This one is for the teaching assistants, how on earth…

[Notbeinfunnehbut]

Do you deal with those tiny chairs!
I have bad knees so can be on them too long at all so then I sit on the carpet and I get pins an needles after a while 🙈

how do people who’ve been doing this a long time deal with having no adult chair all day ?

I may just have to stretch my legs out every so often

They are so uncomfortably short. The tiny chairs in nursery my knees are under my chin or I just sit on the floor next to the child as we end up about the same height that way.
Slightly taller reception chairs I have my legs straight out under the table.

Better than the class that never has extra chairs so I sit on one of these overturned deep drawers from the cube shelves

The other TA in the little classes brought her own wheelie chair from home and had that on the lowest height

Not just the TAs-I’m a reception teacher of many years and think my knees are totally destroyed!!

My knees are buggered. They weren't great to start with, and then I did two years in a reception class, which finished them off! It's not too bad in my current (Y2) class, as I have my own wheelie stool so I can whizz between students who need support (which is most of the bloody class this year!). I was in Y6 last year and it was bloody lovely

One of the reasons I prefer KS2.

Won't they give you a decent chair to sit on?

I work in Early Years and actually struggle sitting on a normal sized chair now 😂

It does take me a while to get up from the floor now, the children offer their hands to help me up bless em.

Community playthings do adult chairs that are low

Nope early years and KS1 we're expected to sit on the floor with the children. For table work the expectation is we sit at the table with the children,as close to their level as possible. Sometimes we might get a ks2 chair or an assembly chair as an adjustment.

We have these jollyback.com/about/

Technically your workplace should not cause you any health problems though

It's mostly my back that suffers as I have to sideways on. I can't get my knees under the table. I would still have that problem if I used an adult size chair.

I used to have an adult sized chair but with short legs so I was at the right height. Pp is correct, they should give you a chair that works for you, it’s a h&s issue.

Oh my sweet summer child.

I have arthritis and can't really do it anymore. I told school, who know about my health condition and they sorted me a proper chair for the rooms I was in most.

The odd time I have to sit in the small chairs now really hurts my knees and I need a bit of support getting up again!

This is me!

I've recently changed jobs, after 30 years working in a classroom, always in early years too.

I'm now sat at a desk all day, on a very comfy office chair. Wellbeing is a big priority and I've been asked more than once if my chair is ok, am I comfortable etc

Mate, I'd usually be sitting on a toddler chair or on the floor/mud etc 😂

But you know what I mean Pam😀

Decent chair isn't too much to ask surely

I mean Priam

At the beginning of the school holidays I see my chiropractor 🙈

But, do most of you actually sit down on them for long enough for it to matter?
I'm happy if I get a full five minutes sitting on one before I'm on the move again so it's a non-issue!

Tbh I’ve not asked for a different chair I’d feel a bit embarrassed to ask like I was awkward
maybe I should

Definitely

Those chairs are designed for small children to sit on not an adult

I am 58 and not skinny! I can only do the very little chairs for a very, very short length of time. Luckily, I work in KS2 so everything is a bit bigger...we all tend to have adult chairs to sit on for the most part, so it is not too bad. The first week back after the long break always kills my back ! I always end up with bruises on top of my thighs because I bash them on or under the tables!

My desk chair in a school was a wooden kitchen chair. I asked for a proper desk chair when I was pregnant and was made to feel completely unreasonable.

I told my teacher I was getting a bigger chair for health and safety reasons and went and got one from the dinner hall. Just be assertive. You're work is not allowed to make you physically uncomfortable.