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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

To be pissed off at nursery constantly closing at short or no notice?

61 replies

AngeloMysterioso · 07/02/2025 10:01

Not for the first time, I've just received a message from nursery, saying due to sickness they're having to shut DS2's room and I have to pick him up by 11.

I work nights. I had literally just got in bed when the message came through and was about to get 5 hours sleep before picking DS1 up from school. As it is I'll now have to go through until 2am with no sleep at all.

AIBU to be really fucked off that this keeps happening?

OP posts:
Springsareup · 07/02/2025 10:34

And presumably you'll still pay full whack for the inconvenience?

lanthanum · 07/02/2025 10:34

On the one hand, they should have some contingency for illness. On the other, three staff having to be sent home sounds like a nasty bug going round, and it's a trickier cover situation than staff ringing in sick first thing. It's unlikely they have three spare staff available instantly, and agency staff would take time to arrive.
There's presumably also every chance that the kids will also come down with the bug, so it's probably for the best to get them all home before it spreads any further.
On this occasion, if they're telling the truth about having to send staff home after the start of the day, it's an exceptional circumstance. However if it's happening a lot, that suggests they don't have enough staff to cover normal levels of sickness absence.

SJM1988 · 07/02/2025 10:36

TwentyTwentyFive · 07/02/2025 10:27

I can't believe you put up with that for a whole year!

Show quote history

It was 100% easier when they put the set closure day a week. It meant I could plan that day week for a whole month rather than waiting each day what was happening. They lost a few children but I'd been with them for 4 years with my eldest and the school I want DD to go to, 90% of the class comes from the nursery.

I did investigate going elsewhere but speaking to people it was an issue in most places so it wouldn't have resolved anything. No point going through the upheaval of moving and resettling, just to a few months down the line be in the same situation.

Short term pain (one day a week closure) vs long term gain (90% of her class at school she would know) was worth it.

Fingers crossed you can resolve your issue with nursery. Have you asked why they don't have bank staff or floating staff to cover sickness? Our nursery were 100% open with us about the difficulties and staff numbers which really helped me understand the issues. They were being proactive to resolve the issue with managers and assistant manager daily covering sickness when needed.

TwentyTwentyFive · 07/02/2025 10:40

I did investigate going elsewhere but speaking to people it was an issue in most places so it wouldn't have resolved anything. No point going through the upheaval of moving and resettling, just to a few months down the line be in the same situation.

I'm really surprised that it seemed to be a problem with all your local nurseries. It's genuinely very unusual in my experience for a nursery to close for the day unexpectedly.

DaisyChain505 · 07/02/2025 10:41

This is what bank staff are for. There are agencies who they can call to have staff come in to cover the staff who are ill. This isn’t ok at all.

Musicofthespiers · 07/02/2025 10:44

Wow. My family owned a nursery for 30 years and I cannot think of a single instance of this happening. It is not acceptable.

treesandsun · 07/02/2025 10:44

There is the staff/ child ratio for the age groups and they must be on the absolute minimum to have to close so regularly. The nursery I used had a higher staff to child ratio then needed in the older groups and so were able to move staff if necessary to younger classes. I think there was also a couple of floating staff - in each day but not with fixed rooms to cover breaks and lunch etc.

Having had to close once or twice - they should have resolved the situation to avoid it happening again.
I would move them now whilst it is a big inconvenience rather than wait until they inevitably close permanently and you're looking at the same time as all the other parents.

MoreDangerousThanAWomanScorned · 07/02/2025 10:46

Just another one saying that in my experience this isn't normal or one of those things you just have to accept as standard. Across two children we've used nursery for a total of eight years, two different settings, and this has not ever happened.

PrioritisePleasure24 · 07/02/2025 10:46

Ill admit it’s decades since i worked in nursery but this was unheard of back then. The fact multiple people have this happen to them on the thread shows the state of the sector in regards to staffing/agency staff/ nursery finances.

40weeksmummy · 07/02/2025 10:48

And it's always on Friday?
Our previous nursery was like this, I had to change nursery after I was called to pick up my child 5 Fridays in a row, really annoying.

