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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

To ask how you view nursery staff?

173 replies

NancyFrank · 04/10/2018 18:07

I work in a nursery and love my job. However I sometimes feel it isn't viewed as a 'good' job or there is maybe a stereotype of who works in nurseries and pre-schools ect. The money is pretty much minimum wage (for caring for and educating children in their earliest years, but that is another debate) and the hours are long but I love working with children and struggle to think of a 'better' job that would give me the same satisfaction. I get comments quite regularly on what I will do 'next' aibu to view this as a career, albeit a badly paid one with not much progression..?

OP posts:
Groovee · 04/10/2018 18:54

I totally appreciated the staff in my dc's nursery. They were supportive when I was a student with them. It was just sheer chance we ended up living nearby and it was our catchment.

I work with an amazing team now and really enjoy my role. I'm currently doing a one to one and loving every minute. Watching the wee one develop and grow in their learning.

Have met many parents who believe their child is a genius. But only once in 25 years have I met a child who truly was!

RoboJesus · 04/10/2018 18:54

glintandglide I don't, these are standard. The bad ones do a terrible job

Gigis · 04/10/2018 18:55

I can't praise the staff at my daughter's nursery enough. Long hours, screaming children, having to remember which child needs this food at this time and which child needs a nap then and which child is trying to learn to sooth without a dummy etc. All for basically minimum pay. The staff have noticed things about my own daughter that my husband and I has missed and she loves it there even though she's only tiny at 6 months. I couldn't do their job in a thousand years.

Dontfeellikeamillenial · 04/10/2018 18:55

They should be paid the same as teachers ( and that's not saying much)

CountFosco · 04/10/2018 18:56

We've been using our nursery for just over 10 year, my kids now go to the after school club there. There are members of staff that have been there 25 years (all senior staff there now), the staff who have been there a while all have degrees (including several teachers, I asked one why she did it and not teach in a school and she said it was more rewarding than teaching is now) and are incredible and did a fantastic job of stretching my very bright child and still making it fun, they taught her to write aged 3 without doing any 'formal' teaching, just taking her lead! Also, because we live a long way from family it was good to have nursery staff there as substitute family members (it takes a village etc etc). I've had family members make comments about them being looked after by strangers, they didn't seem to realise the nursery staff weren't strangers, they had a far closer relationship with my kids than that particular family member who we saw once a year.

When we looked at nurseries we asked how long the staff stayed. Our nursery encourages the staff to train and gain qualifications and the nursery manager has worked her way up so I can see that it can be a rewarding career. They have a lot of PT staff as well, and again, I can see why that would make you stay in the job. I think they are more flexible about the PT work than a school would be as well where you hear stories about teachers having to find the person they will job share with themselves before they are allowed to go PT.

Sommelierrrr · 04/10/2018 18:56

In a nutshell, with huge gratitude and respect

OhHolyJesus · 04/10/2018 18:57

DH said something derogatory about them last week and I pulled him up on it. I value the staff very highly as they care for my son when I can't and he loves his key worker - I'm just so glad they had a space and I'm thrilled we found them.

AwdBovril · 04/10/2018 18:58

If I were to judge based on my own experience... they are saints and miracle workers.

HavelockVetinari · 04/10/2018 18:58

I absolutely love the people who care for DS at nursery, they take wonderful care of my most precious thing in the world. I kniw the money's crap so I give gift vouchers at Christmas or when he moved rooms to his room workers and a bigger amount to his lovely key worker.

His key worker in the baby room left to become a midwife an DS, DH and I were gutted, she was amazing.

RoboJesus · 04/10/2018 18:58

Dontfeellikeamillenial then they should have to get a teaching degree...

Magpiefeather · 04/10/2018 18:59

I view them with love! honestly. I am so grateful to them I could cry. That there are people so patient, kind, and caring to leave my DD with while I work. She adores them and I will be forever grateful to them. Sounds a bit over the top but true!

It’s a disgrace that the job is not better paid.

