to think my DS's pre-school should change the way we collect the DCs rather than go off on one

[WinlessChunder]

My DS's pre-school has 2 rooms. An empty 'holding room' that leads onto the main room. When we come to collect our DCs all their little trays with their artwork etc are left in the 'holding room', as are notices, items that the DCs bought with them (teddies, toys etc) and displays of work. We wait in this room and our kids are literally let out of the other room en masse and one of the teachers waits at the exit to make sure the right child goes with the right carer.

It's mayhem with pre-schoolers running everywhere, parents trying to put on coats, juggle armloads of crafts etc. Many mums also have smaller DCs to contend with.

Last week we had a rather stern and accusatory letter home saying that some children's property was being picked up by other children and their artwork interfered with. I don't condone this behaviour and would reprimand my own DCs if they were touching someone else's things but surely you are asking for it with enticing crafts, toys etc in arms reach. These children are still young.

Why can't they consider changing the way we collect them. Say, the children stay seated on the carpet area holding a folder with their own artwork, notices etc. and they are let out one at a time once the teacher has seen the carer.

AIBU and how is this done at other pre-schools?

YABU

Your way would take much longer.

It was always a mad scrum at our kindergarten.

YANBU in my experience (of one pre-school). The children at my DD's pre-school sit round tables with their coats and shoes on, clutching their artwork/letters etc, and when the parents are let in the children stay sitting until their adult is in the room to collect them, and there's a nursery nurse with the children and a teacher on the door making sure there are no escapees or children going with the wrong adult.

At ours it's done as you suggest. Children inside and parents queue up outside. Staff call out the names one by one and the child comes trotting out to the appropriate adult complete with their little bag which contains their treasured artwork. Takes 10 minutes max and is much quicker than letting them all out en masse and trying to sort out possessions at the same time.

Oh, ok. Maybe it was just the Germans then.

:o

Germans? Mad scrum?

"Why can't they consider changing the way we collect them. Say, the children stay seated on the carpet area holding a folder with their own artwork, notices etc. and they are let out one at a time once the teacher has seen the carer. "

That's exactly how it works at ours. It works very well.

When my youngest was at nursery, each child had a folder, where the wondrous creations (once dried) were put. Carers were supposed to check the folders regularly. I always forgot and was the one being "reminded" and having to take term loads home in one go

Ours is the way you've suggested, too. Works really well and is actually very quick. Mad scrum sounds like it would take forever tbh. How do you think the school would react to you 'suggesting' they do it another way? Maybe write to the Head, so it won't seem like a knee-jerk reaction to being 'told off', as it were.

Our pre-school also uses the way you suggested and it does work well. As they are getting up one at a time it is actually quicker as they aren't all charging around at the same time.

At ds1's old pre school they all sat down on chairs or on the floor for story and singing then they handed out art work and parents were let in to sign their child out and then collect them from the story area. It worked very well and no mad scrum.

"Oh, ok. Maybe it was just the Germans then."

"Germans? Mad scrum?"

For us they were let out 1 or 2at a time, with coats " shoes on, clutching on artwork.

sounds bonkers to me. Our dc's folders are in a big box in the "holding room", we take the pictures home when we remember. A teacher is on the door to the room where the children are and brings them one or two at a time to their waiting parent. Seems crazy to send them all out at once, what if a parent hadn't arrived, their child would be running around with no supervision

YANBU. It's also done the way you suggest at our preschool. I'd rather it take a little longer to collect DS than have the mayhem that you have. I also think it's much safer for the children.

Yanbu our does it the way you suggest. Why don't you write a letter to the committee suggesting it? Perhaps speak to some other parents to gain support.

Ours is done as you suggest. Doesn't take long. There's always a few mothers a couple of minutes early and a few late, so it worse out fine (everyone out within 5 mins max).

Diddl
Perhaps just the Rheinländer? [waits for Rheinländer to come on thread and say they did it as the OP suggests]

If it is common to do it like you suggest in UK, then I would speak to the HT and suggest that they change practice.

I guess it could be a regional thing-or maybe we just had a small Kiga?

At our pre-school, parents/carers queue up outside the main door and children are let out one at a time when parent/carer is at the front of the queue. any art-work is then handed to the parent/carer as they collect child. Works perfectly well for 20+ children.

At my daughter's nursey, they let them out one/two at a time and they bring recent art work and letters etc with them. One nursery teacher is stood at the door and another is stood at the gate. This seems to work well as it is controlled and does not take long.

my sons nursery is done as you suggest and has the children sitting round little tables with their shoes and coats on. They have a unit with lots of little shelves for their name tags and artwork/ newsletters.Its quicker and much less stressful than the nursery my neices go to which lets the children out the way your nursery currently does.

At our school the children all queue up inside & the parents wait outside & the teacher stands by the door & lets each child out to its respective parent with their book bag,artwork & such in hand.

Its a great system & no mad scrum.

YANBU. At my son's pre-school, the parents come in and go to the art room/pegs to collect artwork/coats etc. Then we wait outside the 'holding room' and a member of staff looks out at us and sends out the children one at a time to their parent. Much safer. Mind you, once we get outside, we're all at the mercy of the mad parking arrangements which allow mums to career through the tiny car parking space in their 4x4s, using their phones, while those of us who walk dodge around them. But that's another story...