AIBU to feel guilty about collecting my child later from nursery?

I couldn't think of anything worse.

Why feel guilty when you’ve paid for it I say. I used to go for a run before collecting mine sometimes to unwind after work.

Why would you do that?

Next time, go to a cafe or pub and have a drink and sit with a good book and actually enjoy your alone time.

Ditch the guilt. Do something for yourself in that time - a walk, read, listen to a podcast, go get a coffee and relax; anything once it’s for you. A well rested, happy, relaxed parent is a great gift to give to your child!

My nearly four year old went to nursery two days last week, 9-3, over half term. I am a teacher. I had the two days to myself in the sunshine.

I don’t feel remotely guilty.

Can you twist the narrative on its head? Would DC prefer to be at nursery having fun or cooped up in a shopping trolley?
For the record I hate food shopping I’d much rather be at nursery!

Before my eldest started school, on WFH days I used to drop them at nursery opening time (8am) and then either go to the gym or (more often) go home and have a long bath before starting work 9.30am. I miss it hugely because I can’t justify paying for breakfast club for chill out time! For some reason it felt easier than the end of the day.

I do get the guilt OP but please try to ignore the noise, it’s a hiding to nowhere and your time is important.

Mine are thankfully out of the nursery years but we were paying £95 a day, too fucking right I was using all my hours. You don't get a refund for picking up at 3.30 instead of 5.30.

I used to finish work at 4.30 a couple of days a week and either get loads of housework/errands done, go to the gym or have a cuppa and watch a TV show. You've got nothing to feel guilty about.

Don't lose yourself in being MUM. If your unhappy you won't be a great mum. If all you are is a mum when they leave home you'll be lost and become one of those awful MILs who won't stop interfering.
Your child will be having a lovely time at nursery playing with her friends.

Take your toddler shopping with you. It's great social interaction, especially if they get to choose which biscuits to buy. It's also quite amusing (to me) when the child is sat in the trolley and is busy loading up with random stuff, while mum is chatting on her phone.

Don’t worry op. I used to have a full day off each week while DC1 was in nursery and it saved my sanity. Now i have a half day to myself (3 hours) while DC2 is in nursery and i need it to get stuff done.

There is no need to feel guilty at all op, infact perhaps you should do this more often and not to go supermarket shopping. You are a human being in your own rigjt not just mum, so long as your child is safe filling your cup up now and then is healthy.

Very silly of you.
Taking some time for yourself and minding yourself helps you be a better mother.

How can you be your best self if you don't care for yourself?

Shop in peace, then pick her up.
Mind yourself, no one else will.

There’s no need to be a martyr. The nursery is open until 5:30, you pay a day rate.

As a childminder I always appreciate a heads up when pick up time is different to normal purely so I can prepare the child for the change.

Surely that’s just making your life harder. It’s not even like the OP is taking time for herself, she’s doing something that needs doing. Taking a child under school age to do the big shop when you don’t need to feels like hard work to me.

Do you know what op sometimes I used to take a whole day off work and put the dc in nursery and now they are in school sometimes I do the same. For a whole variety of reasons eg having my hair done, meeting friends, doing diy etc

The dc are absolutely fine and I always feel loads better.

I would pick the kid up then go shopping together

When eldest was in nursery I'd finish at 5, go home, shower, get food started then pick up at 5.45 (work, home and nursery all very close!) so I wasn't trying to do everything at the same time. It really helped

If you’d picked them up they could have gone to the supermarket and sat in a trolley. Probably a pretty boring

You didn’t so they got to have fun at nursery.

It’s really ok to leave them at a trusted location in order to do chores. It’s also ok to book and online delivery and go out for a piece of cake!

Im sure your three year old had more fun at nursery than being dragged around a supermarket- I know mine would’ve done at that age.

In other contexts, PP's have drawn the analogy of putting on your own oxygen mask in an emergency, enabling you to be more real help to others in trouble.
I guess that comparison is a bit extreme for giving yourself a bit of a childfree break, but provided that the child is happy in childcare, and you are not dumping unpaid overtime on the staff which from your post, is not the case, why feel guilty about it?
Reframe it in your mind as benefitting your child; they get collected by a happy mummy who has had a chance to clear her head, relax briefly, deal with a mundane trip which they would not enjoy as much as playing at nursery, and recharge her batteries, while they are happily occupied and blissfully unaware!