To worry about our child while at the nursery - again

[Hocuspoc]

I had my worries about this nursery, but have learned that my expectations are simply unrealistic, even here I've been told that every single nursery is struggling with retaining staff etc...
However....while the manager's kids were occasionally to be found at the nursery, in the past few weeks they seem to be around wandering freely every single day outside their school hours. They spend time running down the hallway, playing with kids, babies even, helping feeding them (?!)...while I am sure they are lovely kids, isn't this a health and safety issue?
They are 6 and 8 ffs they are not trained for this job. A baby was killed by a six year old in France the other day, the kid was just playing as kids do...
I don't understand how is this allowed:(

I agree older children should not be looking after the babies. Different if there is an adult there too and they are an extra pair of eyes/can fetch nappies etc.

There is an adult at all times present in any room with kids, so that's not an issue. For me it's more about an older child fiddling with food being given to the little ones, playing with tiny babies etc...

I think they probably should be included in the relevant ratios, but as long as they are always supervised appropriately, I don't see an issue with slightly older children playing with smaller children and even babies. If anything, it makes it a more home-like environment – it's exactly what happens in family homes up and down the country.

How tiny are the babies? A newborn is obviously pretty fragile. A nine month old, on the other hand, may look tiny compared to a 6 year old, but is actually pretty robust and a 6 year old playing peekaboo or whatever is unlikely to do any real harm, even if it gets slightly over enthusiastic (again, as happens often with siblings!).

Feeding obviously needs supervision, but a sensible, supervised 6 or 8 year old is likely to be fine helping spoon feed a baby who is used to solids. A baby just starting weaning, maybe not.

Well I’m going to disagree with the rest so far and say I think the managers kids should be in an age appropriate room/setting the same as all the other kids should be. I wouldn’t be happy to hear older kids can walk in and out of my kids toddler room and I’d say so. Our nursery does have rooms for older kids out of school and in the holidays surely they do? If not the kids shouldn’t be allowed to wander around

Well some people wouldn't mind, you do. Your expectations from what you say here arent wildly unrealistic.

I need to feel my kids are safe and happy so I can focus on work.
I would find a different nursery / nanny or CM this one isnt for you.

What did the manager say when you raised your concerns?

Are they included in the ratio? Does their risk assessment and insurance cover the presence of older children?

If you are not happy with their responses it's time to find different childcare.

With toddlers under supervision I wouldn't be too worried. With babies absolutely not.
https://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/crime/france-baby-killed-boy-hospital-lille-b2790118.html

I run an nursery and my reception child will
come the odd time from September with me in school holidays - a few other staffs kids come too (they only come for a few hours though - they would never be near the food
with babies (they do help read books with the babies, or play with them) but we’d aim to have any staff kids in the pre school with the oldest kids

it can be hard to find and retain staff in nurseries these days so we allow this because it helps us keep our regular staff when they are stuck for childcare ! (It’s very rare a day here and there)

sometimes we have it like a sort of crèche and one staff member we can spare (or the owner of the nursery) takes the staff kids out to the park or for some cake or something as a treat.

these kids shouldn’t be feeding kids - we wouldn’t even alllow an agency staff member have anything to do with food as it’s too risky with allergies and stuff

and yes the children should be included in the numbers clans signed in. They can’t just be random not there.

Report to OFSTED. If the nursery is registered for ‘up to 5 yrs old’ (it should be on the registration document which should be displayed) then 6 & 8 year olds should not be on the premises in the circumstances you describe.