to consider complaining to this nursery

[soandsosmummy]

I took DD on a very full bus earlier and had to stand with her. There were about 20 nursery children accompanied by 6 staff who were all seated. There were elderly people and a pregnant woman standing as well as me and dd (6). Surely the staff could each have taken a child on their lap to free up seats?

AIBU if I call the nursery in question to complain? Its not the first time we've had to stand because of this nursery as they seem to use the public buses to take children to the park

I am saying you have a massive responsibility for a very low wage you arent allowed to let them sit next to other people, you have to make sure they dont fall, are safe, you are worried about them eyes in back of your head etc in a blame culture where you could get sued for so much and then the oop wants to ring the nursery and get the poor girls in trouble.

You see the elderly, the pregnant women, the small children, they all have perhaps what one could describe as a "greater need" for a seat! Really if there were others on the bus who were not visibly in a "needy" category, they should have got up and if there were less needy people on the bus, did the OP ask them to get up? I certainly would have done and have actually done before. I would however NOT ask a group of children or those supervising them to do this, it's distracting for the children to do this, distracts those looking after these children too. So really I cannot see how anyone can justify a complaint in this situation.

I agree natation and I think if katiemortician think someone is an 'entitled tit' for worrying about being in charge of a large amount of other peoples children they are looking after and following the nurseries regulations then that is a bit ridiculous

I think you might need to get your eyes tested Molly because you are attributing comments to me I didn't make.

You know, if you wanna start getting personal about a thread on the internet I can play too

the nursery group would IMO be a more needy group than normal passengers or a sole mother and child where 1:1 supervision is possible unlike the nursery group

okay not MORE than the elderly or pregnant but perhaps on a par, so YABU! to me its like comlaining that an elderly person didn't get up for a pregnant person or a pregnant person didn't get up for an elderly person.

and I used public transport when pregnant! I would rather stand on a bus than be a nursery nurse brave enough and skilled enough to take a group of nursery children on a bus, and if I was pregnant on a bus with a nursery group I'ld give up a seat so they could be seated together, my elderly mother would do the same! - good on 'em I say along with rather them than me!

SnapesMistressofFear Wed 26-Oct-11 18:31:23
"The children will have had free fare on the bus. It is free on the proviso that they get up for fare paying passengers. YANBU"

How silly!

OAPs don't pay....they are the ones, along with small children who should have a seat.

OP, I think the only problem is that so many children are taking the bus at one time. Personally I would take 9 children and 3 staff on one bus.

I am a nursery nurse and there is no way I would let anybody else sit next to a vulnerable child that was in my care whilst on a bus. It is stressfull enough looking after a group of other people's children without worrying about whether other passengers have to stand or not.
The children come first, each and every time. I expect there is a nursery policy in place that says that each child must have a seat of their own and not be sat on laps.
YABU to even consider complaining.

presumably there were other non-elderly, non-pregnant, non nurset people seated on the bus.Perhaps you should have been judging therm instead?

Why are you waiting until after the event to complain- what did you think would happen to you if you bent down to one of the nursery workers and said "Excuse me, do you think there is any way my son would have a seat?" Did you think they'd set the children on you? The worst that could have happened surely would have been that they'd explained that sorry we have to follow these rules.

YABU, taking a gaggle of tiny children out is a different kettle of fish to taking your own one or two. I'm sure the staff had enough on their plates without trying to juggle the children as well. Direct your ire to the other passengers who were sitting on their bums.

katiemortician - I wouldnt say i am getting personal I just dont think you are aware of how much responsibility carers have in these situations and how much they are expected to take on on a low wage. I have been in similar situations within settings and all that will happen if someone complains is the children will get banned from going out as it isnt worth the hassle.

Then the children just never get to leave the setting its the way society is unfortunately with liability insurance, worries about risk, risk assessments etc and I dont think it means nursery nurses are ignoring everyone elses needs they have enough to worry about as it is

Of course I understand. My point was that the wage is irrelevant. You don't do a low wage job like childcare for the money - because there isn't much of that so it's other factors that attract people like a desire to work with children or maybe even a vocation in some cases. You seemed to be implying that because of a low wage and the tough nature of the job it is unreasonable to expect them to be aware of the usual social norms of travelling on public transport. I was suggesting wage does not correspond to whether people should choose to have good manners or not and I find the suggestion (as I suspect you probably do too) that to assume low wage means people can't/won't care is offensive to those people.

If you are actually saying, as I now think you are, that there are good reasons why nursery staff cannot take a child on their lap or give up their seat because there would be a greater risk of harm to the children than the risk of harm to the pregnant and elderly passengers standing then that's a completely different argument and one I would have some sympathy with.

I dont mean that katiemortician I mean a lot is expected by society from carers and huge resposibility that all carers do for the love of the job with sacrifices to their own lives through the pay and responibility I would hate when I am in these types of situations that people would be thinking I am bad mannered, ignorant of peoples needs etc.

I am glad most posters on here understand that though and realise how stressful it is and that we are trying our best and not being ignorant or bad mannered.

YABU to complain to the nursery. Surely there must have been loads of other people sat on the bus who could have given up their seat?

YABU to expect them to give up a seat for you and your child.

YANBU to expect them to give up a seat for the elderly and pregnant passengers.