Nursery opening hours

[meltedgalaxy]

Hi,

My DS (1) has been attending nursery for about 3 months now and we've had a few hiccups with the nursery from issues that have left me feeling abit uneasy but my DS seems to enjoy it and is coming on really well.

One of the issues is, a long day is 8am-6pm

I work 9-5 and I'm an hour commute away (nhs student nurse, I couldn't choose location of my placement)

I dropped him off today and managed to pick him up at 17:50, I was delighted I was ten minutes earlier than i expected.

I then had the manager come down on me like a ton of bricks about her having to wait with my son because he's always the last child there and she has to get home, they shut the nursery for 6 so I need to pick him up before 17:00 - 17:30

She even added "most parents come at 16:30 because they're so eager to see their children"

I am eager to see my child. I love the bones of my child, I can't help the fact I have to earn a living.

Now, we also pay for a full day of 8am-6pm so I always assumed picking up at 6pm at the latest was okay, as that's what we pay for and I assumed it was a long day.

I have no one who can pick him up for me?

Is this normal? Like I said I have had a few other issues so I was already put off but he seems so happy there. After this, I'm really worried about sending him back

It’s not right to make you feel uncomfortable about picking up at the time you’ve paid for childcare. Your child is probably the only one there for the last hour or so and it annoys the manager. I’d fine somewhere else.

Not normal at all. If he is the only child there then they should have at least 2 members of staff there so there will be plenty of opportunity for them to tidy up.

I'd look to move him. She is completely in the wrong. She wants the money for a 8-6 day but not the work.

If you’re paying for 8-6 your child should be able to be dropped off after 8 and picked up before 6. We pay for 8–5 at ours and have to be there by 4:55 to do the handover chat. They’d not be too impressed if we picked up dead on 5 every night
No way I’d be regularly picking him up 30 mins before closing time.
I’d find another nursery

That's weird. I've never come across a nursery that requires parents to pick up by 5.30 as they have to close at 6. Plus her comments about most parents picking up by 4.30 as they miss their child so much is completely unnecessary/ nasty.
Can you speak to the owner about what a rotten manager they have hired?

Tough shit if they open until 6pm and you pay until then. She’s being lazy. We all would love to leave work early but l never do either -usually but sometimes on time

Sounds odd. If it says 6 then I expect them to stay to 6.00. Go back to the agreed hours. I would look to move them.

No, its not normal. If you pay for 8-6 then they are open 8-6 and you should be able to pick up until 6pm without any comment!

When my DCs were in nursery we paid for 8-6, I usually picked up 5.30/5.45 but would pick up close to 6 on days when work ran over. My DCs were often the last or second to last child in. I always made sure to pick up before 6 and nursery manager never mentioned it. They had some parents take the piss and start to pick up after 6pm and added a late charge, which I thought was fair enough. But having a go at you because you are picking up within opening hours? Yeah, that's not on.

If they’re charging you for up to 6pm you should be able pick him up anytime before 6pm. We had similar hours when commuting pre Covid and would never expect nursery to say something like that. They’re being entirely unreasonable to expect all parents can collect by 430 or make you feel like a bit if you cannot. I’d be looking for a new place.

Like sh*t

If they close at six, you should be able to collect at six.

Sounds like she just wants to clock off early.

Thanks everyone, I thought it was if you pay till 6, you had till 6. I'm in a rotten mood after picking up DS and felt like the worlds worst mum.

There have been other issues, I can't secure another place local due to covid as yet but I'll be looking and applying

I don't think this is normal. At DS's old nursery if I picked up at 5.30 he was always the last one in his room, which made me feel awful, but they never said a word and nor would I have expected them to, given we paid until 6. At his current nursery there is still a big queue outside and lots of children inside at 5.55.

That's ridiculous, our nursery has the same hours and there is always a queue of people waiting to drop off at 8 am, and people collect right up to 6. I try to collect earlier when I can because my work is flexible and we have older kids who get home from school before that anyway, but on the occasions Ive been there on the dot of 6 or even a minute or two later, they are absolutely fine about it.

What does your contract say? Mine is open the same 8-6, my contract says I need to pick up at 17.45 if I want a hand over chat or 17.55 if I'm happy to just collect. We the get fined for every 5 minutes that your late( cant remeber exactly how much off the top of my head). It is very inappropriate of the manager to make you feel guilty for the time your paying for.

That’s awful that they made you feel that way and expecting you to pay for time they aren’t wanting to have children there. Our nursery shuts at 6 and they ask people to pick up by 5.50 so there’s time for handover.

I pick my daughter up at 6 and there's a whole queue of other parents doing the same, so this isn't a universal thing with nurseries. Personally, I would look into other ones.

This is not normal and she's being ridiculous. I imagine she's thinking that she'd much rather leave earlier if the children had all been collected.

Push back on this @meltedgalaxy. I'd be sending a strongly worded email outlining that you pay for 8-6 and you do not expect to be accosted because your son is there for the hours you pay for. Insinuating that you give no shits about your child is disgusting and I would be really cross about that.

Omg wtf!
Those are the hours so you can leave him there til 6

I work at a nursery - there’s always just 1 or 2 left at 6 and yes it would be lovely if all children were picked up on time and we could all go home - but never happens and it doesn’t matter 😂

I can’t believe she said that to you tbh so unprofessional

I would be furious at her insinuating that you don't care enough to collect him earlier. I would be contacting her superior.

Of course you should get the hours you pay for, it's not your problem she wants an early dart.

Nurseries already open terrible hours for shift workers, though I know of one near a London hospital that opens 6am-10pm to accommodate hospital staff. Even when I worked normal hours I’d never have been able to drop my children off at 8am and get to work on time. I can’t understand why nurseries don’t open 7-7. There must be a market for even longer opening times too. It’s not just healthcare staff working shifts, supermarket staff, cleaners, police, firefighters, prison officers etc all work irregular hours.

Have you considered a childminder? Often a bit more flexible and if you’re going to become a nurse you’re going to need flexibility.

That's so bloody rude op, how dare she try and make you feel guilty for using a service you are paying for! I work in a nursery and I'd get my arse handed to me if I spoke to a parent like that, it's totally uncalled for. Yes I'll admit it is a bit annoying when there is one child left and we have to wait- but tough shit that's what we sign up for when we take the job. Honestly I'd put a complaint in if there is anybody higher up than the manager. A line manager, or owner perhaps? That's seriously not OK to talk to a parent like that.

If nursery hours are advertised and contracted as 8-6 then those are the hours that they’re open for childcare i.e. they should expect and be staffed to have children in their care.

To suggest anything else is illogical.

Her comments about other parents are disgraceful and shaming.

chin up OP. And find a new nursery.

I own a nursery and I would be fuming if any of my staff said this to a parent. In fact, they would be out of the door.

You are paying for a service and you’re entitled to receive it. Do not let this manager get away with saying that to you. She sounds horrible, and I hate to say it but I’ve come across a lot of horrible people working in childcare/education. The whole sector is full of troublemakers - including (and especially) schools and teachers. I hasten to add that my current team are brilliant, but it’s only taken me 20 years to find them.

It’s always been like this. I remember when my son was at nursery, a few years before I opened my own place (that’s going back more than 20 years!). The manager used to ring me to tell me he was the only one left and would I like to pick him up early. ‘No, thanks,’ I used to say.

Report this manager to the owner. If it was one of my staff, I would want to know.

Agree with everyone else.

No it isn't normal, and that is completely out of order.
You are absolutely right that you should be not only able to, but feel welcome to use the hours you pay for.
The Manager was seriously out of order with her comments, and I would seriously consider speaking with the owner of the Nursery about her attitude.