Nursery - feeling unhappy but AIBU?

[Gotabadfeelingaboutthis]

My little one goes to a nursery 2 days a week. My elder one went there too and we never had any issues. My younger child had a great experience in her first 2 rooms but is now in the slightly older room (2-3years) and I'm really unhappy about a few things. But the most recent one was yesterday and I want to check if I am being unreasonable. I went to collect her and where the children had been playing in a water tray, there was a significant amount of water and bubbles on a large area of the wooden floor. In fairness, one member of staff was attempting to mop it but it was very slippy and lots of kids were falling on it. One child slipped badly, fell backwards and hit the back of her head on the wooden floor. No staff noticed. She got up and was crying a lot and the staff member asked her why but she couldn't say so I said "She just slipped and banged the back of her head on the floor". The child was sobbing and clutching the back of her head. She was wet from where she had fallen so the staff member said "go to the bathroom and someone will get your wet clothes changed" so the sobbing 2 year old plods to the bathroom, still holding her head but another child had an accident and was being changed so she just stood in the bathroom crying for her mum for a good 5 mins with no comfort. Eventually, a staff member changed her clothes. I reiterated to another staff member that she had hit her head, but she was just sent back out of the bathroom,still crying and holding her head. At no point was she given a cuddle or any first aid. It made me so sad, and worried me about the lack of first aid and I'm still feelings uncomfortable about it. Am I being unreasonable? I just can't imagine not giving them a cuddle 😭

YANBU.

That's terrible (in several different ways) and that's their attitude when a parent is there watching. Imagine what happens when they're not being watched.

I would be shocked to see this at our nursery and would probably report it as a safeguarding concern. I get notified about the slightest injury and always get a phone call about head bumps, however minor. They are also very affectionate with the kids there and both of mine have great attachments. As a teacher, I can’t believe that anyone working with children would be so negligent about a head bump but also a very distressed child. I’d report it to the nursery manager if I was you.

And they behaved like this in front a parent?

Scary to think what they’re like when no parent around.

I wouldn’t be sending my child there ever again

Maybe if that many children were slipping they felt they needed to clean up asap to prevent it happening again. But I do agree with what you’re saying.

There were 3 membera of staff present. One mopping. One in the bathroom and one tidying. The thing is, the bottom half of the room is carpeted, so surely the sensible thing would have been for the staff member tidying (not a priority in that moment) to take all the kids (including the crying one with an ice pack) and sit them all on the safe carpeted area for some songs/books etc whilst the others finished mopping and sorting?

So are you planning on sending you son back?

I would be reporting, including to the parents of that child, and never sending my child back there.

God that is sad. Ugh the nursery years are so stressful, I don’t envy you OP! I’d definitely feel the need to do something having seen that, but I don’t know what. We’re told about every head bang (but obviously I can’t be sure I am!).

The other day DD banged her lip badly but was totally fine. Nursery requested DH rang 111. So he felt he had to otherwise they’d think less of him. 111 sent them to A&E. So DH felt he had to go otherwise would look neglectful. Total other end of the spectrum but I’d rather be there than them ignoring crying kids 😭

Who was the child with the ice pack? The one that was given no first aid or another injured child?

Sorry, no child had an ice pack, I was just suggesting that would have been a better course of action - to provide an ice pack and cuddle her on the carpet with the others doing a story/song.

That’s horrible, I’d start looking for somewhere else or a childminder

Absolutely raise this with the manager, that's really sad. Do they have CCTV?

Really irresponsible. A bang on the head needs recording and monitoring. Parents need informing incase there are issues outside nursery.
The lack of compassion for an injured child is also of concern.
I wouldn't be sending my child back.
Safeguarding concern needs raising/reporting injuries etc

Ok so you what are you going to do @Gotabadfeelingaboutthis

Have you sent your son in this morning?

Thank you to those of you who gave your thoughts/views on this, I really appreciate it. It definitely helped me to reflect and feel more confident that I wasn't overreacting! I have spoken to the nursery senior management (twice) today, and have been reassured it is being dealt with, both in terms of logging it formally, reprimanding staff, and providing extra training where necessary as well as extra supervision.

I'd raise the whole incident with the manager.

Shocking behaviour from the staff members. I'm glad you reported it and didn't let it slide. I could never imagine not giving a child a cuddle who was crying. Poor little mite.

I'm really unhappy about a few things. But the most recent one was yesterday

so this wasn’t the first time you’ve seen something that has concerned you?

I would have withdrawn.