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 have 3 young children and my first 2 weren't walking at 14 months and I would never have let them crawl along a pavement or on the grass at a park or anywhere really except inside a house, at a toddler group or our own/family and friends gardens (without dogs who toilet on the grass) etc. They absolutely did go outside and previous posters who show faux shock and accuse you of not taking your child outside at all are being ridiculous. I took mine to the park but I did not let them crawl on the ground or grass. They were allowed to crawl in gardens as mentioned previously and in other places they would walk with an adult holding their hands. I'm not remotely "precious" and my children haven't missed out at all. Their immune systems are fine.

I too was actually a little surprised at our third being taken outside at nursery at the crawling stage (she started nursery earlier than the other 2 so they were already walking when they went) especially in not so great weather but luckily puddle/snow suits keep them relatively clean and dry!

Just so you have a different perspective I wouldn't have let my baby crawl on the mud and dirt for the same worries as you, I'm a FTM too and these responses seem quite rude and OTT. "How sad for her" please kindly and respectfully do one, OP you're obviously looking out for your girl and these responses are ridiculous. Although seeing how "normal" it is I might let mine have a crawl about outside when he's ready now... It isn't "sad" for your daughter she has no idea about things she hasn't done. Dont feel disheartened by these backhanded and faux concern posts. But given the consensus maybe let her have a crawl about outside :) .

Assuming they don't let dog's shit on the nursery decking.... 🙄

Sticks, conkers, pine cones, acorns, feathers. Rocks. Always with the rocks.

You’ll have a fine collection.

I wouldn't let a crawling baby crawl outside in winter with nothing covering their hands and I'm fairly relaxed about these things compared to most people I know.

Agree with comments about the inside of nurseries/schools being filthy too! Try not to think too much about how infrequently the toys are cleaned, there's a reason children are constantly sick for the first year of nursery!

Of course she should be outside exploring, crawling etc. completely normal.

YABVU

Her hands will be touching all over the ground way beyond walking

Gloves/mitts

Speaking kindly here OP because we know they don't come with a handbook.
But... humans are animals, part of nature - we evolved like other animals amidst nature. Our babies need to experience the outside for their physical, emotional and social development. The fact you've said that it might not matter because your baby is nearly walking is quite worrying and hints at some hang ups you have about the natural world. Let your child roll on grass, make mud pies, build dens and collect minibeasts. I guarantee that those activities are less likely to make your baby ill than soft play or over protective parenting.

Classic mumsnet response warning here but..

I think you should maybe get some help for your anxiety OP and maybe do some reading around dirt / germs / gut health / immunity as this is a very extreme and persistent reaction.

The world is not sterile and sterile is not the gold standard. Our bodies need all the germs / bacteria in small quantities to function. The body has so many ingenious ways to deal with any bad bacteria quickly they won't all make us ill!!

We do gloves/mitts, but a lot of posters were suggesting that bare hands are fine. They'd get very chaffed, cold little fingers. I'd expect the nursery to be putting waterproof mittens on a crawler unless the weather was relatively mild and dry.

Are you never around other parents with babies/toddlers?

The way I see it, if I'm somewhere that I myself would walk around barefoot (the beach or park on a spring or summer day), then I'm happy for my baby to crawl around barefoot and hands uncovered. If it's somewhere/weather where I myself would wear shoes (cold rainy weather/in the woods), I'd cover their hands and feet. Crawling babies should just be treated like they have 4 feet essentially.

Every single toddler I know picks up an endless supply of twigs, rocks, leaves etc. All perfectly normal!

A bit of mud, dirt and poo is good for the child! Soon she'll be walking but she'll be getting her hands dirty and muddy (or even pooey!) and putting them in her mouth for years to come 😂

Yep, all perfectly normal.

OP - My eldest picked up a giant (but thankfully dried out) dog poo when out for a walk about 6 months ago 🤣 On that occasion I did insist she wash her hands immediately. Thank goodness we were by the public toilets! My youngest recently put her hands in a puddle of dog wee 🙃

But Newtrix is right, everything gets touched, licked, rubbed, or picked up. All part of growing up! :)

She might be able to walk by now if you’d let her explore a bit…!

OP would have a melt down at my friends babies, crawling around dirty stables 😂 Same as my brithers and I did too 😂

She will be fine. My 5 month old has a puddle suit and waterproof bootees so he can sit outside and roll around on his tummy. It’s still chilly so he’s not on the floor for longer than a few minutes. As long as she’s dressed appropriately and not getting cold then it could only do her good.

You can put mittens on babies but most of them will immediately remove them. Especially when playing outside as they want to be able to pick things up and get everything in their mouths.

Kids who grow up on farms usually have the strongest immunity. They’re exposed to mud, straw, hay, general animal muck from an early age. My farm dwelling cousins were the toughest kids I knew, never ill.
Muddy hands don’t harm children. They learn to wash them.

OFSTED would rip the nursery to shreds if they didn’t take the babies outside. There is nothing wrong with babies crawling outside as long as proper risk assessments are in place - which they will be!

Are you joking??? Of course they will!!

Oh bless you!

My eldest two are 12 and 11 and went to a forest school with youth club three days this week. It's been pissing down.

They came back with backpacks full of sticks and rocks, had eaten hot dogs by the campfire and went to the shop on the way home to buy crisps.

Judging by the state of their hands, they hadn't washed them before they had crisps.

They were FILTHY- covered head to toe in dried mud.

We live by the coast and countryside so dirt and sand don't bother me in the slightest. My kids always look like they've rolled around in mud after a day at school or playing out, probably don't wash their hands as often as they should (I insist when they come in and before I let them eat but otherwise!) and they actually have pretty good immune systems - rarely poorly other than the usual colds. I put this down to being relaxed when it comes to dirt and germs.