To not enjoy working in nurseries

[Pekoe78]

I’m currently wrestling with a problem in my working life. For financial reasons I’ve had to take on bank work for a couple of local nurseries. I’m qualified in early years so it seemed a sensible way of getting some much needed extra income. Obviously my personal job choices are my own responsibility so I’m not asking for personal job advice, I’m just asking if anyone else has tried working in nurseries and not really enjoyed it? I feel like I should like it as much as I loved working in a preschool but I find myself dreading the days I have to do bank work.

I find with both nurseries the staff don’t seem to particularly enjoy being with children. I see very little children (two) being told off for not painting correctly, for getting a puzzle out that hadn’t been laid out previously, for being too noisy, for not being able to immediately sit down to eat. I’ve even seen a baby being told off for dropping their sippy cup. It all just seems so oppressive and a bit joyless and the expectations of very small children quite unrealistic. The staff can be quite moody and abrupt and obsessive about rules and regulations to unnecessary levels. I know I’m sometimes not the most “on the ball” person, lack confidence and probably deserve to be snapped at now and then (as I have been) but at least I try to enjoy the job and try and make the children’s experience enjoyable. I find the days there very long and I’m on edge, afraid of putting a foot wrong. I never felt that at my old preschool.

I don’t know if it’s just me not gelling with a different approach or whether others have found nurseries quite challenging places to work?

probably this

and this.

probably applies to me.

Hated working in nurseries school environment so much better. Shorter days more holidays more structured. Working in nurseries is a lot of sitting on the floor with lots of bitchy women.

absolutely put me off having kids.

was so glad to leave it behind at 6pm. wouldnt want to do a 10 hour shift then go home to it afterwards. and this was a well known chain.

That you know of. Unless you’ve worked there (or been a child there!) you’d never really know.

Take my hat off to you for working in nurseries at all. I cannot think of any job I would have done less willingly. (But I did try to split my week 50/50 when I had a LO because I liked my own.)

I loved working in childcare, was so sad I had to give up. I still miss it. Really hard work but still loved it.
I did bank work for a short while but always felt out of place and like I didn't know what I was doing. Much happier being permanent staff.
It sounds like OP was unlucky as there are some fantastic nurseries. I really hope I can go back one day.

you are so lucky you had that choice.
your babies were way better off with you.

I can testify to all of the above!! After a 20 year career I am desperate to leave. I wouldn’t leave a dog in some of the places I’ve worked. Even now in the ofsted rated outstanding nursery I’m at we have major problems with management and useless staff.

Parents really have no idea. I tell all my family and friends to use a childminder if they really have to go back to work.

This is so sad and worrying! What examples do you have?

Have to say, when we were leaving school at 16 it was the roughest, thickest girls who loved bullying the most that went to work in nurseries.

And why I would never, ever use one.

But what are they like with the kids?

Chronically understaffed. How can one staff member safely look after 4 babies? Imagine doing that yourself at home.

They are like nursing homes for children. Lack of interaction and one on one time which is imperative.

Terrible staff that are incompetent, I’ve seen nurseries in my area now advertising for “none qualified” nursery workers. Nobody wants the job so I can understand why they are having to resort to that.

Major health and safety risks etc

Why has this zombie thread been resurrected?

100%.

most couldnt even string a sentence together.
it's a job you get when you cant get anything else.
so desperately short staffed they are scraping the barrel with unqualified staff.

When Dd was born 19 years ago, there was a lot of stuff out about how childminders are better than nurseries as children need a home environment with one person to relate to.

I had a lovely cm and Dd also went to a pre school which was amazing.

ld never put a child in a nursery, DS went briefly but it was only for a short time and only mornings.

Not true. Unless all the nurseries are breaking the rules. 50% of staff have to be level 3 qualified
And really really insulting to say it's a job anyone can do. It's incredibly hard work and a lot of people can't do the job.
What an insult to decent nursery staff. I bet you wouldn't talk about a teacher that way without expecting backlash. Or are us nursery nurses not good enough for MN.

oh rules were bent regularly. very easy to be on your best behaviour when ofsted visit. a lot of 'qualified' (use that term loosely) staff couldnt even use a computer and i agree with the poster who mentioned grammar etc. and the poster who mentioned the cheap value food brands, considering the fees they charge. dietary requirements not adhered to. parents blatantly lied to when given feedback. the daily influx of agency workers due to the constant staff shortage. the bitching and gossiping behind other staff's and parents' backs was next level. the ongoing pest problem and lax hygiene. a ridiculously hard job physically that will push you to your limits, constantly catching every bug doing the rounds. not allowed to leave when you are genuinely ill because there arent enough staff to cover ratios. long hours and minimum pay. hmmm...so so rewarding.

@secretbinger3its a pity you had this experience, it’s not something I relate to. We are always in ratio and only very rarely use agency (as in maybe once every 6 months!) Dietary requirements are absolutely strictly followed and there is good hygiene. Unwell staff are always allowed to leave and actually my boss has let me come in late for my children’s school events and I’ve still been paid for it! Making me think I am very very lucky. I would hope most nurseries are like this (although I have heard of others not being as good from co-workers). The long hours and hard work yes, low pay. But rewarding on the whole.

If you work in a rubbish nursery then you will experience this but if you work somewhere decent with other supportive workers and management it is a truly rewarding job. Helping the children to develop, watching them learn to do something they previously struggled with really is rewarding to me.

this was a well known chain

Nobody who has ever worked in nurseries for even a day would put their own kids into one.

What parents see (or want to see) and reality are two very different things.

Just like anyone who has ever worked in an elderly person's home would shudder at the thought of putting a relative in (especially one who can't fully express themselves or tell you what goes on).

All my children went to nursery, how else would I pay the bills?. My DS attended the nursery I worked in.
My DDs absolutely loved nursery. They still remember their key workers and favourite activities
Maybe we were just super lucky or maybe some of you have been very unlucky but this just isn't my experience of using or working in a nursery.

Yet some people have kids who attend the nursery they work in.

Working in one or a few rubbish nurseries doesn't mean that they are all the same. Some nurseries are excellent.

We loved DS's old keyworker so much that they are now our go to babysitter.