Own dc/gc in nursery

[Cantsleeppast3am]

Just that really. I think it's inappropriate for a nursery worker to have their own child/grandchild in their care. What do others think?

[coffeeforone]

I agree. The nursery workers at DS's nursery always work in a different room to their own DC, so other than occasional cover they would not be in the same room and I think this works fine. As the DC progress to the next room they rotate the staff so it never becomes an issue.

[Missingaclue]

I work in a nursery and no I don't think it's ideal for me personally. My youngest attends the nursery I work at and although I have lingered a bit to help out if they're busy when I drop off it wouldn't be great for me or my dc if I was to do much more than that. I fear we're both a bit too clingy! The nature of my job means I'm likely to see my child from time to time but won't be looking after them as such. So I won't have the worry of having to move rooms etc which isn't always practical. We have had staff work in the same room as their child throughout their time in the room or when covering or short staffed and I can't see how that can be helped sometimes. Although they try to avoid it happening where possible. I think the older the children are the less of an issue it may be. I will say the staff who have worked longer term with their dc in the room have always been very professional and their dc have seemed to adapt very quickly.

[Hotpinkangel19]

I am a nursery nurse and my daughter attends the same nursery, my son also did the same. Not in the same room though, I work with pre schoolers and she's in the toddler room.

[AudacityOfHope]

I don't know; my CM looks after her own grandson, and my previous CM had her own kids there too.

IME the relative kids get less attention, not more! It's never bothered me at all.

[PrayingandHoping]

The nursery I worked in had staff children attend. They worked the same rooms as their children and it never caused a problem

[itsaboojum]

If a nursery worker was lavishing attention on their own child to the detriment of other paying customers, don’t you think their manager would be down on them like a ton of bricks. It’s no different to any other workplace, if you were focusing on your own stuff and not doing the job properly.

[Mysterian]

I'm a nursery worker. It can work fine, but sometimes it's terrible.

Some places I've worked you couldn't have guessed who the staff's children were. Everybody felt happy disciplining them, they weren't welded to the side of their parent, it all worked.

But I do remember one particular staff member. She was by the climbing frame watching out in case children got into difficulty. Her own child came up wanting to have a go but she told them they couldn't because it "wasn't safe".
Another nursery had the manager's daughter in the baby room. It's really hard for an under 1 to be in a room for 4 hours then see their Mum walk by. She also had issues with the food provided by the school (nursery set in a school) not being good enough, so she came in every lunchtime to pick through it all to find the bits good enough for her child.

If I ran a nursery I would only allow it if the staff member had no contact with their child.

[Mysterian]

itsaboojum - Not if it's the manager doing it. Or if they're a personal friend of the manager. Or if the manager isn't so great.

[RuskBaby]

Absolutely agree. My sister works in a nursery where one member of staff has a child, the child is poorly behaved and no one wants to discipline because the other lady doesn’t. It’s awkward for everyone and imo not fair on staff or children.

[itsaboojum]

So where do you put your child if you’re a nursery worker?

You can hardly use another nursery because you’re either starting work before they open in the morning or finishing work after they close in the evening.

You’re probably on minimum wage, which is well below the price of a nanny.

A childminder may be affordable and work the extreme hours you need, but places are rare and the number is declining every month: only two CMs in my community offer early years care, and one of those only does it for siblings of the schoolchildren she has.