Work at a nursery through an agency. Honestly if I ever have children it makes me not want to send them to nursery if parents knew what it was like sometimes.
I'd say that I have a gentle but firm approach, I don't agree with shouting at children like some of the others do.
Another problem is that it's an unbelievably bitchy environment. There's constantly someone being slagged off, usually whoever isn't in the room and it makes you assume they'll do the same about you.
I was in one room today and suddenly I was 'swapped' with a girl from a more hectic room, who's only 18 and I have heard them talking behind her back saying she's 'lazy'.
Anyway, I was put in this room where more babies were crying and there were more of them.
There's a young nursery practitioner in there who seems to be hot headed at times but nice at others.
She told us to not pick up/cuddle one particular child under any circumstances as she 'needed to learn', then at one point the child went towards her and the nursery worker said 'Get away from me now!' which I thought was cruel.
Myself and a different nursery worker there are more softly spoken and at one point the hot headed one snapped at us for not being strict enough and raised her voice at us.
She later apologized and blamed her hormones.
Anyway eventually she disappeared for a while and I saw her gassing in the changing area with another nursery worker.
A little while later I was once again 'swapped' back to my original room, this time with someone else.
The room leader actually told me it was because they needed someone 'stronger than me' in front of everyone.
She said 'You're good, but Katie is just 'stronger' than you really'.
I just said 'right', because what am I meant to say to that really.
I almost cried which I know sounds pathetic but I felt I'd been put down in front of everyone and told I wasn't good enough.
Was I being too sensitive? I just wonder if there are better nurseries, does this sound normal?