Active discussions

Meet the Other Phone. Only the apps you allow.

Meet the Other Phone.
Only the apps you allow.

Buy now

Please or to access all these features

Talk
AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

To send DD to nursery on Christmas Eve?

201 replies

Iwantquavers · 17/12/2021 09:21

DD was a year old end of November and she goes to nursery FT. I’m a teacher and because of us being away on holiday for half term and for the first week of January, we haven’t actually had any time where she’s been in nursery and I’m off work - in other words, I’ve either been at work or had DD with me since starting in September.

This year we finish on the 23rd December. We get paid on the 25th, this year that’s a Saturday and Christmas Day anyway, so will be paid on the 24th. I really need to do some last minute shopping and it would be much faster and less stressful to do it without DD. I’m also genuinely wondering if she might prefer to be in nursery than in her pushchair going round the shops.

But I’m worried she’ll be the only baby there and the staff might prefer to be with their own families. Any thoughts?

OP posts:
Frazzled2207 · 17/12/2021 15:00

Pretty sure I had this dilemma xmas eve once and send him in just collected earlier than I would do normally

Nodancingshoes · 17/12/2021 15:00

By all means send her - if they are open then they are expecting children to attend. I would say that most children get picked up at lunchtime though - we only ever had 1 or 2 children in the afternoon and we did feel sorry for them...

DukkaTheHallsWithBoughsOfHolly · 17/12/2021 15:06

Goodness me I would. Go have some time to yourself, do your shopping and get a coffee.

She won’t be the only one there, plenty of us work on Xmas Eve, me included. She’ll have more fun at nursery than being pushed around a busy shopping centre, and they’ll probably do loads of fun Christmassy things.

Blossom64265 · 17/12/2021 15:07

Send her to nursery, get your shopping done, even stop for lunch if desire. Just pick her up when you are done instead of leaving her there until the very end of the day . She will be much happier at nursery than at crowded shops. The staff may also be on contracts where if they don’t actually work the hours, they don’t get paid, even though you are paying for the day regardless of if you send her or not.

feedmemincepies · 17/12/2021 16:24

This is a no-brainier, send her to nursery, she will have a great time, possibly with one to one attention. You get some well-deserved time to do what you want to do, whether that is chores or drinking coffee. I was in your position when my kids were little and was either at work or home with kids, take the opportunity!!!

Girlonit · 17/12/2021 19:39

I didn’t say odd to want a bit of a break @Iwantquavers. I said I find it odd when parents are off work but don’t think their children might want time off from nursery or the quite common on here it’s more fun for them. My children’s nursery is amazing, both are happy and settled there and doing really well. But it’s also tiring and they don’t get one to one or in my children’s case one to two, like they do at home. I worked in a nursery during holidays when I was at uni and I did a few placements in others for my degree, and it was noticeable which children were the full timers, 8-6 pretty much 52 weeks a year. That’s not your Dd has you’ve said she gets breaks and you’ve got things to be doing on Christmas Eve, so it works better for you to send her in. I wouldn’t, but I also wouldn’t be shopping or cleaning on Christmas Eve anyway, I’ve worked enough of them to make the most of the ones I get off.

Original poster
Iwantquavers · 17/12/2021 19:42

I checked today when I picked up and asked if other children would be there. I explained I just didn’t want her being bored / hot / crowded in shops and they were fine with it. I’ll drop her just before 9 and pick her up at 12. Then she’s off until the 10th January so it isn’t too bad really.

OP posts:
Youdoyoutoday · 17/12/2021 19:45

It's a normal working day though isn't it?
So take her in, do what you need to and maybe collect her a bit earlier. Bet she won't be the last kid there though!

RedWingBoots · 17/12/2021 19:49

In the past my DD has gone to her CM on Christmas Eve. I just picked her up earlier than normal which was after lunch.

The funny thing is one of the reasons she was there was another child's parents who were both working that morning were worried that their child would be the only child there.

I thought I had the day off but in the end I had to deal with work before picking up some click and collect items, wrapping some presents and doing some cleaning.

My DD was then upset half-way through the Christmas holidays that she didn't get to see one of the other mindees....

Youdoyoutoday · 17/12/2021 19:50

@Nodancingshoes

By all means send her - if they are open then they are expecting children to attend. I would say that most children get picked up at lunchtime though - we only ever had 1 or 2 children in the afternoon and we did feel sorry for them...
Why did you feel sorry for those kids? Their parents were probably working
DeepaBeesKit · 18/12/2021 07:21

we haven’t actually had any time where she’s been in nursery and I’m off work

The whole point of childcare is you use it when you are at work so this is sort of a given, surely?

I've not had any time in 4 years when my kids have been at childcare and I've been off work. Life with kids means getting stuff done with children in tow.

