nursery - children outside all day in the snow

[jlm122]

I just wondered if any other nurseries are doing this.

Children playing outside all day, on warmer days not a problem but today it's snowed all day, i collected DD and she didn't have her gloves on, her hands were freezing she could barely move them, got her home and got her wetsuit off and her sleeves were wet and cold i'm assuming from hand washing. Feet were freezing, the nursery put a statement out a few weeks ago asking parents not to ask staff to take the children inside as they can't due to COVID.

I don't feel this is right but on the other hand i'm a key worker so need to send her, she's settled and will be starting school in September so i'm not sure if moving her to a different nursery would be the best thing for her.

Please tell me you arent sending her back there. That's utterly cruel keeping them out in this weather.
She can make friends elsewhere.

BUT op hasn't signed up for this and the nursery doesn't seem properly set up for it, so I'd be concerned. Plenty of nurseries are continuing indoor provision.

I think that sums it up for me too. If OP had wanted to send her child to a completely outdoor setting then she would have done so. You can't just turn a regular nursery into a forest school / outdoor setting, by banning access to the indoor enviornment.

They can be fantastic environments, but have a very different set up to a nursery who have suddenly decided to move all their children outside, seemingly because they can't be bothered to wash toys more regularly. They often have smaller groups of children and more staff than regular nursery settings, and the staff adapt their provision to suit the forest school / outdoor setting.

OP, I really hope you are able to find a different setting for your daughter. The current one seems very unprofessional and their extreme response to Covid is very concerning.

Definitely put in a complaint and contact ofstead op thats not acceptable at all and its neglect.

Im curious as to where these very cold countries that allow small toddlers and kids out all day long are, that posters keep mentioning. Because me and my family are from a very very cold country, heavy snow sub zero, even going out for bursts of time leaves icicles in your eyelashes and brows. We dont let kids out for long periods of time in my country and we have proper thermal, fur lined clothes as standard. My dp is scandinavian and although they leave babies to sleep outside for an hour or 2 and children play out in kindergarten for a few hours, they also equally spend time indoors napping and warming up. Ive never known a single cold country that encourages people to leave their kids outside all day. Especially not in the uk when rain clothes and winter thermal clothes arent a high enough standard to keep the core body warm for prolonged periods of times. Im suprised the little ones dont have chapped chilblained faces poor mites.

THIs can’t be real. Outdoors wrapped up is fine for an hour or so in this weather for a bit of a run around. But so much nursery play is to do with fine motor development. Jigsaws, Bead threading, Lego, drawing, gluing and sticking, and what about sitting all relaxed and cosy on a bean bag looking at books? You just can’t do half that stuff all wrapped up with gloves on.

It make sure me feel sad actually for those kids who are sent in a bit under the weather or who have had a sleepless night and just want a bit of a calm quiet day resting.

No wonder the numbers are dropping. Sounds like they just shove the kids outside like dogs.

I think it's bonkers and unnecessary. My DS' nursery hasn't had one case of COVID the whole time and they are operating fairly normally (lots of safety measures, but kids still inside etc)

If that's what you've agreed to though, I think the approach you need to take with them is to focus on other aspects I.e. lack of care or whatever the best terminology would be. What was not acceptable in this instance was your DD being left in wet clothes and not having gloves on.

Although starting to think you mustn’t be in the U.K. as I’m not sure there was anywhere yesterday which would be warm enough to have mud. The ground was frozen everywhere. Not really squishy mud type of weather?

I would ask to see their normal risk assessment and expect a section on the risk of being outdoors in feezing temps all day.

Because they are certainly not following guidance on adults working in extreme temps let alone small children being out in it all day!

If they can't show you that then they have a big problem. Classic COVID blindness to any other huge risks they may be creating.

That website is very disturbing. Children are vulnerable people. They haven't consented to this. And they can't always say articulately when they aren't well. It's horrible and crazy to insist on them being outdoors all day.

I would challenge the policy and then, if they won't change it, refuse any remaining fees and move elsewhere. Remember lots of nurseries have space at the moment. Mine is absolutely brilliant and they work really hard to make it as normal for the children as possible. All the nurseries here (central London) have already had Covid waves, so staff feel pretty confident about dealing with the illness (and are full of antibodies).

Plenty mud here in Scotland - the wetter bits soon get trampled and defrosted with foot fall

BUT op hasn't signed up for this and the nursery doesn't seem properly set up for it, so I'd be concerned. Plenty of nurseries are continuing indoor provision.

She did though, she signed the patently agreement for this - in July!

This is awful! When I have worked with an open door policy, the children choose to go outside in the cold but after an hour most of them go back in saying they're cold. They go inside to warm up for a little bit and then go out when they want to. They should be able to make the decision themselves whether they're outside or inside throughout the day especially in this weather

Sorry the day that she was caked in mud was last friday, not yesterday. I'm not buying thermals, I can't afford it plus she starts school in september so won't need it for too long anyway, I'm speaking to them today and as i really can't see them changing their policy she'll most likely end up being moved to the local pre school.

Does anyone know if this will affect the primary school place that she's offered, my first choice isn't the school that's attached to the pre school.

@jlm122 it won’t affect the school.

It could well affect her funding though. Our local authority allocates funding for DS on a termly basis- so if we moved him in the middle of a term, his ‘old’ setting would get all the funding for the remainder of the term, and we would have to pay full fees at the new one. I think you’re doing the right thing by moving her, but this is definitely something to consider.

i've just had a look and i actually sent a message back in october about the children being outside and was told they'd be opening the indoor areas, to then be told in the january message that i've posted further down that the children will be kept outdoors.. i'm not happy at all

You can’t afford one set of thermals for your child? Not even second hand?

Her DD would still be cold wearing thermals. It's the fact she is getting wet (she had wet sleeves) why she was so cold (and no gloves but they would have prob got wet too).

Have you sent them an email OP? I always think it better to write it and then check the next day or get someone else to check it.

I imagine the type of thermals that id need to keep her warm in below freezing temperatures for 8 hours would be quite expensive

Yes I have i'm just waiting for a reply

@Bumblebee1980a completely agree - OP’s child should be removed from this setting immediate. I just thought it seems a bit odd that OP said she can’t afford a set of thermals. Not that I think the thermals resolve the issue

While the nursery is being unreasonable and possibly negligent, OP, YABU to send your child to a nursery where you are aware that they will be spending most of their time outdoors and not equip her properly. It's not just this cold snap now, it was freezing before Christmas as well.

My DS goes to a mostly outdoor setting - yesterday was the first day they've been closed. He wears thick waterproofs with a fleece and thermal lining on top of all his layers as well as thermal underwear. There was a very cold week before Christmas where he needed all his layers.

You need to either move your DD to an indoor setting or buy her the right clothing. We get ours secondhand which keeps the cost down (either previous parents selling theirs on or ebay/gumtree).

In addition to @MessAllOver post. My DS has a fleeced suit and when it's not freezing (but cold) I don't put trousers underneath it. So you can use them in all sorts of weather (not summer obv).

I agree with you that the fleece isn't the answer to your problem.

Make sure your email is professional and well written 👌🏼

Sounds like a brilliant nursery.

I imagine the type of thermals that id need to keep her warm in below freezing temperatures for 8 hours would be quite expensive

Lidl suits are the very best I've ever found and the fit of them means they last years - 3 - 4 years generally, I've used them since they were in a pram

@jlm122 you need to buy your child thermals what’s wrong with you? @jlm122 equip your child properly for the weather. There are multiple benefits Covid aside to being outside all day.