Is this right for a baby in nursery?!

[Nurseryimumma]

First time mum so have no idea if this is normal or not. I have a 14 month old. She is in a room with 1 year olds to 20 month olds. They are all walking, she is not, though she can stand on her own. Ive been told that she will go outside to the lawn/decking area with them all at lunchtime… I am not ok with this as she is crawling still?! Am I being over the top about this or is this a bit grim? Id rather she went outside when she can actually walk.

I was thinking this. The ground outside doesn't even feature in my top 10 of gross things kids touch.

Nursery would be the safest place for your child to crawl outside, they have control of the environment and will routinely do risk assessments. They'll most likely promote hygiene routines by washing hands after being outside.

You commented about the potential of a child having dog muck on their shoes, if that's so it'd already be in the nursery as they walk in. Plus at this age with staff helping the children to put on shoes they'd soon notice.

And I'm afraid your child will stick all amounts in their mouth from now until much older. Much of which wouldn't be found in a nursery setting that had been risk assessed.

Yes my 8 year old still collects ‘good sticks’, plus rancid feathers, acorns, pine cones! My house is full of the bloody stuff. OP your little one will be fine!

All the time. They go in puddles and jump and mud gets on their faces and hands. They pick random stuff up. They pick up sticks and leaves from the ground and play with them. They crawl and roll around in the ground even though they can walk because it’s fun. They put their hands in their mouths. They chase each other and fall over. They’re being children.

It’s completely normal for them to go outside at nursery before they can walk. I wouldn’t send mine to a nursery where they don’t go outside. Did you really not let your DC roll around in the grass during the summer, or crawl round a park?

@Nurseryimumma Kids pick up everything on walks as soon as they're old enough for the outside to become less exciting. My 5yo son tells me he's going to be a stick collector when he grows up - not only do we have to bring home (and leave outside for the birds to build nests with) gross rotten mouldy old twigs, I have to ooo and ahh over then suitably... Ds also collected 3 mini dice last week on daily walks to school.

Thankfully I've not had a worm eater yet...

I get where you are coming from but honestly sitting on grass is normal even for adults. Dirt isn't the enemy. They will in life run with friends then lay on the grass laughing, with even their hair on the grass to be picked out! Toddlers once walking will walk on the ground, and then sit and pick daisies. It's honestly some of the loveliest things to do. If you take food out with you on a walk with a young child most will just stop on the grass and have a few snacks. Grown adults lay on the ground star gazing, children and adults fall over and brush themselves off, footballs are kicked on the grass then picked up despite being filthy by the players.

Hands touch forms of dirt all the time and I do think you're over thinking it. Nursery will generally wash the hands of crawlers when they've been in the garden as there will be visible dirt on them. The usual is to be out there, then they all come in for snack/lunch/other and all have hands washed. Generally these things all tie in and most nurseries have good hygiene practices for it

There’s a ratio kids to teacher (1:4 at that age). A teacher staying with your kid inside means they can’t meet the ratios for the kids outside. Being outside is a licensing requirement as well so YABU.

Mine ate grass / daisies / mud (on one occasion, that was an oversight). They'll be fine.

Both nurseries my DC used have an open door or ramp so DC could choose to be outside or inside, even in the baby room. I just presumed this was what Ofsted say nurseries should do?

Haha mine is always grubbing around under lamp posts picking up stones etc. When they were crawling they would crawl round the playground or grass, not on pavements though but they would get muddy. In a nursery there won't be poo. I expect they will keep her out of actual muddy puddles. They will clean her hands when she come in.

I think it's really important for children to experience nature and the world around them, and to be given opportunities to explore it on their own terms, whether that's crawling, rolling, digging, etc.

Nursery gardens are usually very safe places for this, as there shouldn't be things like random dog poo or food wrappers lying about.

The next few years are likely to be full of things that seem unhygienic. But dirt is good. Dirt means a child has explored something and engaged with the world. Make sure you're armed with wipes and a change of clothes, and go enjoy your local park together.

If your worried now about germs on her hands wait till she starts walking! She will be touching all sorts!

You are being completely unreasonable about this.
Children don't suddenly start walking and then never touch the ground with their hands.
You do realise that children play in sand pits and make mud pies? All the nurseries and primary schools around here have mud kitchens for them to play.
We even have nurseries that are completely outdoors with only a wooden shed type building to shelter from very extreme weather.
Your child isn't experiencing the outdoors being carried around and not being able to explore. Your attitude to this is very unhealthy.

Surely you do want her to get fresh air though ?
If you're worried can't she have gloves on ? My little boy is a similar age but from what I can see he does a mixture of crawling around and pushing a walker/cruising.
My dd is 5 and still picks stuff up from the floor 🤣

My son was crawling early and fast with it. Until he could walk at one year old we spent so much time outside with him crawling about in the grass. He wanted to be on the move. Luckily it was through the summer. I have so many lovely photos of him crawling in the grass and examining all the bugs and flowers. We went on a few trips to the beach and he crawled about in the sand and sea.

It's harder in the winter but you should put a puddle suit on her and let her crawl about. Puddle suit and waterproof booties. Yes her hands will get dirty but just supervise her. As long as she's not crawling in dog poo or you're letting her crawl about in broken glass, she'll be just fine.

Nursery are right to let her out with the other children even though she can't walk. That's completely normal.

Other posters are bang on about kids getting their hands into everything. Crawling or walking, it makes not a jot of difference. That's what kids do.

My son tried to stop in the street today to pick up some chewing gum to eat.

God bless you OP. You're in for the ride of your life.

Not only is all this good for their immune systems, it's actually vital, OP. I've heard it said that the children with the best immune systems, are those that grow up on farms. Dirt and germs are needed for a healthy immune system to develop. Keeping everything sterile all the time is the worst thing you can do in that respect.

Don't worry... You'll look back on this in a few years' time, and chuckle at yourself. Having babies and children is a huge learning curve.

This is very precious.

Even once she is walking, she will still fall down and she will DEFINITELY be picking up sticks, rocks, mud! Small children love to explore their surroundings. Both mine love being outside and definitely crawled outside at nursery. The nursery will be hand washing before eating.

My 18 month old loves to dig for worms and collect sticks. You can't worry so much about things that are natural and the curiousity should be encouraged

I actually do think it's weird for nursery to having a baby crawling around in the grass and mud in February. Sitting outside sure or holding hands walking.

Only read to the end of page 2 but I'm so surprised by the comments! My baby is 12 months (not my first either, my third) and I don't let her crawl outside in winter! I did in summer but it was a fucking nightmare tbh because I had to be beside her all the time to take leaves/pebbles out of her mouth. With a baby this age its not a question of washing their hands once they come in - they EAT EVERYTHING!!
And of course there will be poo in the garden - bird poo, mouse poo, snail poo. Probably not dog poo. I don't let that stop me in drier weather, but at this time of year, if I put my baby down she'd have a mouthful of slug and decomposing leaf in no time!

so when you take a toddler for a walk they will still pick up things from the ground? I have never experienced this so don’t know what to expect! I will definitely worry about that

This cant be real. Has to be a wind up.

I feel for you- my baby crawled around the pool on holiday recently but he hasn't crawled all over wet cold Britain grass before - didn't think of that pre nursery

It is normal op. I remember thinking wont they get cold/trampled on.
It’s weird the first couple of years you are told to sterilise everything and wash your hands before touching baby but then there is a tipping point at nursery where it seems eating worms is encouraged!