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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

To think nursery owner is a dinosaur.

203 replies

funder · 21/02/2022 08:41

Please help me make sense of this situation.

My son started a new small nursery/ large childminding setting at the beginning of January. The facility is in the owners home, but there are two key workers and about 10 children so bigger than his previous childminder setting.

He attends 15h over 2 days. He is a confident, social and happy 3 1/2 year old who communicates very well (he started talking in sentences at 20m old). The first couple of days he loved the setting and was desperate to attend.

On the third day I picked him up and he was inconsolable, the nursery owner mentioned that he wouldn't eat his dinner and was crying for his mummy (something he didn't tend to ever do and he loves his food so it was very unusual) whilst he was crying one of the other children told him to stop crying and that his 'mummy isn't coming back'. While telling me this the owner was kind of laughing and brushing it off saying that even the children were 'fed up' with his behaviour Hmm

Anyway, over that weekend my son told me that the owner had shouted at him because he was impatiently asking for a tissue while all the children were eating. This is what set him off crying, asking for his mummy and not eating. He was clearly very frightened of the owner and did not want to attend. I text the owner and voiced my concerns about shouting at my son and politely asking that she does not unless he is doing something dangerous. I requested that she sit down with him and speak about what happened and apologise for raising her voice (something we do at home when voices are raised). This worked and he was once again happy to attend.

Anyway, this weekend my son mentioned that the nursery owner grabbed his arm and hurt him when he tried to leave the table after he finished eating.

AIBU to think this woman is a dinosaur and I really should talk to her about how she handles my child. I don't want to make a big deal of the arm grabbing after the shouting incident but I don't think I'm wrong to think this isn't how children should be treated?

UABU - this is normal, let the woman do her job. You are being too precious.
UANBU - this isn't normal and not how a nursery setting. It's reasonable to raise concerns with the owner.

Thanks for making it this far. My head is picked and I don't know if my feelings are disproportionate to the situation. I am apprehensive to move him to another setting as he seems settled now.

OP posts:
GettingItOutThere · 21/02/2022 09:19

id move him! Yes 3 year olds are not massively reliable with the truth BUT if hes scared, no way i would want my child there

I would not even do notice, report and move

BrambleRoses · 21/02/2022 09:19

That sounds horrible. He sounds as if he’s being bullied by the other children too.

Thewindwhispers · 21/02/2022 09:21

Yanbu.

Move him. This is not going to work. Now you’ve complained and asked her to apologise, it sounds like she is taking it out on your son. No good childminder laughs about a child crying: she is NOT a good caregiver and will not suddenly become one.

Once your child learns that some caregivers are not to be trusted, he will lose confidence and be much harder to settle elsewhere.

Personally I’d report the incidents with Ofsted too, they may be part of a pattern.

This is never going to work. Move him.

AnGofsMum · 21/02/2022 09:27

YANBU. I would definitely move him and probably also report to Ofsted. Sounds horrible.

unname · 21/02/2022 09:28

Don’t normalize her behavior by acting like her age is behind it. I’m old enough to be your child’s grandmother and it wasn’t normal to be treated that way even when I was a child.

Rosebel · 21/02/2022 09:29

The shouting or raised voice I would probably have let go. However she grabbed your child by the arm and that is not acceptable.
I used to work in nurseries and the only time you might grab a child is if they were in danger.
She's not a dinosaur but she's not a good childcare provider either. As others have said move him. You don't want him becoming scared of nursery, then school.

JustUseTheDoorSanta · 21/02/2022 09:30

He isn't happy and he isn't being well cared for, so move him immediately.

Lockdownbear · 21/02/2022 09:31

I'd move him.
I know lots like the Childminder idea, I couldn't put all my trust in one person, but this nursery sounds nasty.
I'd find a different nursery.

girlmom21 · 21/02/2022 09:32

If a nursery worker hurt my child by being aggressive with them (or anything other than an accident) they'd get a smack in the mouth.

That's not my advice because it's not sensible or responsible and won't improve the situation.

Remove him from the setting immediately. Report her to ofsted.

BobbinHood · 21/02/2022 09:34

@cansu

I think you should move him. It doesn't sound great tbh. A childminder setting is usually good because it is small and they offer a more home like situation. A nursery is good because it is structured and there is oversight of what is going on. You sound like you have the worst of both worlds. A childminder with lots of kids with little oversight and some red flags.
This. It doesn’t sound like a good setting.
kirinm · 21/02/2022 09:34

Neither of those. If you think there is even a slight chance your son is telling the truth, why on earth would you send him back? I would remove him immediately.

Ivegottagoforaliedown · 21/02/2022 09:36

Poor baby, move him definitely. She sounds awful.

spotcheck · 21/02/2022 09:38

Gosh OP, you're being pretty ageist here. I'm assuming the woman is older than you? Therefore old= 'dinosaur' and outdated? You do know that she can just be an awful childcare practitioner without her age being a factor?

If your son in unhappy, move him.

InventingLottie · 21/02/2022 09:38

Run, run, run!!

Horrible behaviour. No amount of talking will change the women's approach.

LightfoldEngines · 21/02/2022 09:38

YANBU.

Report to OFSTED.

See if you can let the other parents know that she’s a twat who likes to shout at and roughly handle children.

brainhurts · 21/02/2022 09:38

I would move your son , regardless of explanations you will always have doughs ( rightly so ) about his care.

HomeHomeInTheRange · 21/02/2022 09:39

YANBU.

I moved my eldest immediately from a nursery when I was collecting at an unusual time for an appointment and heard a staff member say to a howling child who was asking for her Mum ‘no wonder your Mummy doesn’t want to come and get you if you make all this nasty noise’.

GizmosEveningBath · 21/02/2022 09:44

People are very quick to dismiss children's concerns and this is one of the reasons why child abuse is still rife. What your son has said, coupled with this woman's comments at pickup time paints a very nasty picture. Do not send him back.

Arabellla · 21/02/2022 09:44

AIBU to think this woman is a dinosaur and I really should talk to her about how she handles my child. I don't want to make a big deal of the arm grabbing after the shouting incident but I don't think I'm wrong to think this isn't how children should be treated?

Not sure what that will achieve, she appears to be picking on your son.

Move him.

Roselilly36 · 21/02/2022 09:44

Yes definitely remove him. And report the poor treatment.

GizmosEveningBath · 21/02/2022 09:45

spotcheck

There's always one Hmm where does OP mention her age? She has outdated views on childcare, so she's a dinosaur.

PenStation · 21/02/2022 09:46

Poor lad, yes I would move him

Bringsexyback · 21/02/2022 09:47

I’m a dinosaur and I’ve managed children’s settings and I wouldn’t allow anyone to grab an alarm and I wouldn’t allow any shouting either

123mumsy · 21/02/2022 09:48

I have worked in nurseries and I haven't sent any of my children because I witnessed this plus more unfortunately

Changingtides1234 · 21/02/2022 09:51

Not acceptable
I’d move him immediately
My son has now been at three nurseries
First- he loved but we left cause we moved far
Second- was awful he picked. Up bad habits he told us he was left alone
Third- brilliant

Move him
Even if it’s to a bigger nursery (they have stricter rules on employment I’ve found)