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Original poster

9 days until nurseries reopen

58 replies

WheresTheEvidence · 22/05/2020 14:14

As a nursery nurse please may I suggest you use the next 9 days to prepare your children in going back.

If you're rocking them to sleep, please try to encourage them to self soothe another way.
If you're feeding them encourage them to try and feed themselves.
If you've let bad habits slip by in the past weeks prepare them for routine.

It is going to be a hard adjustment being away from you and being back in a new environment even if theyve been used to nursery beforehand. Support them by giving them tools to thrive. As much as I would love to cuddle babies to sleep I have at least 11 so it's not feasible the same with feeding a 2 year old isnt easy when 16 of them are asking to be fed. Encourage your baby to try and feed themselves a bottle, they will be supported but if I have a 5 month old needing a bottle at the same time as a 13 month i need to help the baby and sit alone aside the older one.

It will be hard for them to adjust so please support them in this transition

OP posts:
savehalloween · 22/05/2020 15:33

So glad the nursery we attended and their amazing staff didn't take this attitude.

Sounds like the massive nursery chain we visited but decided against as they tried to force all kids into a regimented routine to suit them.

georgialondon · 22/05/2020 15:36

Weird

fandajji · 22/05/2020 15:39

This was a funny read, much needed, thank you OP. My son's nursery has emailed to say everything will be normal for the kids once open and normal ratios apply. So unless you are a dodgy as hell nursery, I'll ignore your post. My usually independent 2 year old has become a clingy wreck during all of this, his nursery staff will be their usual amazing selves and ensure he is cared for appropriately and given any comfort he needs.

Maybe I'm just lucky to have such caring nursery staff? Either way, you sound hilariously uneducated in regards to child development in their early years.

Good luck with that.

Interested in this thread?

Then you might like threads about these subjects:

2 year olds 3-6 months old Babies & sleep Childcare & nursery
SarahAndQuack · 22/05/2020 15:40

I get that (and I think everyone else does too, right?). But the reason people have brought up ratios is that the OP is implying she has 11 babies under her sole care.

She doesn't (or shouldn't). If something catastrophic happened, someone else would drop what they were doing and come and help. That's why ratios exist, so you can deliver a decent level of care.

Mangofandangoo · 22/05/2020 15:41

Are nursery's going back?! We haven't heard from ours!

And your post is very rude OP. I truly hope you never cross paths with my daughter

SarahAndQuack · 22/05/2020 15:45

In England I believe they've been told they may prepare to open, but won't know for a few days how exactly it'll work. Ours emailed to say they expect to open with priority for 3-4 year olds and the children of keyworkers, but said they expect to get more information by the 28th.

Poetryinaction · 22/05/2020 15:46

You don't have children do you OP?

NuffSaidSam · 22/05/2020 15:48

'the reason people have brought up ratios is that the OP is implying she has 11 babies under her sole care.'

I didn't read it like that. I think it was just badly written, but maybe you are right and she was trying to make out she was the only member of staff! There's no way that's the case. But she is right that on a practical level it can be 1:14 or something like that, for periods of time.

'If something catastrophic happened, someone else would drop what they were doing and come and help.'

Absolutely, 100%, of course. But she's not talking about catastrophe, she's taking about lunch and nap time. Normal things that happen every day. When the ratio can, in reality, be very different to the 1:3 or 1:4 or 1:8 that parents are sold.

fandajji · 22/05/2020 15:48

mango my son's private nursery is planning to open part time, it doesn't feel real!

1forsorrow · 22/05/2020 15:49

With a ratio of 1:3 can they really rock babies to sleep? If they all need a nap after lunch how can they do it? I don't see that they can and surely if a baby is going into a nursery it is better if the baby can self soothe, not for the benefit of the staff but so that the baby isn't distressed.

fandajji · 22/05/2020 15:53

1for they tend to drop of at different times and most will self soothe donuts not usually an issue. If there's 9 babies in a room with a ratio of 1:3, as long as only 3 babies need soothing it's fine. Although I have seen them holding two babies at once whilst stroking the head of another. I could only dream of being that skilled!

fandajji · 22/05/2020 15:53

So it's. Not donuts!

Violet956 · 22/05/2020 15:54

Had anxieties already at coming off maternity leave in the middle of a pandemic and putting child into childcare with no settle in time, this post has just multiplied all my worries by 10000!

Thanks OP. Sad

SarahAndQuack · 22/05/2020 15:54

I'm sure they can't, or can't always, rock babies to sleep, and I agree it's not reasonable to expect it.

