If you picked your child up from nursery/preschool and another child had cut off a large amount of their hair

[bogie]

Just wondering?

[purpleturtle]

I would be wondering where the scissors came from (that were sharp enough) and what the staff were doing at the time.

[CMOTdibbler]

Any scissor sharp enough to cut paper can cut hair, and it's done in seconds, so I'd shrug it off as one of those things lots of children do to each other, or indeed to themselves

[nancydrewrocks]

I would laugh it off.

This happened to me last year when DD was in her first year at school.

I turned up at school and the teacher who was absolutely mortified told me that another girl had snipped a chunk of hair off.

My feeling was that it wasn't the end of the world, the teacher was terribly embarassed. I have never had any cause for complaint about supervision etc in the class - there were 16 children, a teacher and two TA's and I think it is one of those things. The scissors they use are appropriate for children and I'd much rather they were allowed to use scissors than not.

Hope the haircut isn't too drastic

[SparrowFflamau]

I would probably have to go in to check that DS hadn't done it to someone else first... he generally starts these things

[MrsBadger]

I'd be with CMOT

If I was feeling particularly cross (eg if dd was missing a whole plait) I might also ask to see their scissors policy ie make them think about how they migth stop it happening again.

[Milkmade]

I would check it was "just" play and not a bullying type element underlying, and if so try not to get to upset.

[bogie]

Tis not my dc's hair... but my sil works at a nursery (a very pricy one at that) and yesterday came home (to mil's) and at dinner told us that one child had cut 3!!! Childrens hair one girls pony tail, and 2 boys hair was nearly all off too.
and then she just kept saying oh it was soooooo funny we have been laughing all afternoon.

Dp said 'I wouldn't have been laughing if it was one of our dc's, how did she have the time unsupervised to cut 3 childrens hair off?'

Then Sil in told us that both the head room staff for that room were out of the room and the girl that was left in charge was sat on the landing speaking to another girl from the downstairs part of the nursery?!? It was only when one child came running out saying so and so is cutting everyones hair that they did anything!

Now Sil is in a strop because dp said that he thinks that the parents of the children who had their hair cut should report it to the owner. He then went on to say that if this had happened at dc's nursery he wouldn't have seen a funny side and would hope that whoever was supposed to be watching/making sure someone was watching the children would be sacked.

I think Dp is a little over the top but at the same time what if they would have cut someone's fingers/face ect rather than their hair.

[purpleturtle]

Your dp is reacting to the way your SIL is reporting it, more than to the actual incident, I think.

I agree with most others on the thread, that if it were a one-off I would consider it 'one of those things', but what you've gone on to describe is not that.

We were sent home from pre-school with a plastic doll that DS2 had covered in blue felt-tip. We were expected to clean it. I did not pick him up that day, but had I done I might have queried how he'd chance to do such extensive tattoo art without being spotted!

[Milkmade]

OK, the issue in this case then is not so much the haircutting, but the pretty bloody shocking fact that a bunch of toddlers were left without any adult supervision, and apparently for a reasonable amount of time. That I do find appaling.

[MrsBadger]

yes, I would be crosser at the room being left unsupervised than at the actual hair loss

but I can see how it would be funny in retrospect

[newindieyear]

I would be fuming, not at the haircut but at the fact that she was able to do 3 children without anyone noticing. It doesn't sound like it's a good nursery at all.

[Openbook]

The parents should complain - it doesn't need to be aggressive. The nursery can use a parental complaint ( in writing is very useful) when talking to the parents of scissor hands when they deal with it. It is not a laughing matter, it is a serious issue and the perprtrator needs to be disciplined in some appropiate way. The staff also need to shape up!

[Francagoestohollywood]

I'd laugh it off. It happens among children.

[SparrowFflamau]

I was thinking a small amount of hair. If most of DS's curls were gone I would be fuming

[nancydrewrocks]

Having read your subsequent post the issue is clearly lack of supervision and if I was aware that a group of toddlers had been left alone for any significant period then that is cause for complaint in itself regardless of the consequences.

[midori1999]

My frien dis anursery nurse, although stopped working as one. She actually took her own chil dout of nursery as they room was left unsupervised and full of children and Offsted (I think it's offsted) are currently investigating the nursery because it is not allowed for children to be left unsupervised and grounds to close the nursery.

Personally, I would be absolutely fuming. This a nursery setting, not a home one, where people are paid to make sure your children are safe. I am a hairdresser, and even the finest of childrens hair would be hard to cut off if it was in a full ponytail unless you had pretty sharp scissors. Yes, it's onyl hair and no harm was done, but what if the little girl had accidentally (or purposely, god forbid) stabbed someone in the eye with scissors, there could now be a blind child due to lack of supervision.

I would also wondr what else had happned at said bursery. The one I mentioned above had also had a hair cutting incident (unsupervise child able to get scissors) and a child found out on the street. If they are negligent in one area, I suspect it spills over into others aswell.

[thesteelfairy]

Sorry but I would be fuming and probably cry! Dd has gorgeous long, wavy hair and I would be gutted if that happened.

[threetimemummy]

Did the parent of the child offer to pay for the "victims" haircuts to fix up their hair? Or did the nursery?

[nickschick]

I think as a mum these things happen and understand that it had happened in a split second

but

as a NNEB id be mortified that this had happened to children in my care and I certainly wouldnt be laughing about it all afternoon,very poor practice imo.

[TheresnowDragonHere]

I would take my child to the hairdressers for an emergency haircut. Which is exactly what I did when DD gave herself a mullet shortly before Christmas. She is now sporting a fabulous bob which make her look far too grown up

However, I would not be impressed that the child was unsupervised long enough to cut 3 children's hair - that is unacceptable.

[Spannerweb]

Hi all!

I would expect the nursery staff to speak with all parents concerned and explain what happened.

Furthermore, I would expect they keep a very close eye on the ?snip happy child?, not only to make sure it doesn?t happen again but to monitor his or her behaviour on the whole. If it continued for some time or worsened, they should be taking this up with the parents, health visitor etc.