Active discussions

Meet the Other Phone. Protection built in.

Meet the Other Phone.
Protection built in.

Buy now

Please or to access all these features

Talk
AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

Aibu to be really cross about this breakfast club situation?

229 replies

Henni19 · 04/09/2021 21:29

My 3yo started at the school nursery on Thursday, his 5yo brother went into y1.
On Friday I put them into breakfast club as I had work.
School are still operating bubbles and all other restrictions (i am annoyed about this, although from a thread I posted the other day many disagreed with me).
Anyway it turns out my 3yo is the only child in the nursery bubble in breakfast club so they made him sit at a table on his own for the whole hour, while his brother sat the other side of the hall with his friends.
My eldest saw him crying asking for me and asked if he could sit with him but was told he wasn't allowed.
Only 2 staff work there and they both greeted us so no confusion over them being brothers, sounds like just taking the bubble rule to the extreme.
I cant work out if I am more devastated or bloody fuming about it.
Aibu to send an email to school asking them to use some common sense?
2 days in and 3yo already doesn't want to go back ☹

OP posts:
Bunnycat101 · 04/09/2021 22:18

To be honest I don’t think the care setting is suitable for a 3 year old if they can do that to him. I’d be having some serious thoughts about taking him out and putting him in a private nursery. You can just leave a 3 year old on their own crying. That would just be completely unacceptable to me.

EmJay19 · 04/09/2021 22:18

I hit YABU by mistake!
Total idiots.
I’d be demanding to see the head Monday morning to make sure it doesn’t happen again.

StarshipsAreMeantToFly · 04/09/2021 22:21

@Kolo fair enough! OP, could you maybe see if you can get hold of the guidance to schools? And @Theworldishard maybe if you did too then the school might listen? Though I get it's hard to challenge the rules you're given to follow.

Theworldishard · 04/09/2021 22:21

I'm not getting into an argument about this.
I am not cold hearted, realistic unfortunately.
Yes in our school there was two of us watching the whole school at lunchtime, over 150 children.
None of this is a lie.
I have seen a lot happen in schools. No I don't agree with it, but it is my job. I would always support an upset child, you don't know me so please don't make judgements. It's not very nice.

GintyMcGinty · 04/09/2021 22:23

The world has gone mad.

MaggieFS · 04/09/2021 22:24

That's terrible. My DC are too young for school, just, but it's this kind of crap that just amplifies the guilt about being a FT working mum.

Theworldishard · 04/09/2021 22:24

@StarshipsAreMeantToFly thank you for trying to see it from my perspective.
In some ways it's like nurses and doctors weren't able to allow family in to see patients that were dying. Would they have agreed with it? No, but it is their job. It is difficult when put in these situations, but we do try and make it as best we can. For example that 3yr old I would have gone to the headteacher and asked for advice to see what we could do..failing that I would find him his own pens, paper, toys etc and sit with him. In no way would he be left sat alone crying.
I would love to stand up for more things but there is a hierarchy and I've seen many good support staff and teachers leave because they dared to have rocked the boat so to speak.

shouldistop · 04/09/2021 22:25

@Theworldishard what would stop the older brother from being allowed to play with the 3yo in their own bubble though?

Theworldishard · 04/09/2021 22:25

[quote shouldistop]@Theworldishard what would stop the older brother from being allowed to play with the 3yo in their own bubble though? [/quote]
In that instance that would be fine. We would check of course with the headteacher but we would.try to make things better.

shouldistop · 04/09/2021 22:27

Ok so you agree with the op then Confused

Alwayswonderedwhy · 04/09/2021 22:27

Yanbu Sounds ridiculous.

Original poster
Henni19 · 04/09/2021 22:27

Thanks all. I'm glad I'm not the only one who thinks this is unacceptable.
If anyone has any good terminology I can use in my email to the head to explain my frustrations and why the bubble structure isn't required I'd be grateful, I'm so bad at wording things and getting my point across.

OP posts:
Peanutsandchilli · 04/09/2021 22:27

That's shit op. I'd be complaining. Presumably there's no rules for the adults crossing bubbles (aside from trying to stay two metres apart, which, as we know, is impossible with small children). This whole fiasco is beyond a joke now.

EKGEMS · 04/09/2021 22:28

This reply has been deleted

Message deleted by MNHQ. Here's a link to our Talk guidelines.

niceandsimple · 04/09/2021 22:30

Rules are there for a reason. However, it is people who are meant to apply those rules. They need to engage their brains and realise that a 3 year old cannot be left on their own. Especially when watching other children who are not on their own. That is cruelty.
And staff members who cannot engage their brains when following rules need to leave.

TheKeatingFive · 04/09/2021 22:30

I’m confused Theworldishard

In your original post you said this

I used to work in bf club and I do an after school club and unfortunately we also would have done the same

Theworldishard · 04/09/2021 22:30

[quote EKGEMS]@Theworldishard Your heart is a stone cold piece of granite [/quote]
Lol. Sorry that made me laugh.😆
I'm sorry for offending everyone by explaining how a school works.
If you have grievances at your own school, take it up with them, not a randomer on the internet
Also, it's actually very hard to read tone on here. So by you ganging up on me, you are in fact just as bad as how yoy consider myself to be.

Boredhimtodeath · 04/09/2021 22:31

Poor thing! What are you going to do about it OP? Thank god you raised is brother right for him to flag it up.

Didyousaynutella · 04/09/2021 22:32

Nanny and john, I don’t know anyone who has got in trouble for other people getting covid. What absolute rubbish. Nobody can prove where you get it from anyway.

Theworldishard · 04/09/2021 22:32

@TheKeatingFive

I’m confused Theworldishard

In your original post you said this

I used to work in bf club and I do an after school club and unfortunately we also would have done the same

I apologise as I didn't read the bit about him joining his younger brother alone. I assumed the OP meant can the younger one join an older bubble. Which sadly would not be allowed. While I can't say 100% we would allow it, I would be asking the headteacher and aiming to make it happen. So can everyone take a deep breath now 🙊
Kolo · 04/09/2021 22:32

www.gov.uk/government/publications/actions-for-schools-during-the-coronavirus-outbreak/schools-covid-19-operational-guidance

OP, scroll down this link a little to the section on 'bubbles'. This is the operational guidance for schools.

shouldistop · 04/09/2021 22:33

So you've been arguing with people on the thread because you misread the op?

steppemum · 04/09/2021 22:33

It's not as simple as that. In our school there are set tables for each class. You can't just let siblings cross bubbles, it defeats the purpose.

I am sitting here doing a face palm at this, at the people who mindlessly follow the rules without thinking them through. Complete jobsworth.

3 year old alone at a table. Brother on other side of room.
So, (just a minute I'm struggling to think of the solution here...wait a minute, I think I've got it) how about the older brother crosses the room and sits with the 3 year old!

Good grief, then kids are happy and no bubble broken.

I must be a genius or something.

Theworldishard · 04/09/2021 22:33

@shouldistop

So you've been arguing with people on the thread because you misread the op?
You've been arguing with me!
Plumtree391 · 04/09/2021 22:34

You're not unreasonable but why does it take a whole hour for a child to eat breakfast? I'm quite shocked that no members of staff attended to a crying little child and I would say that. It's ridiculous that his brother wasn't allowed to sit with him.

However I think breakfast club on second day at nursery school for a three year old is a bit much, frankly. Small children have to be eased into things. What's done is done, I hope matters improve.