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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

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Original poster

AIBU to be annoyed with my parents about an 'explosive risk' at nursery?

100 replies

Mojomarm · 14/12/2016 14:51

I'm a single mum working full time with a toddler, so my parents are closely involved with me & DS, and most of the time it's completely fine and they respect my decisions when it comes to raising him. The other night though when we stopped by for a cuppa on the way home from nursery, I mentioned that the messy play game for that day at nursery had been playing in flour to replicate the snow at Christmas and that DS had had a whale of a time according to the staff. I thought it was a sweet little anecdote to pass on so the sheer look of horror on my parents' faces threw me.

Dad in particular freaked me out as he's not the type to over-worry or try and wrap DS up in cotton wool but he was genuinely shocked about the 'explosion risk' from flour and said that it was dangerous for the nursery to be using it for play purposes. I know the science behind the risk of airborne fine particles causing large explosions, and have seen some horrible stories about it occurring in large-scale storage areas, but surely playing with a few 100g in a nursery is perfectly fine?! I tried to point out to him that it would be no more dangerous than me flinging some flour around when I'm baking or making dough, but he was adamant it was extremely dangerous as the babies and toddlers would be 'throwing it up in the air' lots. Mum then said I should ask for the risk assessment from the nursery. She wasn't joking either. To the point where later that evening when I was back home, she sent me an email with a link to the HSE website about explosive risk from powders in industrial settings (although she did manage to admit that the scale of flour being used was slightly different) and she knew I thought they were being 'silly' but it was a real risk.

REALLY?!?! Am I missing something here?! Have there been lots of stories about nurseries spontaneously combusting because the self-raising flour was chucked about one too many times by a small group of hell-raising babies?! I really like the nursery DS goes to. The staff are warm, friendly and I can see how much DS has come on in the few months he's been there. It's stupidly convenient for work too although this means it's not the one that's round the corner from my parents which I suspect it's why my Mum doesn't trust them (doesn't bother Dad I don't think).

They also make little comments about nursery not feeding him enough (he eats pretty much anything they give him - I'm trying to make the most of it before he gets fussy) and I'm starting to feel that they're trying to chip away at my choice of nursery for him as if my judgement in choosing it in the first place was wrong. I understand that they're concerned about DS and his wellbeing (currently their only grandchild), but it's pissed me off royally and I'm struggling to let it go, or know what to say to them to tell them to butt out when 99% of the time they're really helpful and supportive. I'm a non-confrontational type and I'm worried if I don't say something, it'll build up inside me and explode (pun intended) up into something else that might mean I say some hurtful stuff.

Parents eh?

OP posts:

PinkSwimGoggles · 14/12/2016 15:19

as long as the nursery doesn't do this activity next to gas cooket or other open flames it will be fine.

Tagetes · 14/12/2016 15:20

Haha that link is brilliant - love the custard running menacingly down the road!

Pity about the spelling in the captions though - you would think the proprietors of an arts and media 'phasilety' might have access to a spellchecker...

MrEBear · 14/12/2016 15:21

Daft question, what did / does your Dad do for a living?
His obsession with the idea of flour exploding makes me think he has worked in some sort of hazardous industry where H&S risks and precautions are constantly being reviewed and spoken about.

HemanOrSheRa · 14/12/2016 15:22

Surely the conditions for igniting flour need to be very precise otherwise there would be Flour Explosions all over the place, all of the time .

Anyway OP, your parents are completely batty .

Bluetrews25 · 14/12/2016 15:23

Well, if it's that dangerous, I hope they clear out their cupboards and never, ever bake with DS. Or use icing sugar to decorate anything. Or cornflour to thicken anything.
I'd be tempted to just laugh and shake my head and mutter about a little knowledge being a dangerous thing.
Stick with the nursery, he will be having a whale of a time will all those other little ones.
Try to be amused rather than annoyed....they are worrying because they care

CondensedMilkSarnies · 14/12/2016 15:24

I wonder if you dad is remembering the IRA , I think they used to use flour in bombs .

