To ask how you view nursery staff?

[NancyFrank]

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..?

I did it as a bank worker for a while and there's no way I could do it long term!

I agree that it's frustrating that nursery is quite expensive, but staff get paid so poorly.

I think the staff are great. There are obviously some who have just fallen into it and won't stay long, but there are also loads doing it because they love it and are putting up with the poor pay to do a job they love.

I absolutely adored all the nursery workers at DDs nursery. I really miss them now she is at school. They gave excellent advice and looked after my DD so well for me and during difficult times (teething, sleep issues etc) were very supportive of me.

I just wish they were paid more, but then the fees would be higher and we wouldn't have been able to send her to nursery.

Like some others, I'm 50/50 on this one. A close relative has worked in nurseries for years and through her I've got to know a lot of her colleagues quite well. I hate to say it but they are, with very few exceptions, almost catatonically dim.

They all love kids and love their jobs and put a lot of care into them but it's as if this is their vocation as a result of barely being able to communicate on an adult level, and while they all had some kind of childcare qualification, there's no question that any of them could even contemplate education to degree level, in any subject.

This horrified me because I always knew I'd need childcare and that full time motherhood wouldn't be for me, but there's no way I would have sent a child to the (very good) private nursery this lot worked at.

However we're not living in the UK and the nursery and school system here is very different. My daughter was in a nursery from nine months and started full time school at two, and the staff have all been educated to degree level and are very bright and switched on. You absolutely can have a conversation with them about something other than Disney films and TOWIE. They're wonderful and I'm so grateful to them.

I think until private nursery owners start thinking about quality of care as opposed to their bank balances, not a lot will change.
It’s something you can do with little qualifications, and then train on the job if you wish, but what with pay being so low many talented members of staff move on to schools and nannying.
I worked in nurseries for 8 years before setting up my own childminder business, which has been going for nearly 6 years.
I went to university and have an early years and psychology degree. I would be affronted at the idea I was dim.

• It's badly paid
• It's seen as women's work
• If men had historically taken this job, it'd be one of the most well-respected jobs around because you're shaping children in their formative years
• It shouldn't be badly paid
• There needs to be much stronger/clearer professional trajectory (i.e. degree-level education, accreditation, career progression)
• I have no idea how they begin to cope with changing nappies of random children
• It's honestly one of the last jobs on the planet I would ever consider because I have no idea how nursery workers cope with other people's screaming, shitting children.

I definitely don't look down on nursery staff. Not everyone wants to do a 50 hr a week professional job and personally I believe it's a massively important one.

I do think the pay is low however the pay reflects the level of qualification required to do the job. What it doesn't reflect is the fact you need to be a certain type of person to be good at it, you literally couldn't pay enough for a really good worker. There is a certain level of progression though, especially with the higher level EY qualification.

there's no question that any of them could even contemplate education to degree level, in any subject.

I know lots of people who work in nurseries who have degrees, it might not be the best use of a degree, but to suggest the workers are not capable of it is so judgemental.

I never really gave it a thought until my daughter started nursery last month.

Her key worker is incredible. They all are there. They deserve to be paid twice what they are.

When a parent returns to work they are trusting strangers to look after their most precious thing in the whole world - their child. Anyone who cares for my child is incredibly important to my family; they are doing a very worthwhile job.

I know lots of people who work in nurseries who have degrees, it might not be the best use of a degree, but to suggest the workers are not capable of it is so judgemental. sad

@IceRebel I'm talking about a particular group of people, people I know. I'm aware that other nursery workers have degrees but as I said in my post, I was talking about people I know pretty well and I can assure you that there is no possibility of educational attainment in these particular people.

I looked round one nursery that seemed to mainly employ teenagers who looked like they would rather be anywhere else in the world. The nursery I actually sent both of mine too employed exclusively very experienced and skilled staff who worked incredibly hard. I valued their expertise and would often ask for their advice and insight.

I was talking about people I know pretty well and I can assure you that there is no possibility of educational attainment in these particular people.