ZigZagIntoTheBlue · 04/10/2018 19:04

Actual saints, I couldn't do it!

glintandglide · 04/10/2018 19:04

Ha well I must’ve imagined my daughter doing projects, crafts, book of the month, song of the month, Learning to write her name, learning about healthy eating, learning to share, baking and decorating cakes, doing exercise, her football coaching, dance class, learning French, painting, messy play, learning self care, poorly training, making friends and learning to socialise with them, playing dress up, climbing, learning to jump and do assault courses, learning how to care for pets, having doctors, vets, police officers, fire fighters come to give her talks i could go on and on and on

But.... they were only just about keeping her alive eh?

cherry2727 · 04/10/2018 19:07

Op , I could not go to work and fulfil my career if it weren't for the nursery staff who look after my som. They are one of the most valuable and greatest support network in my life. I think you need to take these comments with a pick of salt - most people who make comments like these are normally uneducated or lacking self esteem. You have a career which you require professional qualifications for , which doesn't come easy or suit everyone .

I was quite shocked when one of the nursery teachers told me how much she earned. Nether-less to say , I was deluded to how low the pay is. If you enjoy your job , keep at it .... we need you !!!

slkk · 04/10/2018 19:08

There’s a lot of talk about being undervalued and underpaid, but on other threads it’s all about the high cost of childcare. Nobody is prepared to pay more.

Kolo · 04/10/2018 19:11

@colditz it was a few events, really. What actually made me hand my notice in was that my eldest child has become too old for his nurseries wraparound club - they only took kids till 7yrs old - and I couldn’t find any other setting with spaces. We have no family around and I literally had no one to look after my child before and after school. My children come with me to work now. I left teaching 3 years ago.

Kolo · 04/10/2018 19:11

Nursery’s

Faster · 04/10/2018 19:12

My own experience and opinion of DS’s nursery staff is almost entirely positive. I believe that they work hard and provide my son with the best care. I’m moving away from the area soon and he will be going to a childminder and I’m gutted that he will have to leave his wonderful nursery.

Jent13c · 04/10/2018 19:16

I have literally no idea how they managed to look after my son for the first 6 months he was there. He cried and moaned for a good 90% of the time and every day they were there happy and smiling to give him a cuddle. They are excellent and I owe them so much. I do think the nursery manager sets the tone and I’m sure being a low paid job it would be easy to become negative.

3WildOnes · 04/10/2018 19:17

Having worked in many nurseries and preschools I have found that the staff really vary between the two. In the preschools the staff were mostly older, better educated and kinder. Most of the staff in the nurseries I worked in were young, not very bright and not that kind to the children. There were the odd few who were great but they usually left to work in primary schools and school nurseries.

GlennRheeismyfavourite · 04/10/2018 19:23

I agree, the staff at my daughter's nursery are outstanding. This has been my daughter's first 4 months at nursery; for those of you who are nursery staff, what should I do at Christmas? I want to give a really nice gift but what and who to? Just to her main lady or all three but more for one? I was thinking a gift voucher as I know people don't all want candles etc

marciagetscreamed · 04/10/2018 19:23

I have nothing but gratitude and admiration for nursery staff.

We (as a society) need to put more focus into childcare, paternity leave and encouraging mums to go to work ,if they want to ,rather than making it barely worthwhile in a financial sense.

You are doing a great job OP and we really do appreciate it. Don't listen to anyone who tells you that caring for small children is not a worthwhile job.

TooStressyForMyOwnGood · 04/10/2018 19:27

Amazing, brilliant and underpaid. I wish they would tell me their secrets to look after all those children so well.

Groovee · 04/10/2018 19:28

@GlennRheeismyfavourite we like nice biscuits or chocolates for the staff room. On the Wednesday before holidays we have an altogether lunch for all the staff and we have a mum who always hands in home made goodies. We'll miss her when her youngest leaves.

glintandglide · 04/10/2018 19:31

School nurseries aren’t the same they are they? They’re usually only open a few hours a day and used by people Getting their free hours. I judged nurseries on how many people were actually willing to pay to send their children there