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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

To be struggling with nursery only opening at 8

292 replies

humpbackwhalestail · 08/02/2018 18:28

I am a teacher and have to be at work for 8:20.

Nurseries only open at 8 which means I’ve had to choose the closest one. It still gives me a tight margin for getting to school, parking, getting into school and to morning briefing/meetings.

AIBU to wish there was a bit more flexibility with childcare?

OP posts:
Snowysky20009 · 09/02/2018 16:30

Opps

You may be surprised at the response!

Original poster
humpbackwhalestail · 09/02/2018 16:45

I don’t know anybody local. Those friendships will come I am sure. Thanks.

OP posts:
ToftyAC · 09/02/2018 17:27

Where I live, all the nurseries and childminders open between 6am and 7.30am

EllenMP · 09/02/2018 17:50

What a pain for you. Nurseries should really start at 7 -- surely lots of people have to catch trains at 7:30 or so to make it to their desks by 8:30 or 9?

babypeach · 09/02/2018 17:50

I also find this an issue op but was lucky to find a cm who agreed to cover earlier starts and later finishes.
Much of my work is hospital based but sadly it has 1 nursery on site with only 30 spaces and is only open from 7am to 6 (my work starts at 7 am and finishes at 8pm!) you'd think they would have a massive demand for more flexible hours but apparently for them it's not financially viable!!

Neverender · 09/02/2018 17:50

Ours starts at 7:30 or I'd be forever late for work!

MrsHMJ · 09/02/2018 18:06

Just wondering, what is an ‘unofficial childminder’?

Letsmaketheworldbetter · 09/02/2018 18:13

Are you obliged to be there at 8.20. I know you may want to be there at 8.20 but I doubt that is what your contract says. Most teachers I know come in at 8.30-8.45

cantkeepawayforever · 09/02/2018 18:19

Most teachers I know come in at 8.30-8.45

8 am is on the later side of normal where I work (primary). I can see that secondary is different, but IME primary teachers seem to start work a good 45 mins to an hour before the school day starts.

Marcine · 09/02/2018 18:20

Au pair would seem the most practical solution if you have a spare room or could share with the baby.
It's a pretty cheap option too.

pollymere · 09/02/2018 18:21

Tbh, your school sounds pretty flexible if you're allowed to be in that late for a 0830 registration. I think you're unfortunately stuck with a tight commute. I ended up paying a CRB checked friend to collect my dd and look after her for half an hour just because my commute home was so unreliable. Maybe come to an arrangement with a friend who uses the same nursery and pay them to drop off at their house for 0730 or 0745, just to give you a bit more time.

newyearsameme80 · 09/02/2018 18:23

The start of registration is the start of your daily contracted hours, surely. Other than for pre-agreed meetings. So not sure what pp means about flexibility.

perfectstorm · 09/02/2018 18:27

I sympathise, OP. It's bloody hard being a working single parent when childcare is reliable and suitable, so with this extra stress every day it must feel like a huge extra rush-hour commute (on an unreliable series of buses, as well). I hope as you meet other parents you will be able to arrange a little extra wrap-around care to ease this hassle.

This isn't a solution, and I do see you have explored all other possibilities and this is the least worst for now, but it still might be worth mentioning to the nursery, not because they'll have a solution to hand either, but because it may help tip a balance, if earlier opening is already under discussion? That happened with a local setting here.

cantkeepawayforever · 09/02/2018 18:29

NewYearsMum,

It's difficult. For a primary teacher, simply being there for the start of registration would only mean it was possible to get the job done properly if every item of equipment was out and ready for every lesson of the day, and if all discussions with TAs, colleagues, parents etc was done after school the night before.... and if nobody did playground duty before registration.

While that is theoretically possible, in most schools , simply to do the job means getting in early, setting the class up, often seeing a concerned parent / child, doing the weekly stint on the playground rota, fighting with the photocopier for a last minute sheet necessitated by the previous night's marking and wresting the science equipment out of the hands of the last class to use it....

perfectstorm · 09/02/2018 18:30

Just wondering, what is an ‘unofficial childminder’?

Someone who isn't: registered with OFSTED, insured, inspected or DBS checked. Illegal, in fact. But I don't blame a single one of the women relying on this sort of care - if we had reliable, affordable, good quality care more readily available in the hours necessary, then nobody would need to resort to this.

BackBoiler · 09/02/2018 18:33

What you do as a profession doesn't really matter if you need to be at work at a certain time then that is that whatever you do. I am surprised that the nursery only opens at 8 when my children's breakfast club is 7.50.

I would've though 7.30 was the norm.

BackBoiler · 09/02/2018 18:34

Most of the teachers are going in around then if they aren't already there too.

Letsmaketheworldbetter · 09/02/2018 18:39

I’m at primary. Registration is at 9.00 am. I start at 8.30 and my children attend a nursery close by. I’m not saying it’s easy but it can be done. I think it’s unreasonable to expect the nursery to open before 8. Many are in the same position as OP but instead of needing to be at work by 8.20 they need to be in by 7.45.

Buxbaum · 09/02/2018 18:40

Most teachers I know come in at 8.30-8.45

That's late. It's the norm for contracted hours to start around 8.15 - mine certainly do. At DH's school contracted hours begin at 8.00.

IndieRar · 09/02/2018 18:41

Our nursery opens at 8 and I'd love it if it was a little earlier. However some of the key workers also babysit and can bring in a couple of children who are dropped off with them early so parents get to work on time and they get a bit extra cash. Could you ask if any of the staff can do that?

cherish123 · 09/02/2018 18:45

It is really difficult because, bring a teacher, you can't just start at any time. Why do you have to be in for 820? It seems v early. The earliest I have heard a school starting is 8.30.

cherish123 · 09/02/2018 18:47

Could you get everything ready the night before and just get in at the bell. I had this a few years ago. DC's breakfast club started at 8.15 and I used to get in about 8.47 with registration starting at 8.50!

Littlebelina · 09/02/2018 18:49

Wow this thread is a lesson in making sure you are consistent if you are going to be a horrible gf troll!

Feel for you op we have always been lucky in that our nursery and now school offer 7.30-6 care so we aren't running around too much. Venting is understandable

Shezza71 · 09/02/2018 18:50

Could you ask one of the nursery workers if you could drop off to them or could they pick up from you a little bit earlier for some extra cash

cantkeepawayforever · 09/02/2018 18:52

Cherish,

Maybe it is the primry mindset; the need to 'set up the classroom for the day' and lots of parent contact / morning duties, but I do find it odd that people think that teachers arrive at school anywhere near the time the lessons actually start.

When a lesson starts, I have to have everything ready - Powerpoint up, books ready, everything photocopied, equipment set out, any support staff briefed. Because, on many days, I go straight through from 8.45 (8.30 if on morning duty) to 12.20 with the same set of children and no more than a quick toilet stop at break time, that means having 3 lessons, plus a small group intervention, fully resourced, all equipment set up and ready to go at 8.45. I can't do that if I'm coming through the gates 5 minutes before the children.