I appreciate you know these people but given time and encouragement they may go on to do degrees later in life. Never say never. They may decide working for pittance isn't what they want to the rest of their life.

In our nursery there are about 20 amazing women who I think are amazing and one busybody. Pity they don’t earn more but can’t see that changing without a change in ratios.

@IceRebel I've known them for at least 15 years, some longer, and the only one who could, has. Well, she didn't do a degree but further education. I can 100% assure you that would not be possible for the others.

And I have to admit another thing that bothers me about the same people is the fucking awful way they are bringing up their own kids. I don't believe four chocolate biscuits and a chocolate milkshake is a healthy breakfast for a two year old or a child of any age, for example.

I really like and respect the staff at my boy’s nursery. I feel quite strongly towards them because they take such wonderful care of my son and I’m so grateful that they hug him, play with him and make him feel at home and secure there as well as stimulated by all the activities. I certainly wouldn’t view it as a stop gate career - it’s similar to teacher isn’t it, but a different age group, in terms of it being about development etc. It should be paid more.

The ladies in my daughters nursery are incredible. They take care of the two most important things in our world, and they are woefully underpaid. Our nursery fees go up every year but they've not had a pay rise in over 3 years.

I'm amazed they stay, as it's not an easy job, but I'm so grateful to them

My eldest is 18 and my youngest 13 and they still remember their wonderful nurseries and the workers that looked after them.
My eldest’s nursery workers were particularly amazing and we all became very close to them. In fact after not seeing one of them for 10+ years at my dds prom (they lived near the venue & were watching everyone arrive) they still remembered our names and gave my dd the biggest hug ever.
Most of the staff (male & female) at dd1’s nursery were well educated, with the room leaders holding degree level qualifications, and this showed in the care & education that my dd received. The children there were taught French, did yoga and Forest School and amongst other things.
The majority of staff at dd2’s nursery were not as well educated and although still amazing carers the educational activities on offer weren’t as good.

Pressed post too soon!
Meant to add I don’t look down on any nursery workers my family will be eternally grateful for all the care they received at and I think they are woefully underpaid. However, I think this underpayment is pretty much in line with how this country values this type of work (inc teaching, mat leave etc).

I have to say as in any industry there are good and bad people, some that are under qualified and seem to coast through and some which exceed!

I am not educated to degree but through choice - I am not stupid by any means and could do a degree if I chose to however not everyone wants to go down this path, I am happy with my work/ life balance with 3 young children so a degree for me would be a huge waste of money and putting myself into debt. My husband earns well, the kids are happy and I enjoy my job. For me I don't strive to be a doctor or lawyer, I don't want to commute 10 hours a day into London and barely see my children simply because I don't need to and I know I wouldn't be happy with that. If people want to judge me as being too stupid to do anything else that is fine but who wouldn't want to work term time only if they had a choice? (Being a stay at home Mum was not an option - I did for a year and it just wasn't for me I needed something!)

I think if you look down on nursery staff but still leave your children with them you are a terrible parent and a snob. Just my opinion!

I found that in the UK there is a direct correlation with the nursery costs. Expensive nurseries usually have lovely and bright people employed. Cheap or sponsored nurseries seem to employ people who are simply not qualified to do anything else, and the level of ignorance and indifference is, frankly, frightening.

I find that nurseries which have some sort of ideology usually have better staff. Montessori, Steiner, etc., although some of them don't appeal to me. At least this means that people are motivated and able to follow a specific curriculum / learn / develop.

I’ve worked in early years for over 2 decades
I have a degree and a post grad qualification making me an early years teacher, I went to a private grammar school and could have chosen to do anything
I’ve chosen to work in early years, not because I’m too dim to do anything else, but because I get a tremendous amount of job satisfaction and I’m pretty good at my job
It’s a pay off; I’ve taken job satisfaction and the knowledge that I’m making areal difference in children’s lives over earning more money
In life, it’s not all about the money
It helps, but it’s not the best all and end all