to not want to have to fork out for "extras" at nursery

[BellevilleRendezvous]

ds goes to a lovely nursery. they have just told me that one afternoon a week his group will have a "school" afternoon, to help them prepare for school next year (!).

this involves: buying a book bag. buying a gingham smock. sending him with a packed tea for that day.

So I now have to pay for smock and book bag, and I have to make him a meal rather than him have his tea there as usually happens each day (and which is included in the daily rate).

I can't say I don't want him to do it, as then he will have to stay with the younger children and not his group. I can't not buy him the smock as he will notice he is the odd one out. I will however send him with his bookstart book bag rather than buy a new one. Just feel a bit bouncced into this.

Wow, I used to have a gingham smock for nursery school many years ago. Had no idea they were still used!

If you know (or can make a fairly confident prediction) of where he'll be going to school, couldn't you just buy a school book bag a year early?

What a load of bollocks. I mean honestly!!!!

Agree with poster who says that going to nursery is excellent preparation for school. Ds1 has just started and has gone in totally fine without a hitch. As have the other 22 children in his class - its only been the parents who have been a bit wobbly!

I would do the bookstart bookbag as you have decided.

I would decline the gingham smock (I mean wtf??!!!) on the grounds that the school you are planning to send your ds to does not use them therefore a school preparation afternoon would only prepare him appropriately if he does NOT wear one.

Re the packed tea - either ditto that you are planning school lunches so that this will not prepare him or I would point out that given that you are already paying for his meals to be provided you presume they will be providing the packed lunch.

My son attended a private day nursery also and whenever they had trips out etc the nursery always provided their lunches. I think this nursery are taking the p*ss tbh. And you won't be the only parent who thinks so either. Is there any other parents you can talk to about this so you can present a united front and don't feel like the awkward one?

Another thought...

You say he goes 3 days a week and this is one afternoon only. Any chance you can change the days you work to avoid this bullsh*t?

I'll bet you anything it's all to do with the nursery having to claw some back to offset their reduction inincome from the new 'flexible 15' rule.

I would have thought that nursery was for, you know, doing nursery things. not play school.

I am going against the grain here...I do think yabu.

I think it's a minor amount of cash to lay out on what will prvide your son with the experience of the ceremony of school.

A special item to wear, a different routine for meals and a feeling that something different and exciting is around the corner.

It's 20 quid...not 200...and I also think those smocks look adorable! Maybe I'm a twee idiot but would treasure it and the pics that I would take on the first day of "pretend school".

A smock , surely the school should provide that to stop their clothes getting dirty.

I don't think it's wearing a smock and eating a sandwhich which will upset/distress a child when he/she starts school (if anything does at all), it will be the things you can't 'practice', like:

1. Finding and using the toilets.
2. Knowing where your peg is to hang your coat up.
3. Having a new teacher and a whole load of other staff who you don't know.
4. Older, bigger children wandering around looking like they know what they're doing and being loud.
5. Eating lunch in a busy, noisy, smelly hall/dining room with lots of other children (far more than they can muster at nursery, I'm sure!
6. A whole new set of rules and expectations (sitting through an assembly, lining up for everything, waiting to do things rather than doing them when you want...).

Nursery will no more be able to 'practice' school than you would be able to do at home because school is different and nursery/home is familiar! They are being precious and ridiculous, and fleecing parents into the bargain. They should have a stock of the daft gingham smocks and let the kids dress up in them if they want. They should be doing counting rhymes and simple letter learning (through play activities) anyway. They should get their own kitchens (I bet when you went to look round they 'sold' the fact they had a great cook who cooks everything from scratch and makes it sooo delicious) to make tea and if they want the kids to have a packed-up tea, they should put it together themselves. And as the OP says, all the children have their free book bags from the free book scheme, so they could all be asked to take those in. I tell you, I bet you're not living near me-that nursery manager would be laughed out of town!

amistillsexy - you sum it up so well - I feel scared and nervous myself now and school is long behind me!

Anemone - if they were doing this in July or August that would be one thing, but to say it is to help with school prep in September seems a bit daft. I'm not preparing ds for school now, neither him or I need a 11.5 month build up to the big event.

It is a really great nursery, they do numbers, letters etc anyway as well as endless play in ways that I couldn't be arsed to set up and clear away provide myself. I think it is good that they are going to do a bit more with this older group but I don't get all the trimmings that go with.

I'm seriously starting to wonder how I managed to start school back in 1965 having never been to nursery (barely existed excpet for posh folk back then), having to listen to my older brother's horror stories, never having had a "practice run" or an induction day.
I'm sure I must be emotionally scarred.

The world's gawn maaad!

Belle, if it were me I'd make an appointment to speak to the manager and tell him/her that I think this is a ridiculous notion not something that you are comfortable with. I've just thought of another argument that you could use if you don't want to seem too confrontational/criticising...you could say that you feel that starting to 'practice' Primary school now will 'build it up' in the children's minds, and you don't want to make out like it's a big thing-you'd rather down-play it so Dc doesn't worry.
If they insist that this will go ahead, and you don't want to 'play', I would change days as someone else suggested if I could, and tell them why I was changing.

I can't believe you are making a big deal about this.

Just make your child a meal. Sheesh.