Are creches normally this bad at following simple instructions?

[iwouldgoouttonight]

DD is 4 months and for the last three weeks I've left her at the creche in the leisure centre so I can do an aerobics class. Each week I have said she is due for a nap so lie her down and she should get herself to sleep, and if she doesn't she can have her dummy for a bit to help her. I have told them she hates it in her car seat so I take her out as soon as we get there, and I've asked them to give her a bottle of milk at 1pm or later.

Each week they have given her the milk almost as soon as I left her (about 12 o'clock) because they said she was crying (even though I know she was crying because she was tired). Then she only drinks half the milk and falls asleep on the bottle, which puts the rest of the day's feeding out because she hasn't taken enough and is really hungry about an hour later. And then because she fell asleep with the bottle they transfer her to her car seat to carry on sleeping, which wakes her up because she hates going in it! And when I went to pick her up today the carer was holding the dummy in her mouth even though she was crying so obviously didn't want it!

And they keep calling her Millie even though I keep reminding them that's not her name!

I have an older DS at nursery so I know that if you leave a child in childcare you expect they won't do everything exactly as you would have, and because its a creche where she only goes for a couple of hours a wek they aren't going to get to know her very well so might not pick up on cues that she's tired, etc. But do you think they are particularly bad, or am I being overprotective?

I know the answer is if I don't feel comfortable leaving her there then I shouldn't, but its the only leisure centre nearby with a creche so the only chance I have to try and lose some of this baby weight!

[crokky]

Can you alter her bottles on teh days you go so that if they insist on giving her the bottle at 12, she will be hungry enough for it? Perhaps you could put a sticker on her with her name on as long as she is not the sort of baby who eats that sort of thing! If she has a short name, you could always embroider it on a tshirt and put her in that for creche times.

[MintyyAeroEgg]

I would have thought that expecting the staff in a creche at a leisure centre to keep safe and play with your dd (and change her nappy if necessary) while you are at the aerobics class is reasonable. But to provide a full-on nursery service with naps and bottles and so on is probably expecting a bit much, tbh.

[cyanarasamba]

I think you've kind of answered your own question in that it is only a leisure center creche and not a nursery. They are not used to having children all day and regulating their routines, they are more geared up to just amusing the kids for an hour or so. Not sure if they would even have anywhere safe to lie her down for her nap?

I can appreciate your frustration though, I found routines to be very important too. Is there an aerobics class at a better time for your daughter when she is having her "awake time" and would enjoy watching the other children and paying a little? Or could you do something like swimming or the gym instead?

Hope you can get it sorted, sounds like you are doing great with the exercise drive!

[iwouldgoouttonight]

Thanks for your replies - it sounds as though I am expecting a bit too much from them, although they do say they will give bottles and have mats to lie them down for naps - I checked all that before I left her there as I knew she'd need a feed while she was there.

I might try and find a class at a different time and see how we get on for a few more weeks.

[iwouldgoouttonight]

Good idea about the name badge!

[LilMiss]

you shouldnt have to change her routine or yrs, the staff are there to do a job, and there is no excuse for constantly getting her name wrong
complain or go to another creche
Im very picky who i leave my child with

[KatyMac]

Would any of you be able to help me over here about what you would expect a creche to do/be

TIA