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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

To be cross at DD’s nursery for covering her dress in paint that has stained?

79 replies

MedicinalGin · 26/04/2018 12:38

My DD is 2 and obvs has had a great time painting something bright red as part of a guided activity- now her dress is completely wrecked, it’s covered in red paint and it looks awful! It’s not an especially special dress and I do want her to muck in and have fun, getting dirty if needs be. However, AIBU to expect that if staff anticipate that their activity involves lots of staining paint, to have put a pinny on her first?

Such a first world problem, I know. It’s just hard to not feel cross when I fork out 60 quid a day and now have to forfeit her clothing too, grr.

OP posts:
corcaithecat · 26/04/2018 12:42

You know YABU.
Just send her in a t shirt and shorts if its hot.

Queenio24 · 26/04/2018 12:42

Yes they should have put an apron on her. I did buy bundles of second hand eBay clothes for mine when they were at nursery, so I didn't get upset about this kind of stuff. It is annoying though.

RedSkyAtNight · 26/04/2018 12:42

Your title is a bit misleading unless the nursery staff actually smeared paint all over her? TBH I'd expect it as a given that clothes worn for nursery get messy, there is no overall invented that can keep clothes completely clean with an excitable toddler getting stuck into messy play. And why would you have to forfeit her clothing? I can't imagine your DD will mind wearing it to nursery another day, even if it does have a paint stain.

Justwaitingforaline · 26/04/2018 12:43

This is why we have ‘nursery only’ clothing which is cheap tops and leggings so it doesn’t matter if they get dirty. I learnt my lesson after sending DD in a lovely dress once! Aprons don’t seem to make a difference; when there’s paint, there’s a way!

Calvinlookingforhobbs · 26/04/2018 12:44

Aprons should be used but so should ‘nursery clothes’YABU

Cutesbabasmummy · 26/04/2018 12:44

Never, ever send your child to nursery in something that you mind about. Last week my son came home and his friend had drawn all over his t shirt! It washed out, but I would have sent him back to nursery in it with the pen on otherwise.

FlibbertyGiblets · 26/04/2018 12:44

Yabu. Send her in clothes that don't matter rather than have a tooth-grit over a nice outfit.

Furano · 26/04/2018 12:44

Super cheap t-shirts and shorts are better for nursery!

Iswallowtoothpaste · 26/04/2018 12:45

YABVU send her in old clothes. It’s not fair that she has to miss out on painting because you don’t want her to get her clothes ruined.

Babyplaymat · 26/04/2018 12:45

Did they not use aprons?

londonrach · 26/04/2018 12:45

Yabu. Its sensible to have nursery clothes as you expect them to get covered in paint etc.

kokolokoko · 26/04/2018 12:46

They should have put an apron on her/she should have been told to put one on herself as this is part of self care skills which is in the eyfs. However I think yabu to be annoyed that the dress is stained. Don't dress her in things you don't want to get dirty for nursery, she's going to be playing and being a child which involves getting dirty. As a nursery nurse it's quite annoying when parents get upset about their children having stained clothes at the end of the day

paxillin · 26/04/2018 12:46

Nursery clothes aren't wrecked because of paint. Wash it, declare the stains clean dirt.

Original poster
MedicinalGin · 26/04/2018 12:47

Well this is defo her nursery dress now, lol. Yep it probs is unreasonable but am just a bit cross about how much there was and how stubborn a stain it is. Maybe I should just cover the whole thing in red paint and then it will become a red dress!

OP posts:
Original poster
MedicinalGin · 26/04/2018 12:47

Clean dirt, yes I love that! Grin

OP posts:
NeedMoreSleepOrSugar · 26/04/2018 12:47

They use aprons at dds nursery. DD still comes home covered - I think it's a preschooler superpower, they can get messy no matter what you do! Cheap/secondhand clothes are the way to go.

paxillin · 26/04/2018 12:50

I always wondered what they put in nursery and infant school spag bol, it can't just be tomato, those stains are bomb proof and come every week.

PinkCalluna · 26/04/2018 12:51

It’s a nursery.
Clothes will get stained.
Don’t ever send her in anything that you don’t want to get stained or damaged.

My DD came home one lunchtime painted from shoulder to waist in bright yellow. She was wearing an apron. The child that painted her back just lifted the apron to do it. .

ivenoideawhatimdoing · 26/04/2018 12:51

I'd expect clothes to get generally mucky but I'd be pissed off if DS came home caked in bloody paint - we have provided an overall for him to wear when they're painting.

So no OP, YANBU to be annoyed but don't send her in best things and take it as a lesson learnt. I'

MigGril · 26/04/2018 12:51

Haha wait till she gets to school. Our reception has a lovely t-shirt on the wall covered in all sorts of dirt explaining what learning experience they are getting from each stain.

Never buy experience cloths for nursery or school. They will get trashed and why should your child have to worry about their cloths.

BarbarianMum · 26/04/2018 12:54

They should use aprons but it is entirely possible that they did. Nursery/preschool =old clothes.

EnormousDormouse · 26/04/2018 12:57

It could be worse, you know....
I turned by back for approximately 1 millisecond to find one of my toddlers had picked up 2 paintbrushes of red poster paint and was grinding them into the top of his head, making twisty red devil horns out of his very blond hair.

MollyDaydream · 26/04/2018 12:57

Yes they should have used aprons, they probably did but children take them off, wipe their hands under them, aren't even doing painting but rub up against the table etc.
Buy a bundle of cheap nursery clothes off eBay then you don't have to worry.

DiddimusStench · 26/04/2018 12:58

IME a 2 year old will cover their clothes in paint/dirt/snot/mud/vomit/food rwgardless of weather they’re wearing an apron or not. I thought it was common knowledge that you only send them in ‘old’ clothes. Or at least that’s what I told DH when he sent DC I’m nice clothes and they got covered in paint...

DiddimusStench · 26/04/2018 12:59

Oh Christ weather = whether.

That’s embarrassing Blush