Nursery teachers snarky comment

Perhaps when you do contact the manager they can clarify exactly what time they do expect you to collect by - and how they will be adjusting the bill accordingly of course!

YANBU and you don't have to justify why your daughter is there, it's irrelevant to your question. The fact is that your daughter IS there until a specified time within nursery opening hours and the staff were both unprofessional and unfair to your daughter. I agree with PP who said you should tell them they should be continuing to engage with your daughter until you collect her and not having her sitting by a window looking for you.

The idea of OU being a piece of piss when you are working and have children is fucking stupid and designed only to undermine the OP. Ignore that as well. Flexibility is subjective and not infinite when you have TMA deadlines.

Who owns the nursery?
Is it privately owned/part of a chain?
I would definitely take this further. Their behaviour is very unprofessional, especially on her first day.
I used to be a regional manager for a large chain of nurseries; our staff were paid to work shifts of between certain times. Effectively the staff were trying to leave before the end of the time they were being paid for. That would be fair enough if all the children had left and everything had been finished in terms of closing up for the day, but certainly not at the expense of a good finish for a child.

100% speak to them. I work in childcare and have done for years. We would be strung up at inspection for this. Transitions are hard enough at that age, without staff compounding it by making your child wonder where you are and acting like you are already late. No child should feel like a burden! They could easily have one staff member, not ready but with their things waiting for them, reading to your child/drawing - no mess to clean up and it takes them seconds to get ready when you arrive.

I would also raise the issue of the completely unnecessary double phone call. They should only be contacting you in an emergency/if your child is in distress. I would understand if the second last child was picked up at 4, they could ring to make you aware, but not in a way that pressures you to arrive early, but at that time, what's the benefit of calling.

Be proud of the steps you are making to better your life, and subsequently, your child's. Ignore all the guilt trippers!

Nursery incredibly rude. You’ve paid for care until 6.30, to act as though you are late is out of line.

I worry though you may be paying out a lot for a degree that won’t necessarily improve your prospects.

I’d definitely complain to management. They’re being paid for a service, not doing you a bloody favour!

There is more than one OU course out there, they’re not all equal. And OP has already explained she has a deadline to meet.

Why is it a piece of piss? It’s the same amount and level of work as getting the degree from a brick uni.

Also whether or not OPs child should be in nursery for those hours has nothing to do with what she’s asking

As a nursery manager their behaviour is appalling. I always give parents a 15 minute leeway before I ring. We’ve had parents come later than that (and after we should have left) ands we’d never be waiting in our coats as that’s so rude, and would stress the child out.

I’d suggest emailing the manager to ask if they do stay open til half 6 on a Friday as you are confused by the calls and fact the staff were ready to leave before the end of the day.

This is so strange

They are definitely out of order - if you're paying for the hours then they should be providing high quality childcare at that time. I can understand 6.20 getting coat on the child and saying let's watch for mummy.

Please ignore the pps criticising childcare!
You are working hard so your children can have a better future!

Remind them that they are service provders not your boss. You paid for a service and their duty is to provide the requiired hours. It not their place to judge you. Someone has to be last to be picked up. Learn to be tough with what randoms thing or imply.

You def need to take this up with the owner. Say you will not have your daughter made to feel as though her mummy is late. Say that you expect the staff to be offering the proper service right up until 6.30, not loitering by the door in their coats for god knows knows how long and phoning you multiple times to harass you to arrive earlier.

if they can’t do that then they need to let you swap to another day when they will offer the service you are paying for right up to pick-up time.

I think that their behaviour was terrible. Would make me a little worried to be honest. If they want to leave early on a Friday they should say that pick up time is xxxx on Fridays and only charge parents accordingly. If they are open and the session runs to 6.30 then they should be working with your daughter and any other remaining children until that time, not sloping off early. Really poor show on their part.

You didn’t find one, so you thought you’d add it. Well done you.

Be kind to yourself ❤️ In your position I think I would do what someone else suggested and make it clear to them that 6:20-6:30pm will be when they should expect you to arrive on a Friday. Manager was totally out of line.

Anywhere I’ve ever worked every single adult in the building, including admin staff, have done their best to distract a child who is late being picked up, even when the parents are an hour late for the umpteenth time! The crazy thing in the situation is that you weren’t even late! Hopefully they had only been at the window with your DD for 5 minutes or so.

I’d give them grace this time but would judge the manager’s response to the email as to whether I sought out alternate childcare. Hopefully you have a choice of nurseries nearby should you need them.