Absolutely nothing wrong with sending a child to nursery on christmas eve if you need to because you are working, but if I was the staff I would be gutted at having to work because one child's mum wanted to go shopping child-free.

DeepaBeesKit · 18/12/2021 07:24

I said I find it odd when parents are off work but don’t think their children might want time off from nursery or the quite common on here it’s more fun for them.

This. My kids love their childminder and the other children they play with their, they also absolutely would always choose a day with me instead of going there. Even if they day was going round the shops on last minute jobs.

NinaDefoe · 18/12/2021 07:28

I would get up early as if it were a work day, take her to nursery as usual and hit the shops first thing.
Go home around midday, unpack and then collect her.

Whichcatthatcat · 18/12/2021 07:44

We are open till 1pm on Christmas eve. We are usually about 50% full.
It's not unusual and she won't be on her own. If she is the only baby, they will take her to play with the toddlers, she won't be left sitting by herself all day.
Take her, she will love it.

LadyPenelope68 · 18/12/2021 07:46

She will have loads of fun being in nursery on Christmas Eve, don’t worry about sending her in. They will probably have the usual number of staff in anyway and they’ll want to make it a nice fun day. All I’d say is, make sure you pick her up early rather than leaving her until closing time as it’s usual that if children are all picked up early then they key staff go home early.

ElinorOliphant · 18/12/2021 07:49

Yeah send her in.

I hate seeing bored overheated toddlers in pushchairs at the shops,they must be SO bored. Makes me sad!

Toastmost · 18/12/2021 07:50

@DeepaBeesKit

we haven’t actually had any time where she’s been in nursery and I’m off work

The whole point of childcare is you use it when you are at work so this is sort of a given, surely?

I've not had any time in 4 years when my kids have been at childcare and I've been off work. Life with kids means getting stuff done with children in tow.

Absolutely nothing wrong with sending a child to nursery on christmas eve if you need to because you are working, but if I was the staff I would be gutted at having to work because one child's mum wanted to go shopping child-free.

I've had many days of annual leave with DC in nursery, personally I think its bloody amazing. Its really nice to have the chance to do what I want for a day and we are paying for it anyway so why not, we still do plenty of stuff together. Childcare is for whatever you want it to be really, you pay for a service and don't have to justify it.
again2020 · 18/12/2021 07:54

Send her in, get your jobs done and enjoy the little bit of free time before the madness starts.

I'd do it! No guilt either.
Have a great Christmas 🎄

voxnihili · 18/12/2021 07:55

I’m at teacher but have broken up already. I could do with some time this week to get bits done but am keeping DD home due to covid risk. Her last day at nursery was the 16th so don’t want to send her back after a gap as feel she’ll have been away from the risk (there’s been an outbreak there). That said, I’d have sent her in on the 17th if I could have (she doesn’t attend Fridays).

I expect they’ll have loads of fun stuff at nursery and much better than being around the shops.

Whichcatthatcat · 18/12/2021 08:13

Don't worry about the staff. If they are rota'd to be working, they will be at work anyway.
If there are no children in they will be removing xmas decorations ready for January, or deep cleaning, especially with covid around, or planning next year's activities. They won't get to go home early just because you chose not to send your child in..
Personally, I'd rather play with a baby thatn clean, so I'd be thrilled to have children in.

Itsnearlyxmas · 18/12/2021 08:19

She won't be the only baby there but there won't be many. They're open, use them if that's what you want.

daisychainsandrainbows · 18/12/2021 08:29

*This. My kids love their childminder and the other children they play with their, they also absolutely would always choose a day with me instead of going there. Even if they day was going round the shops on last minute jobs.
*
My toddler bloody hates shopping and would much rather be at nursery than be dragged around the shops. I don't blame her, it's hardly an exciting activity for a small child. And I'd much rather go shopping without her shouting every twenty seconds that she wants to get out of her pushchair and then her running amok as soon as she's given freedom and throwing herself on the floor when she's not allowed to run off. I can feel my blood pressure rising at the thought. Not all kids are the same and although yours would be happy to be dragged around the shops, many wouldn't.

Original poster
Iwantquavers · 18/12/2021 08:45

Thanks. I really don’t think she’d enjoy shopping, and she does have a 3 week holiday coming up.

OP posts:
fluffythedragonslayer · 18/12/2021 08:47

Don't most people work Christmas Day? Unless term time only?

I wouldn't give it a second thought OP. Fine for her to go to nursery, you get shopping and a peaceful festive coffee done. And relax and enjoy Christmas Day!

Tillsforthrills · 18/12/2021 09:48

@Whichcatthatcat

Unbelievable reasoning there Grin

As other workers at nurseries have said, it depends on who’s there whether they get to leave nursery.

If you want and need to use the service go ahead but avoid that utterly condescending reasoning on behalf of nursery workers please.