But I think most nursery workers have a lot of strategies for dealing with children. I mean, they're professionals. I had the same experience as another poster on this thread - I could never get DD to nap but they could. They just know what they're doing (plus peer pressure is a wonderful thing!).

The issue I have with the OP (if she is genuine and not just stirring) is that it is absolutely ridiculous to think most parents have had the time or energy for anything except getting by. If they have to rock their child to get them to sleep, and they're working from home, I am guessing they are going to keep on rocking that child!

Mangofandangoo · 22/05/2020 15:55

@fandajji I've seen a few in my local area reopening but as we hadn't heard I assumed ours isn't ( it's quite a small private nursery). I'm a key worker but I'm on reserve every other week so it's actually not to bad overall

SarahAndQuack · 22/05/2020 15:57

Maybe you're right it was badly written.

And no, she's not talking about a catastrophe, but she does sound to me as if she's catastrophising it.

In reality, I don't honestly think my DD's nursery regularly has children screaming inconsolably for hours because no one has a free hand for them. A few minutes, yes.

PotteringAlong · 22/05/2020 15:57

I fed mine to sleep for 2 years. They managed just fine at nursery.

None of mine napped anywhere but on me or in the buggy. They managed just fine at nursery.

And none of them had a bottle at home. I’ll be honest here and say the big one and the little one managed just fine at nursery. The middle one found it rough going, mainly because he was a complete bottle refuser and, in the end, nursery just abandoned giving him milk and i accepted the inevitable reverse cycling!

1forsorrow · 22/05/2020 16:01

1for they tend to drop of at different times and most will self soothe donuts not usually an issue. If there's 9 babies in a room with a ratio of 1:3, as long as only 3 babies need soothing it's fine. Although I have seen them holding two babies at once whilst stroking the head of another. I could only dream of being that skilled! Or one could have gone to the loo and one could be changing a nappy and one is left with 8 distressed babies. I saw a nursery nurse sitting crying in just that situation, I think she decided if you can't beat them join them. If a baby can self soothe it won't have that trauma.

Buzzfrightyears · 22/05/2020 16:04

...? My nursery have no problem rocking babies to sleep, don’t believe in ‘self soothing’ and if a child needed help feeding themselves they wouldn’t blame the parents for not encouraging self feeding at home. Do you work in the U.K.? If so, what area? Envy

NuffSaidSam · 22/05/2020 16:06

'I don't honestly think my DD's nursery regularly has children screaming inconsolably for hours'.

No, I don't either.

I've seen some terrible nurseries, but I've never, ever seen a child be left to cry for hours.

But again, I don't really think the OP was saying that. I think she was just saying, it will be easier for everyone if your two year old could feed themselves. Not that your two year old will starve to death if they can't! Similarly, if baby can self soothe, no crying at all. If they can't they might be left for a few minutes or so. Not your baby will cry endlessly for hours.

I agree that it was not very well judged though! And also that we're all doing what we can to get by, be that rocking a baby or feeding a toddler.

Istwowyes17262 · 22/05/2020 16:07

I’ll totally encourage my 8 month old to take her bottle herself don’t worry.... I mean she’s so advanced she can change her own nappies and have long periods unsupervised 🤣🤣🤣🤣

When she’s with nursery she’s in their care, they can do what they need to do to make her sleep! When she’s home with me I do what works for me.

ItchyScratch · 22/05/2020 16:07

The ladies who work at my child’s nursery are all so unbelievably lovely there is no way they would type up a post like that. Or think that way.

SarahAndQuack · 22/05/2020 16:08

I'm sorry, but I don't think a baby crying is 'trauma'.

If someone has nipped to the loo they're going to be, what, 2-3 minutes? And someone changing a nappy might be 5 tops.

So what we're actually talking about is babies crying for a brief period of time before someone comes and gives them a cuddle.

Babies do cry.

Sometimes you can be right there, doing everything you can think of, and they still cry.

This thread just feels as if it's guilt tripping parents about nursery. It's not nice.

SarahAndQuack · 22/05/2020 16:10

Cross post.

TBH I really don't read her post that way. She sounds as if she thinks parents are sitting around with nothing to do, and the line about 'bad habits' - oh, please! That's so rude.

Mysterian · 22/05/2020 16:10

There are certain practicalities involved with having 12, 15 or whatever babies in a room. The ratio is 1:3 so of course all the children can't have 1:1 care all the time. The staff will do their best, but to some extent children have to fit in with nursery.

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