Nursery staff smoking

[Badgergirl123]

Went to see an otherwise nice nursery for DD who will be a year old when she starts. On way in and way out we saw two different nursery nurses smoking as they left the building for a break. Put me right off (I'm an ex-smoker, I know we're the most judgy!) DH doesn't think it's a big deal but it bothers me that they'll be staff who smell of smoke and also that they weren't even being discreet about it.

AIBU?

Thanks for all the feedback. DH is so laid back about everything he's practically horizontal so I'm glad it's not just me who would take issue with this!

I also totally get that staff can do as they wish on breaks, but the smell etc does carry over into paid work time so I don't think it's completely clear cut from that point of view. Both members of staff were wearing uniform and came out of the main entrance and had lit up before reaching the pavement, we're talking less than 10m. Struck me as a management issue as I would agree with the posters who said they should be out of view and not in uniform. If the staff aren't being given long enough breaks to move away that's an issue for us too - we want the people looking after our daughter to be treated well by their employer as that will have an effect on the care she receives.

We've decided to go elsewhere, not exclusively based on this but there wasn't much in it and this is one of the things along with location that tipped the balance for us 😊

Actually you are wrong madein1995. That is purely your opinion.
Second hand smoke is a risk factor for developing asthma. The children at nursery spend all day with the nursery workers. Not just a few minutes. They are the equivalent of their parents during the time they are there. They are in close contact.
If a parent smokes outside their home, and then goes in to their child, it increases not only the risk of developing asthma but also the risk of more frequent and more severe exaccerbations. And other respiratory conditions.

And the SIDS risk is increased for babies. Whether you want to believe that or not is another matter.

YANBU AND I’m a smoker.
I work in a bog standard office and we aren’t allowed to smoke anywhere near where the public or even worse our customers/visitors (the very odd one that might visit the office) might see us.

Poisonous chemicals are expelled in a smokers breath for 24 hours after 1 cigarette. Stop smoking websites including NHS will tell you this. Also children’s skin can absorb chemicals from smokers fingers if hands not washed after a cigarette

YANBU. It would be me off and I am a life long non smoker. The probability is that someone at DD’s nursery smokes and has cared for her but I haven’t witnessed this to be put off the nursery by it.

Lots of nursery nurses smoke. Many of them are young women who are underpaid in a stressful job. Goes with the territory.

Unless you can find a nursery which specifically bans staff from smoking, if you don't see them, it's just because it's more discreet...but apart from that there will be no difference.

Diesel particles in the air.

oehha.ca.gov/air/health-effects-diesel-exhaust

uk-air.defra.gov.uk/assets/documents/reports/aqeg/ch3.pdf

Plus I have three children in a nursery and none of the staff wore uniforms.

Do you expect that staff in a primary school wear uniforms?

Are you hoping your children walk to school?

YABU. OP

Helicopter parents do more damage to their children emotionally.

I had three children in a nursery.

They are all adults now and none of them have any health problems.

Despite:

Staff who may or may not have smoked.
Centre of London nursery for two of them.
They all walked to secondary school.
They travelled in the car down motorways.

@placemats I know I probably shouldn't respond to your comments, yet here I am 🤷

Yes, I'm looking for a good environment for my child, we did consider a nanny as you suggested a few posts back but would prefer her to have the social side nursery offers as she will be our only child. This issue wasn't really a huge deal for me, I wasn't horrified or outraged, I was just put off largely because my mother smoked when I was young and I can remember how unpleasant I found it as a child. I'm always happy to reassess my response to things, hence the aibu.

I also know there are lots of other pollutants in the world, I can't control them but I do have an element of control over the environment my child is cared for in.

You don't have any control over what your child is exposed to though in an environmental sense. When your mother was pregnant she exposed you to her smoke, and ergo your child was also affected.

Yanbu.

I had a facial once by a beautician who was a smoker

Yuck!!

Would you be assessing a nursery by what curtains they use or the carpets? Or even worse the cots they put your child to sleep in during the day?

I clicked YABU but with some clarification.

YABU to have an issue with what people do when they leave site for the end of the day or their breaks. It's not really your business if it's legal and doesn't affect them doing their job.

YANBU to be concerned about second hand smoke and it would be more than reasonable to ask the nursery if they have a policy about smoking in work clothing with a request they consider ensuring staff change from their work polo shirts/tunic tops before smoking to avoid second hand smoke.

www.theguardian.com/society/2019/jul/23/john-marsden-on-the-toxic-parenting-pandemic-ive-never-seen-this-level-of-anxiety

Oh @placemates, please stop goading me. I am not an anxious parent. We have a lovely, joyful and laid back baby, partly due to temperament but I suspect largely because we are so relaxed with her.

Nope. It's in the contract at my nursery that there is no smoking during the working day. Staff are paid for their lunch break and take it on the premises.

I am a smoker myself but agree that it sounds grim to have children around the smell of smoke.

A friend of mine works at a nursery and says they have big hoodies that are hung up in the staff area that smokers need to put on before they have a cigarette on their breaks - hoods up and all. Then they have to wash their hands and use mouthwash after. They're also not allowed to smoke within view of parents or children coming inside. Not ideal but better than just out smoking in uniform in plain sight!

The chemicals stay on clothes for hours, so unless they are changing their clothes then those chemicals are being taken back to your child.

I would discuss with the manager if I had no other childcare options but preference would be that I'd look to other options if possible.

If they wish to smoke fine, but they should do it such that no-one else would guess

Yuck that would definitely put me off. They must be a bit ignorant blatantly smoking in front of potential parents who are looking at the nursery too!

YANBU
Most early years settings have strict policies on staff smoking.
It would have put me off.

Health visitors can mark down in the red book that babies are at risk of second and third hand smoke by a parent that smokes outside so I can't imagine it being classed differently in a nursery setting.

This would really bug me.

Every nursery I pass round here have staff smoking outside, who is going to stop them.
I'm not sure if they wash their hands but some are out there 5 mins before the hour, so not changing clothes.
If it wasn't allowed there would be no nurseries and shock horror you'd have to care for your own kids, to keep smokers away.

I tend to be snobish about smoking as a non-smoker. It does flumox me why someone working in a job that is hands-on with other people would smoke. They are of course perfectly within their right to do so.

One of my siblings is a beautician and smokes, I really wouldn't want a massage or facial off someone with fag hands.