bacon, she uses nitrate-free, (and it's great for brain development!) but again, if you don't want your child to eat it, just tell her! The flexibility of days is huge! And she is really flexible. There were many times when I called her the night before with a change of plan and she was fine with it. I can't think of any negatives from my experience with her, and in fact, had a hard time when I had to switch to a pre-school that was less organic, and more rigid. I love that my child was able to prance around naked, eat good food, and spend all day out in the huge garden with loving adults. Nunu encourages potential parents to visit as often as they like, and in fact, if you are there with your child, you don't have to pay, so you can get a good feel of the place. I hope you visit her; I don't think you will be disappointed; I have only heard rave reviews from parents, and many families, including mine, stay in touch for years afterwards. Good luck!