How are nursery drop offs different post Covid?

[BraveBraveMouse]

DD started nursery last summer. She our first child so this is all we have ever known and I can't help but feel that I am missing out on things that I'm not even aware of. Is this all in my head?

For example, I don't know the names of the other children in her room, I feel like I am missing out being able to facilitate conversations with her about how her day was. She has just turned 2 so her language is still limited. I also feel like it's weird that I have no idea who the other parents from the same room are, as we all stand 2 metres apart masked up in one big queue for the main door, whereas pre Covid drop off would have been in the room so would organically have seen parents coming and going.

Will it sound weird if I ask the nursery staff about the other children and parents in my daughter's room?

It wouldn't be weird to ask who her friends were and if they'd pass on a note to the parent of these friends so you can organise a meet up or party.

I'm in the exact same position, it's odd isn't it. Last week our nursery started letting parents inside for drop off and pick up and it was lovely seeing DD interacting with the other kids.

DD is moving to another nursery in September so I haven't bothered but I've heard of nursery's setting up WhatsApp groups for parents whose children are friends, maybe something like that would help?

I do wonder this too, DD started nursery in September and we all say hi when we get in the queue but that's about it. I was talking to one of the dads about the same thing, our DC's started at the same time and are around the same age.

Pre-covid my DD was basically a baby and couldn't talk much anyway but I didn't speak to any of the other parents. We were all in a rush to drop off and go to work after all! And there was no arsing about queuing - straight in the room and quickly pass over to a staff member. Only if they were all busy would you have to wait a minute or two until one was free. Then zoom back off out the door to work. No standing around chatting to parents.

My DD is about to turn 3 and only over the last few weeks have we got contact details for one parent and this is because her daughter and my daughter are now joined at the hip at nursery and by a total coincidence we bumped into them whilst on a day trip. So we exchanged numbers and have met up once since as the girls love to play together. Nobody else I know whose similar aged kids are at nursery have contact details with any other parents from their nurseries.

My DS started in January. I've only smiled and said hello to other parents never had a conversation. We have to drop off and pick up outside so I haven't really seen inside where he spends all day. I also hardly recognise any other children and I'm sick of trying to talk to his key worker about serious stuff through a gate at pick up wearing a mask.
I've also never had any work sent home

My kids were babies pre covid but I never met any of the parents because we were all dropping and picking up and different times according to work. Very different to a school drop off for example. I wouldn’t worry too much about missing out on things but as pp have said, invites to parties can be passed to nursery staff for other parents