To feel sad seeing a 7 week old baby at DC's nursery today

[comfysketchers]

Dropping my 15 month old off at nursery today before work and there was another woman there at the same time handing over a 7 week old sleeping baby.

He was absolutely tiny and I just felt so sad looking at him thinking that he barely even knows he is out of the womb and his mum is dropping him off to spend all day with strangers in a noisy nursery environment.

I should also add that I live in a country that has excellent parental leave from the government plus most private companies pay at least 10 weeks of full pay on top of that, with many paying much more than that.

YABU - It’s perfectly normal for a 7 week old baby to spend 8 hours per day in a nursery.

YANBU - A 7 week old baby should be at home with its mum.

How the hell is it child abuse?

I was there when his mum dropped him off, I know it's the babies mum and not a social worker

This. You have NO IDEA what is going on in their lives. yes it's young. but it's a nursery, that's what it's their for.

Child abuse? Honeslty this place is UTTER BATSHIT. Judgemental fuckers all over the place.

Like almost everyone else. Neither of your choices apply.

There could be any number of reasons why this little one is going to Nursery at this age - including safeguarding ones.

YABU to be so judgemental without the facts.

Another one who wants this option!

I have taken two, five and eight weeks of maternity leave with my babies. I wanted more with the last one hence the longer leave. It did feel lovely to have that extra time and I would look wistfully at a little one and remember my own experience, but I wouldn’t be judging. I like to spend time just concentrating on my infants, yes, but I also like having food to feed them and a house for them to live in.

Well that’s a gigantic stretch isn’t it. So terrible of that little baby’s parents to be out working so they can afford to feed, clothe and give him or her a good life

🖕🏻

Oh ffs, putting a baby in a nursery isn't child abuse!

It doesn’t bother you or anyone else. Literally leave them alone!

100% this. Don't be so quick to judge when you don't know the facts.

I missed it, exactly where is the child abuse?

YABU to judge.

That said, I hope Mum and Dad were able to freely make that decision rather than it being a necessity.

It’s fucking nuts that this is being normalised and having feelings for the baby is being demonised as judgment. We should all be able to say freely that a world in which babies are torn from their right to maternal comfort is a bad one.

It is absolutely none of your business.

A 15m old is likely to be more upset at being separated from its parents then a 7w old tbh.

It's not something I'd do (then again, for me 15m ie also too young ideally) but we have no idea if the circumstances. I can't imagine it's something anyone would choose to do if they had a choice.

Oh did you not see, there’s a seven WEEK old baby denied access to his mother.

I supported a mum recently, who's older child was diagnosed with a form of blood cancer. She is a recent immigrant and has no support network whatsoever to rely on for childcare for her younger child.

Her baby had to initially go into full time nursery as mum had to spend a lot of time in hospital.

Then, for a period mum wasn't able to leave the hospital at all to minimise infection risk (I believe elder child had a bone marrow transplant), so baby had to go into foster care.

Basically, you never know what reasons someone has for this kind of thing. Especially if maternity provision is so supporting in your country. Yes, it's sad. But best to avoid being judgemental.

I agree, Op, it's very sad
Why have a baby to give it over to strangers so young. To the pp's saying it's none of your business - can't people have an opinion? It's not like Op challenged the moth of the baby.

This place just gets worse.

This. A million times this.

I knew a lady who used nursery care from when her DD was 3 months old, whilst she was on mat leave, because her Mum had died very young of cancer and she was struggling to cope with bereavement - she did not have any additional support. Her DD is five now and thriving.

Please OP stop hoiking up your judgy pants and stop clutching your pearls. Thanks.

You're getting a slating here but I agree with you OP.

There's a woman at my DDs nursery who drops her tiny baby off in her defender. I think I'd rather sell the defender and have more time off with my baby.

Thank you.

First fully sensible comment on this thread

You’ve cheapened actual child abuse, demonised a likely working mother providing for her child and made yourself look a twat. Brava. What an own goal.