Nursery comment

[sarah0106]

My little boy hasn’t long turned 2 and has moved into the next room at nursery, when I collected last night I was told he is struggling to “sit long at mealtimes and tooth brushing he just wants to eat his meals or brush his teeth then go do his own thing” I was then told they’ve spoke about putting him in a chair with straps in until he knows what’s expected in that room.. I don’t know what to make of it.
I understanding trying to get him to follow routines but to put him in basically a high chair until he learns not to run from the chair at mealtimes seems abit much

Your post kind of gave the impression of an electric-chair type scenario with arms pinned down but at 2 my daughter was in one of those seats you attached to a normal dining chair and strap them into.

40 minutes is too long to expect a 2 year old to sit still.

I don't know, I'm not the OP, but my friends DD used to sit at her own little table in their lounge and eat much earlier than them (on their laps). I think it's quite common these days.

when you only have 1 & they're sitting at their own little table it's more difficult to create a routine where they need to wait for anything (like others finishing) but you then can't complain that nursery are teaching them good table manners & the nursery is complying with health & safety rules (not having kids wander around with food) & other obligations they now have (like tooth brushing). It's not their fault they now have to do so much defacto parenting is it!

They have to have a toothbrushing routine at nursery. It's part of the 'oral hygiene ' programme. My Granddaughter brushes her teeth at home but she's not at home all day .She eats her lunch and snacks at nursery so therefore brushes her teeth there too.

You've been out of childcare a little while haven't you? Things change. Safety improves.

seat straps are hardly controversial unless you want to ban high chairs.

I'm a childminder and still strap 2 year olds into their booster seats at meal times! Safety has to come first especially in a childcare setting.

Exactly!

They sit for 40 minutes?! Wow.

40 minutes isn't unreasonable for a class of 2 year olds in a nursery.
Getting everyone seated.
Serving food, checking allergies.
Helping children cut food up etc (1 adult will have to help 5+ children)
Replacing dropped cutlery and clearing up spills (multiple)
Once everyone has finished their main course, clearing all that away
Serving puddings and the same spills/help with cutlery
Clearing all that away
Wiping everyone's hands and faces
If they're doing toothbrushing too that's going to take a while.

It's not like being at home with a couple of kids and getting it all done in 20 minutes.
Meal times are one of the higher risk times of day in a nursery, there's a lot going on and they can't have children wandering around or getting up before everyone else.

A short time for lunch is what is needed. No strapping 2 years old in nursery is certainly not custom neither a recommendation. Strapping a baby, yes. A 2 year old isn’t a baby and should be able to be let to sit. If the chocking hazard is here then just don’t give him that part of the meal if he refuses to sit for it…I doubt it is all chocking hazard or they also are crap at meal prep and organizing!

They do sound unhinged to me for suggesting to tie him up 👀. I don’t mind you thinking otherwise tbh ✌🏼

From September 2025 there are increased safeguarding expectations with regard to eating safely, anaphylaxis and choking. If a nursery worker is responsible for a number of children, they simply cannot allow one to get up while they are eating and start wandering around, potentially still with food in their mouth. Using appropriate chairs with a waist strap is completely reasonable.

The images show the consultation response and detail of what will be in the new Early Years safeguarding statutory guidance from September.

It's usual to have a staff member in a nursery setting (or at least any I worked in) to have a member of staff who stayed eating with the children .Another to help serve food but also ensuring no child wandered off whilst eating. They weren't buckled into a seat though. They were in size appropriate chairs at size appropriate tables.

We didn't ever have high chairs for our two year old in any of my nurseries. We had age appropriate tables and chairs. Yes we sometimes had 'wee wanderers' but we had staff or students to 'shadow these children. For the most part they could be coaxed back to eat their food.Especially since they weren't allowed to 'eat on the move' I retired as Depute Head of Centre in 2017 but went onto a pre three unit part time and voluntary until 2020 (when Covid intervened) This was a Stay.Play and Learn initiative so the children didn't have lunch. However they did have afternoon tea/snack.the same rules applied. They couldn't eat on the move but they weren't strapped into a chair.Sometimes the newer children to the school did wander. it was a new experience. Eventually they could sit and follow the others. It doesn't really matter whether it's five years ago or now. One size didn't fit all then and it doesn't now. Its possible to be safety aware and flexible at the same time. It's more difficult! But entirely possible.

Most nurseries definitely don't have the spare staff to 'shadow' any children, not at a 1:5 ratio.

Any I worked in did. Sometimes we had students shadowing the children who hadn't quite learned to sit. In other nurseries we had an extra member of staff who was only employed to cover lunches.Generally 11.30am until 1.30pm. She would assist with lunches, toothbrushing then getting children dressed for outdoors .

Good lord, the child isn't being tied up, he's being prevented from choking and learning social skills.

Report to Ofsted and move nurseries!

For what? Keeping him safe and not choking?

Exactly this!