Ohdearducks · 14/12/2016 15:27

OP I'm sorry but I can't stop laughing at this! Explosive flour?! Wtf? 😂😂😂😂

SausageSoda · 14/12/2016 15:28

Do that want to mind your DS instead of him going to nursery? It's the only Reston I can think of as to why they would be batshit about exploding flour.

flipsahoy · 14/12/2016 15:29

Whatever you do, don't ever let them know if they fertilise the gardens there...

maras2 · 14/12/2016 15:30

The great Fire of London started with flour. < in a bakery in Pudding Lane > Where there were huge ovens which probably ignighted the stuff.
Does your nursery have huge ovens? If not then I think that your child is safe.

Original poster

Mojomarm · 14/12/2016 15:31

Daft question, what did / does your Dad do for a living?

He was a land surveyor so no direct involvement in particularly hazardous stuff. Mum works in H&S though, hence asking for the risk report.

They have had building work done recently though and the plaster dust was EVERYWHERE, but I was still invited round constantly with DS - might point that out next time I'm there !

OP posts:

Ohdearducks · 14/12/2016 15:32

Also I work in a childcare setting and have never in my 10 years had any incidents of exploding flour!😂

Redesul · 14/12/2016 15:33

Unless the nursery is stockpiling and letting the children play with hundreds of bags at the same time I'd say the risk of explosion is negligible.

Oh my, I've got images of babies and tots up to their eyeballs in flour. And a fort made out of bags of flour, with kids throwing bags of flour at each other in a full out war

At least now I can protect myself from incoming intruders, I can just throw bags of flour out the window, sit back and watch the explosions

Weedsnseeds1 · 14/12/2016 15:41

Flour does explode. I used to work in an industrial bakery and nearly had a heart attack when I found someone shovelling a flour leak with a metal shovel ( spark could have blown up the flour loft). That said you need a significant amount of particulates in the atmosphere and an ignition source, so the nursery is probably safe unless the kids are throwing around vast quantities while smoking a fag?

AcrossthePond55 · 14/12/2016 15:42

By any chance did they want to or were they providing care for DS before he started nursery?

Tomorrowillbeachicken · 14/12/2016 15:45

Your parents are bat crap crazy

Katy07 · 14/12/2016 15:45

Well that's the mince pies cancelled this year

FellOutOfBed2wice · 14/12/2016 15:46

Every days a school day- I didn't even know this was a thing.

Katy07 · 14/12/2016 15:46

Oh my, I've got images of babies and tots up to their eyeballs in flour. And a fort made out of bags of flour, with kids throwing bags of flour at each other in a full out war
How much fun does that sound?!! Can anyone join in?

Original poster

Mojomarm · 14/12/2016 15:49

That said you need a significant amount of particulates in the atmosphere and an ignition source, so the nursery is probably safe unless the kids are throwing around vast quantities while smoking a fag?

Well I did spot a couple of them having an e-cig in the book corner the other day but I'd guess there's less of an ignition risk so I reckon it'll be fine

OP posts:

toomuchtooold · 14/12/2016 15:50

I used to work in chemicals manufacturing and I have to say that it would have caused us worries, a setup like that (I mean other than the obvious weirdness of a bunch of grown chemists having a flour fight...)

The only ignition source I can imagine is if they have a PC in the room or maybe the lights - but then they would have to break down and spark just as the flour fight was going on. IDK.

FlappysMammyAndPopeInExile · 14/12/2016 15:51

I would be more worried about the children contracting "Baker's Lung" TBH

brasty · 14/12/2016 15:51

I really really want you to go into the nursery to complain about the risk of explosion from the flour, and for one of the nursery workers on here to start a thread about the crazy things parents say.

PossumInAPearTree · 14/12/2016 15:52

When I was at uni my housemates were forever blowing up Roses tins full of flour in the yard. However it seemed to take mostbof the day, about 100 attempts and several boxes of matches to produce a tiny explosion.

I wouldn't worry.

liz70 · 14/12/2016 15:54

"Flour explodes and it's extremely dangerous?"

"OP I'm sorry but I can't stop laughing at this! Explosive flour?! Wtf?"

Laugh all you want, but as others have pointed out, any fine powder can self combust in large enough quantities, in suitable conditions. It is a serious industrial hazard in flour mills, saw mills etc. and safety precautions must be taken to prevent it. However, as OP says, I doubt this would be likely to happen at her DC's nursery with such a small amount.

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