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Sharing nursery drop-offs and pick-ups

6 replies

Novembergirl · 08/12/2005 22:32

Do working mums feel more involved in their child's day by taking them to nursery in the mornings?

At the moment, dh drops me off the station for my commute to work, takes ds at nursery and then drives to work. DH also collects ds in the evening.

Although it would mean buying another car and asking work if I could start later, I am seriously considering whether I should take ds to nursery in the mornings. A few people I've talked to have cautioned that nursery drop-offs become routine and hurried and that it does not really matter to the child. Even if that is the case, at least you get to meet the nursery staff and, maybe, chat about your child.

Views/thoughts would be greatly appreciated.

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Feistybird · 08/12/2005 22:35

I like doing it - yes, I suppose it eases the guilt somewhat. You get to meet their little friends and find out a bit about their day.

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PantomimEDAMe · 08/12/2005 22:39

Nursery drop-offs are hurried. But it's important to meet the staff and talk about your child's day. When ds was in nursery and dh I both working, one of us did drop-off, the other pick-up. That way we both got to know the staff, the other kids, and see how ds was in that environment. And compare notes. Can't imagine not seeing ds's nursery most days he was there, to be honest.

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HandbagAddiction · 09/12/2005 13:33

Novembergirl - DH and I do this - i.e. we share the pick up/drop off duties largely for work flexibility reasons because neither of us could do both in one day (apart from exceptions of course) without really taking the p*s out of our employers!!

We tend to work it around meetings/outside commitments but otherwise take it in turns - so one week, I'll do drop-offs and work a 9:30 to 6:00 day and he'll do pick-ups and then week we'll swap and I end up doing an 8:00 until 4:00 day. I think it works really well for dd and us. We both get to meet the other children, parents and staff at the nursery and dd gets to spend more concentrated time with each of us in either the morning or the evening.

On the down-side to make it practically work - yes you do need too cars and once their in normal car seats (i.e. not rear facing) it does make sense if you can to buy a car seat for each car...otherwise you'll be forever lugging them/swapping them between cars and you may need to check whether your nursery can store it for you during the day.

Happy to answer any more questions though if you have them...

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MARINAtivityPlay · 09/12/2005 13:38

I think it can help you though Novembergirl, and help the nursery staff get to know the whole family a bit.
The other issue for us is that if I develop a paranoid fantasy that one of the staff has taken a dislike to me, dh, because he knows the staff and the nursery well, can administer a quick reality check from an informed perspective , and vice versa.
We manage it by alternating pick-up and drop-off btw - both of us have felt it is better PR in our workplaces if we arrive early some days and leave late on others. This was quite easy to negotiate although regrettably, it is dh who gets some workplace chuntering thrown at him
I get the impression from your post though that dh drives to a local workplace and you are the only one commuting up to town...that would certainly make us review our routine as there is nothing like playing Beat the Clock with rubbish suburban train services to send your blood pressure soaring...

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MARINAtivityPlay · 09/12/2005 13:39

Edam, I feel quite weird too on the occasional days when I do neither pick-up nor drop-off. Dh, apparently, does not...

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Novembergirl · 16/12/2005 19:29

Just wanted to thank everyone for taking the time to respond. Your posts have been extremely helpful and have crystalised my own, rather tentative, feeling, that I really do need to become involved in taking ds to nursery.

Now we just need to sort out the logistics...

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