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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

Picking up children from nursery at finish time

108 replies

Crowtooyo · 15/07/2021 14:54

I saw a video on tik tok. It's a jokey account from a lady who works in a nursery (or used to... can't quite remember!)
Anyway, she made a video about parents turning up in the car park but then sitting there for 45 mins to collect their child on the dot at 6pm and then expecting a 10 minute handover.
I wondered what people's opinions are on this?

I'll start by saying I work in childcare and am paid X- X and I feel that if a parent wants a full blown handover then they need to have that within the time frame that they pay for.

I am not bothered about parents waiting outside, they probably have work calls, etc... to catch up on. And they are paying for their child to be in the nursery. So that isn't the question.

The question is specifically about whether the parent should collect at closing time and then expect a 10-15 min handover.

Voting:

YABU - a handover should not be paid for
YANBU - parent should collect within time frame and handover included in that.

I can link the tik tok if people want. Not sure whether allowed?

OP posts:
Original poster
Crowtooyo · 15/07/2021 18:25

@Radio4ordie

If staff are only paid until 6pm then the nursery isn’t open until 6pm. It’s open until 5.30pm and then 5.30-6pm is shut down time when you ensure customers are out of the building and everything is tidied up. I really think it’s a communication/CF thing for day care nurseries to claim to be open to 6pm but not pay staff beyond that. Very unfair to staff as they will no doubt often need to stay later, or to parents if staff get annoyed with them for picking up at pick up time.
But I'm not talking about when the staff are paid to? We are discussing the fact that the nursery closes at 6pm so there should be noone other than staff left in the building after 6pm.

The nurseries may well be paying their staff until 6:15 pm, that doesn't mean parents should be staying there past 6pm..

OP posts:
BusyLizzie61 · 15/07/2021 18:27

I don't think that the parents are being unreasonable. It's an employer issue imo, if they only pay until 6pm. That's the issue that needs challenging. Tesco would still be expected to pay their staff for serving the customers in their store post 10pm....

BusyLizzie61 · 15/07/2021 18:28

It's not unreasonable to expect feedback on your child's day!

BoredatHome321 · 15/07/2021 18:33

@BusyLizzie61

It's not unreasonable to expect feedback on your child's day!
No, but it is after the nursery is closed, if you want one, get there earlier.
PurpleMustang · 15/07/2021 18:39

I dont think its been mentioned yet (mine brought in late fines as parents were taking the piss turning up late) but the manager had to explain they are only insured to be open till 6pm, so need the kids off site. All these parents will get a shock when kids start school as they are there the parent is spotted and kid is released, no cost handover at all.

Original poster
Crowtooyo · 15/07/2021 18:41

@BusyLizzie61

I don't think that the parents are being unreasonable. It's an employer issue imo, if they only pay until 6pm. That's the issue that needs challenging. Tesco would still be expected to pay their staff for serving the customers in their store post 10pm....
We didn't say the staff are only paid until 6pm. But the nursery CLOSES at 6pm. So there shouldn't be any children left on site.

No I wouldn't expect staff to serve me after 10pm if the shop closed at 10pm.

OP posts:
3Britnee · 15/07/2021 18:42

Childcare should be til 6. Staff should be paid til 6.30. If handover shouldn't be done on staff time (after 6), the close down shouldn't be done on parents time (before 6).

Tossblanket · 15/07/2021 19:08

15 minute handover what more need to be said other than they ate a banana and had a shit?

AnxiousWeirdo · 15/07/2021 19:19

Wait, what? A 10-15 minute handover? Mine was always about 30 seconds unless something needed to be talked about and even then it was 5 minutes tops! People have got shit to do you know, get your kid and fuck off home! 😂

Hankunamatata · 15/07/2021 19:23

If you want a 10min handover then you pickup at 5.50

rubbletrouble · 15/07/2021 19:26

Surely if you have an issue that needs a 5/10 min handover, you request a meeting to be held at a mutually convenient time.

We have a 10 min collection window, if you are at the back end of that, no you don't get a 10 min chat.

FunMcCool · 15/07/2021 19:31

Our nursery emails us saying if you want a long handover please come 15mins before the end of the day as staff like you leave promptly. I think there’s nothing wrong with that at all.

Reddip · 15/07/2021 19:35

@AnxiousWeirdo

Wait, what? A 10-15 minute handover? Mine was always about 30 seconds unless something needed to be talked about and even then it was 5 minutes tops! People have got shit to do you know, get your kid and fuck off home! 😂
I was going to say the same. A long handover for me is two minutes and now we've got it down to about 30 seconds because "he's had a good day, details on the app, see you Friday, bye!". 😂
RapidRadish · 15/07/2021 19:39

Don't all nurseries have apps these days to provide the detailed account of the day? Mine does so there's absolutely no need for anything other than a cursory thanks at pick up time.