BurntBroccoli · 07/02/2025 11:01

Never happened once in the years my kids were in nursery.
They are running on too low staff levels which is worrying. Are they understaffed at lunchtimes? Do the staff ever take breaks?
Is this a state or private nursery?

BurntBroccoli · 07/02/2025 11:06

AngeloMysterioso · 07/02/2025 10:28

I'm genuinely so angry and exhausted I could cry. I was back in bed! I was going to get 5 whole hours of sleep! But no, fucking nursery is closing AGAIN

Not ideal I know but could you use special parental emergency leave tonight? You will clearly not be able to function on that amount of sleep. Do you have to drive too?

UncharteredWaters · 07/02/2025 11:10

AngeloMysterioso · 07/02/2025 10:28

I'm genuinely so angry and exhausted I could cry. I was back in bed! I was going to get 5 whole hours of sleep! But no, fucking nursery is closing AGAIN

Switch your phone off and go to sleep for 2 hours at least.
They’ll cope.
The management can be the extra person. As you say if you were a surgeon they’d have to wait until you finished.

UncharteredWaters · 07/02/2025 11:13

Nursery used to ring my friend all the time because she worked next door. ‘Unsettled’ child always coincided with the children/staff ratio changing after school time.

Suddenly stopped happening when she said her DPs would be there but it would take 60-90 minutes to get there…

Im sure it was all a coincidence…..

CruCru · 07/02/2025 11:19

DaisyChain505 · 07/02/2025 10:41

This is what bank staff are for. There are agencies who they can call to have staff come in to cover the staff who are ill. This isn’t ok at all.

Or they are permanently short staffed and every now and then they can’t get anyone from the agency.

HorrorFan81 · 07/02/2025 11:24

Yeah this is ridiculous and I'd be fuming. Never happened to me in all the years of nursery (2× children attending from c. 12 months)
I'd be looking for an alternative provision

Crunchymum · 07/02/2025 11:36

Not helpful in the long term but I assume there is no one who can collect DC today to allow you to sleep?

Then you can make a longer term plan?

Theresidents · 07/02/2025 11:36

Why don’t they use agency staff?

GreenWheat · 07/02/2025 11:39

That's really poor. The main reason I chose nursery for my DC over childminder or family is precisely because it doesn't need to close for individual sickness or holidays. I would move nurseries.

BeaLola · 07/02/2025 11:42

Definitely find somewhere else

I take it they refund you for all these closures ???

Original poster
AngeloMysterioso · 07/02/2025 11:50

Crunchymum · 07/02/2025 11:36

Not helpful in the long term but I assume there is no one who can collect DC today to allow you to sleep?

Then you can make a longer term plan?

I could ask PILs, but by the time they get here I'd get an hour and a half tops before I'd have to wake up to pick up DS1. I might be able to grab a quick nap between DH getting home and my start time but it won't be very long.

OP posts:
Original poster
AngeloMysterioso · 07/02/2025 11:57

I'm just going to be a bad mummy for a little while and let him watch Peppa on the iPad in my bed and whilst I doze. Fingers crossed he'll decide he wants a nap as well!

OP posts:
SJM1988 · 07/02/2025 12:06

TwentyTwentyFive · 07/02/2025 10:40

I did investigate going elsewhere but speaking to people it was an issue in most places so it wouldn't have resolved anything. No point going through the upheaval of moving and resettling, just to a few months down the line be in the same situation.

I'm really surprised that it seemed to be a problem with all your local nurseries. It's genuinely very unusual in my experience for a nursery to close for the day unexpectedly.

I looked at 3 other local nursery - all said it was ok but on talking to people I knew there (staff) it was evident that they also had the issue they couldn't get bank staff when needed. I wasn't willing to take the risk. Sometimes better the devil you know.

Springisintheairohyeah · 07/02/2025 12:12

Genuinely curious - what would happen if you just didn't respond to the message? I'm sure there are plenty of people who genuinely cannot check messages or leave their job at a drop of the hat

FallOfSloths · 07/02/2025 12:15

This is definitely very unusual to happen more than once. Both the nurseries I've used have had qualified managers who will step in if they need to, as well as bank staff.

I would definitely move.