To miss my baby’s parents’ evening?

I'd just tell them the time doesn't work for me and ask to rearrange a date either at drop off or just before pick up.

Just explain what you have said here, sure they will understand. I booked an appointment at mine and then completely forgot to turn up so you'll look better than me 😂

I never went! If you've any concerns, or questions ask for a call. My dd loved nursery and got on well and we never had any cause to attend a parents evening. To be honest we sometimes skip school ones even now when we are busy - ì always think, if you see teachers or key workers regularly, have a good dialogue and talk to your children then nothing that gets said at these things should be new news anyway!
Don't beat yourself up, don't go!

It's definitely optional! We tend to go because our nursery is down the road, but I wouldn't drive 25 min there and back for a 10 min slot!

Our nursery does this twice a year. The meeting itself is not that interesting unless there are some specific development points you or them want to discuss in more detail. But our nursery use the early learning program and track the progress of each child in an app. They print off the report for the meeting and it's used as a base for the discussion, with some specific comments on what they are currently working on with the child and how we can support at home. That's the interesting bit IMO, if they have comments like this I would ask if they could email them to you and give them at the next handover.

If you’d like to go but struggling with the juggle ask for a call as others have suggested. If you’re not bothered don’t feel guilted into going, no-one reasonable will think badly of you and trying to live up to societal views on parenting never ends well anyway!! This is a tough time. You’re doing great ❤

When I worked in nursery we had to stay and do these unpaid.
Particularly annoying when your shift finished at 4, you had to wait around until 6.30 for the evening to start, didn’t get home until around 9pm, then were back in at 7am the next day.
The fewer parents attend the better!

Why didn't you read the opening post, in which this was explained ?

Would you really drive a 50 minute round trip with a baby at their bedtime to attend a ten minute appointment? I'd ask for a phone appointment instead.

I work in a nursery and would say don't go! They aren't going to tell you anything you don't already know, if they had anything they needed to discuss they would do it on handover.

I loved my DS’s parents evening appointments because I got to have a discussion with profesionals about his well being. Thanks to those discussions my child, who is not neurodivergent, received speech and language in nursery and thanks to that he is now working at greater depth across the curriculum in primary.

It's a tick box operation they have to prove they communicate with parents for inspectors. If you have no issues with your wee one please don't feel bad for not going but let staff know so they don't wait on you.

Never known them at this age.

My daughter started school in the pandemic year - we never even had parents evenings, sports days, starter sessions. I wouldn’t worry.

Oh my parents evenings for babies. Is this a thing now? Are they one of those that does graduations for social media too.

If they had any issues they should be telling you at pick ups

Ask for phone / video chat.

My sons was just over 1 when he had his first. It's just a general catch up

Jeez parent's evening for babies! My youngest is 15 and this was not a thing when they were at nursery. What's the point when babies all develop at a different rate? The first nursery my oldest went to when I went back to work told me when she was a little over a year that she should be using cutlery by now and I got so upset that she was developmentally abnormal in some way that I started looking at loads of things she 'should' be doing. I left work and the nursery a few months later and she soon mastered cutlery. Kids get there at their own pace. For a 20 month old this just sounds like a stressor. I'd want maybe a little report on how she was doing at the end of the year but I don't think (knowing what I know now) that I could be arsed with a parents evening, especially in your tricky circumstances.

Never did the ones at daycare. Utterly pointless imo. Any issues it was addressed at pickup, drop off or they rang me for a chat

If you ask for a phone call they might be able to speak to you during the evening itself. I don't think YABU not to go when you'll be with your tired baby who needs to go to bed and have dinner etc!

Just explain why you can't make it and see what they say, they might offer to speak to you another time at pick up. Asking for a phone Call will take the practitioner out of the room and ratio so it will depend of if management can cover that short period.
All I would say is, if you book a slot, please make sure you go. Nothing worse than doing a full day in nursery and having to stay late and have no shows.
Some nurseries don't pay or give time back for parents evenings, it's just expected in their contracts

Why wouldn’t you want to chat about how your child is progressing and any concerns?!

I've been to two - the second time, it was going to be really awkward to go for various reasons, so DD's key person said she could do it at pick up on a different day instead, you could ask if that's an option? Or suggest a phone call?

Most people don’t go to ours. We never took DD, so if one parent was away or at work we didn’t go.

I went to one the other day which was in relation to the report they do before school start this Sept and to be honest even that could’ve been an email.

They can tell you it all on a different day.

Plus the 50 min drive there and back with DC in tow. Or waiting around for an hour and a half for the first slot and then a 25 min drive.

I wouldn’t bother with either option and would ask for a phone call after DC is asleep or to request an appointment at a more convenient time for you on a different day.