OzziePopPop · 15/07/2021 19:55

@AnxiousWeirdo

Wait, what? A 10-15 minute handover? Mine was always about 30 seconds unless something needed to be talked about and even then it was 5 minutes tops! People have got shit to do you know, get your kid and fuck off home! 😂
This! What on earths would you discuss for 10-15 minutes?? Maybe 2-5 minutes for a problem / new starter / tiny baby but usually 30 seconds to 1 minute was enough age 1-4…
Thevoiceofreason2021 · 15/07/2021 20:00

My nursery charges £1 a minute late pick up.

Nietzschethehiker · 15/07/2021 20:41

I always found that nurseries with my two DC were very sensible about which parents took the wotsit. I would sometimes arrive early and take a few minutes to reply to emails but always picked them up well before closing time. I wasn't really a talker for ages past about 9 months. By that time sleep and eating schedules were reasonably established so really didn't need to know the ins and outs.

They did have an issue with CF parents and rightly instituted a fine for late leaving (I liked that phrasing...not arriving leaving ..for the faffers that though closing time was the time to discuss with little tarquin whether they wanted their coat on....I was more of a pick up like a rugby ball and squash the coat on outside parent really).

I got caught in a bloody ridiculous tailback on the m25 with road works and was late. Hugely apologetics and absolutely accepting I would be fined. Manager pulled me to one side and told me not to worry they knew it was genuine so no fine. I could have kissed her (money was very very tight and I couldn't afford it but I hadn't been able to forsee the 3 hour tail back).

I also rang when during (well just after ) a terrorist attack I was desperately trying to track down my team and make sure they were all OK. I couldn't get hold of three , one of which had been due to be in the area. It was getting to the time I had to leave and I had rung exdh to get to the nursery but he was caught in traffic resulting from the attack and the road closures. I rang the nursery and they were amazing.....I didn't even get halfway through the first sentence and they said instantly " we know where you both work...stop panicking we have got them...there is no fine we know you will get here as soon as possible. We've got this...do what you need to ". I could have bloody married them.

I did take in boxes of chocolates and wine for them I was so grateful. In a moment of real fear thinking one of my managers had been in the attack they were just brilliant.

Good Childcare professionals are pretty much heaven sent to my mind. I tend to find they only react to the people who take the absolute proverbial. (I'm sure there are some rubbish ones but my experience has been good ).

moynomore · 15/07/2021 20:44

@BusyLizzie61

It's not unreasonable to expect feedback on your child's day!
Not 15 mins worth at closing time!
NopeNotGonna · 15/07/2021 20:56

I work in a nursery. Sorry but a parent strolling across the car park at 5.59pm and expecting anything more than "little Jimmy has had a great day he all his lunch and had a good sleep, there's no messages." are taking the absolute piss. We will never be so rude to tell a parent we can't talk to them for long as we are closing, but it is very disrespectful towards the staff to expect them to have a lengthy conversation at closing time.

Jobseeker19 · 15/07/2021 21:15

I work on a nursery and some parents take the piss.
Buzzing at 7.25am when we don't open until 7.30. It makes us excited when your child is on holiday then we don't have to rush!
Same with the late comers if we are on late shift we will think please don't let xyz child be in today.
Sorry, but its true.
Parents get arsey if they don't get a long handover followed by them telling us how their child slept the night before how many ounces of milk they had, did they eat all their breakfast?

Forevercurious · 15/07/2021 21:26

@Lettuceforlunch

Too many nurseries expect staff to work for free in the 6-6:15 slot. If they paid staff properly, the odd latecomer wouldn’t be an issue.
Haven’t read the whole thread but this is spot on! I work in a nursery which closes at 6pm. Quite often at 6pm we have 2/3 children left to go home. I never finish work on time and that 10/15 mins each day soon adds up! Every one knows that nursery practitioners are vastly underpaid and then we’re expected to work for free every day too.
Brazilianut · 15/07/2021 22:08

@BusyLizzie61 did anyone say it was unreasonable to have feedback at the end of the day? The issue is when parents do it on the nursery workers time.

Your attitude to nursery workers and supermarket staff speaks volumes about you.

Kanaloa · 15/07/2021 22:14

The argument that Tesco’s would still be expected to pay staff for serving after closing time doesn’t really work because it simply wouldn’t happen. If you’ve ever been in Tesco near closing, they start playing loud announcements telling you the store closes in 20 minutes, then 15 minutes before closing you are asked to make your way to the checkout. You can’t go round getting all your shopping then bang on closing time stroll up to the checkout and say but you’re open until 10!

watingroom2 · 15/07/2021 22:16

@SilverOak

Why would you sit in the car park for 45 minutes? Why not just collect your child and go home?
I've done this before - i dash to school to pick DS up - and get there with 30 mins to go - I will breathe a massive sigh of relief - then take a little time for myself as once I have DS - it will be go go go till bedtime.

I would always arrive 5 mins early and do not want a long hand over though.

I also feel nurseries should pay staff slightly after the 'shut' time - because I strongly suspect it is not a quick finish.

BlueSurfer · 15/07/2021 22:25

Surely nobody wants a 10-15 minute handover unless there is a particular issue? Don’t most parents just want to pick up their kid, hear they are happy and had a good day, and go home?