Nursery teachers snarky comment

[CheekyTealFawn]

I’m livid, wondering whether to bring it up or just leave it if I’m overreacting.

DD is 2 yrs 9 month old, and just started nursery today. She’ll go 2 days per week, 7.30am-6.30pm.

I work two jobs (one evening and one Saturday per week), as I am studying 30 hours per week for my BA in English, which I do on my childcare days, in nap times, and every free evening I have. So, I could really use every minute of help I can get.

I dropped DD off at 8.30am no problems. When I go to pick her up, I get there at 6.20pm. I see I have two missed calls from the nursery. I ask why they called, worried, and the manager laughed and said “because we want to go home.” I was confused, and said “oh, I’m so sorry, I thought pick up was before 6.30?” And she pulled a face and said “yes, but it’s Friday and your daughter is the last one here, and she has been waiting and asking for you and wondering why she is the only one”

All of the staff had their hats and coats on waiting by the door when I arrived. DD was also sat by the door with her hat and coat on looking out the window waiting for me. it’s made me feel like the worst mum, and extremely embarrassed as I felt like the staff were all looking at and judging me. My daughter loved her first day, seems very happy there, but I don’t know whether to say something to the manager about it?

I understand it’s Friday and of course the staff want to go home, but I didn’t initially want Fridays, but they made me pick that day since it was quieter and we’re only part time, to make room for more full time children on the other days .

i don’t know what I’d say, and I don’t know if mum guilt at leaving my daughter there last is making me more sensitive, but now I’m anxious to leave her there until 6.20, even though I could really use it since I’m constantly playing catch up with my university work because I’m forever lagging behind due to not being able to afford enough childcare.

am I being sensitive? Should I say something? If so, what?

Being ill 5 times or less in 10 years whilst in childcare would be a medical miracle.

Note PP said “not ill enough” which more likely means she was ill but PP didn’t want the inconvenience of keeping her at home to recover.

Nope, she’s genuinely never ill.
She had chicken pox at 12 months.
She’s had D&V twice
She had suspected tonsillitis once.
She never even got COVID (yes we tested)
Any other illness she’s had (rare) has been during the school holidays so hasn’t required time off because she wasn’t in childcare.
But I don’t get ill often either (the last time I was off work sick (except covid) was over 12 years ago) so obviously she got good genes.

This thread is nuts.

It’s simple. She pays until 6:30, so she is covered til 6:30. She wasn’t late. She was early. What she does in the time that her child is in childcare is nobody’s business - we have childcare for a reason and she is using it the way it is intended.

Will the nursery refund her money for the time not used? Obviously not.

They’re cheeky fucking bastards.

Are you one of those people that don’t consider a cold with a green snot streaming down their face and a hacking cough an illness? Whenever I see nursery children, half of them are covered in snot and look like they really shouldn’t be there.

She’s never had one of those!

Same, my kids are very very rarely ill. They just don't get coughs and colds. DC2 is in year 2 and went to nursery from 14months old and has been off nursery once for a high temp/ snotty nose etc and once from school for the same. She had chicken pox at 5 months and COVID at 11months

DC1 had d&v age 9 months, chicken pox age 3 and I think was off nursery once for a cold. They just don't get ill.

DH and I also don't get ill though, I was off work with COVID before Christmas and the last time I was ill was with COVID in 2021.

Do you mean practise?

Or minor colds with the child otherwise feeling fine, no temps and not needing calpol.

They didn't say anything 'snarky'

It was her first day! she'd seen all the other kids picked up -dont you think she was worried you werent coming back? I wouldn't have left her for so long the first time snd certainly not go be the last to be collected. The nursery probably had credited you with a little more common sense and empathy for your own child!

Not such thing as a minor cold. Colds are always contagious and caused by a variety of viruses like RSV for example which in some (older) toddlers might present as a “minor cold” but cause serious symptoms in another child.

Fuck that. Your daughter should be entertained until 6:30 as that’s her nursery time. Locking down around her and calling you is dog shit, I’d be really annoyed about it. I’d be rethinking the nursery tbh, unprofessional and would make me question the whole operation.

Very true. But no one can take time off work every time their child has a minor cold, they would lose their job and no longer be able to provide for their child.

I don’t think the nursery would be sad to see OP go so it would be a win win scenario for everyone involved.

That’s completely out of line - you pay for a service and those are the hours. Manipulating you into feeling guilty for arriving early or on time to collect your child is ridiculous. Have a word with the manager. People need to be pulled up on such behaviour because it is unprofessional and you don’t need to justify why you are using up all of the hours of a service you pay for. Also who cares if your kid is the last one there on a Friday? It’s their job to entertain them! If you prefer to switch to a Thursday that’s of course one thing as it’s usually busier but don’t feel bad xx

Do you really keep your child at home from nursery every time they have a cold, no temp and are well in themselves?

How on earth have you managed to keep your job?

Why? Because she picked her child up at 6.20pm when she’d paid until 6.30pm?

Wtaf you're paying till 6.30 and booked in till 6.30.

I'd turn up at 6.40 next time and let them say something. I'd also address it in an email to the manager.

How dare they make you and your daughter feel like that.

How about 'because we want to go home?' I quite often want to go home before the end of my contracted hours. Bosses and customers seem to be so unreasonable about me doing it though!

They were very unprofessional however 8.20-6.30 is too long a day in nursery for a 2 year old- especially if she’s new to it.
Ive worked in a nursery and if all the other kids leave, the one left behind often gets really sad. I’d try my best to make the last hour fun but they just want to go home. If you aren’t working I’d pick her up earlier- not for the nursery but for DD

And you don't deserve to be judged. You paid for a service and your DD was happy when you collected her on her first day. Wow! That's some mothering and some example you're setting her.

Yours, enviously...

You were arguing that it’s not the norm for children to be constantly ill when in nursery so taking time off the few times they do have a cold shouldn’t be too much of a burden? And yes, I would keep my child off nursery/school every time they have a cold. If everyone did that the issue would resolve itself. Colds are so common because selfish people go around spreading them.

It's possible that they just haven't had many. My kids just don't really get colds.

Admittedly now they are school age, school themselves state a runny nose with no temperature is not a reason to be staying off. So if they did start to get them now I wouldn't necessarily keep them off, depending on how they feel in themselves.

Do you have a job?

It's a simple misunderstanding. No need to overthink it.

You just need to ask for clarity about finishing times, whether you're paying for unsupported hours, and then it's all clear down the line.