to think this might be a child protection/safe guarding issue?

[thickgit]

There's a nursery close by to me. Today, they were playing outside. I very clearly saw male nursery worker laying on his back on the ground, leaning up a bit on his elbows. One girl was laying on her front, on him. Another girl was laying on him, more on his chest.
It looked inappropriate to me so I immediately called nursery and told manager to go outside and see. She was more interested in knowing who I was.

I called back ten minutes later to give her my number. She wanted my name. I wouldn't give it. She was very defensive about the scenario and just wanted to know if I would feel the same if it was a woman. I explained that I've worked in nurseries and would not let children lay on me like this. She said other workers were out there, so she had no issue with it.
What are your thoughts?

Can I ask you a question thickgit?

How did you choose your username?

I think some people here are getting confused between day nurseries and school preschools. There are definitely stricter guidelines about physical contact in school preschools.

I work in a day nursery and wouldn't think of this as inappropriate conduct whether it was a male or female staff member.

Maybe the man..doesn't fancy nursery children or see them in a sexual way? Stranger things have happened

Not possible, this person is the registered owner of a penis and as such is only able to think of things he can do with his penis. All penis owners are evil and are NOT TO BE TRUSTED.

Sorry but this sounds highly unlikely, It was too cold outside today for anyone to be lying on a playground.
It really rather depends on were in the country you are. I was outside today working with children, (they were climbing on me but I don't have a penis so that's OK), and it was lovely and warm. I was just wearing a short sleeved top and a cardi. (and trousers of course)
No penis though.

It is utterly depressing but there is such hysteria that any male adult choosing to work with children must be a molester that it is not really a surprise.

I reported my youngest DDs first nursery as I felt the care and facilities were not up to par.

The report came back that the staff were not getting down to the children's level and interacting with them and the garden area was dangerous. My complaint was partially upheld.

Quite clearly you think that staff should be pottering about and not getting down to the kids level and actually playing with them. I think you'll find if you sit down anywhere with small kids, they will climb on you (kids you know not random kids)

He was there with other children and staff.

If he'd had his knob out that would be different.

I'd hate to work in a school where we were discouraged from hugging the children. I get loads of hugs every day, totally unsolicited ones. Wouldn't it be awful if I had to push those children away?

THICKGIT
You aren't commenting on the fact it was freezing outside today and no adult would lie on the ground. I wonder why?

🤔

the fact it was freezing outside today
But it wasn't where I am. It was a lovely warm spring day. I was outside with children, no coat needed. It was very far from freezing.

Trollicking makes an excellent point which has made me reconsider everything about this thread

It wasn't freezing everywhere, with the sun out today I was plenty warm enough sitting on the garden floor today.

Nope. I personally would not want my nursery-aged DD lying on top of a carer's penis, to put it bluntly. YWNBU.

Yep, indeed it was cold. I was wrapped up. It wasn't raining, but it was cold. I would not be found horizontal on the ground, that's for sure.

I actually think it's lovely that there is some physical contact between staff and children.
I can't imagine why you would see this as a safeguarding concern.

Even if clothed / no ill intentions / others around. It's not good boundary setting IMO.

If you were out at lunchtime today it was lovely and warm where I live. (UK).

I was in the park with ds after school today, he was playing football and lay on the grass with his mates

Thickgit "I was taught not to have a child sit on my lap"

You obviously worked in a secondary school because no nursery would enforce such a stupid thing.

It wasn't raining, but it was cold. I would not be found horizontal on the ground, that's for sure.

The thing is that when you spend a lot of your day outside then you do get used to the cold. Also running around playing with children keeps you warm. Sitting around twitching net curtains isn't going to keep you warm.

I don't think it sounds inappropriate.

While I would say OP is probably BU, I'm concerned at the level of piss-taking on this thread. Sure, I now it might not be real (what is on MN these days?!) but you know, people with penises do commit 98% of sex offences. I'm fully aware that 98% of male nursery workers are not sex offenders, and I'm fully aware that the majorty are also not sex offenders - but we do know that predatory paedophiles exist, and that they will often seek out jobs that will bring them into contact with children.

So whilst I see nothing wrong with a child climbing on any nursery worker - less of the piss taking maybe? At least one poster on this thread has said she was subjected to abuse at nursery.

Quite BakeOffCake, every time I sit dow someone comes along and plonks themselves on me.
What am I meant to do? Stay stood up all day? Tell them 'get off, I might be a paedophile'? Or perhaps I could get those spikes fitted that they have to stop pigeons landing on buildings.

*know
*majority of men are also not sex offenders.

My typing can't keep up with my brain.

When I did a placement in a nursery, the (female) teacher would play with some of the children in a potentially 'inappropriate' way - kneeling over them and tickling them, cuddling them etc. HOWEVER, these were children living in terrible home situations, to whom she was the closest, safest, adult. They needed SOMEONE to physically play with them, they needed that kind of interaction and she was wise and experienced and caring enough to know that. Sounds like these children were perfectly comfortable with this member of staff and I'd be thinking "how nice - the staff are really interacting with the kids" (and I'm hyper alert about paedophiles!)

Cunty thread tbh.

What a depressing thread.

The kids will probably be kept inside from now on.