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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

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Original poster

To expect to take my pushchair into toddler group?

46 replies

LoveMyGirls · 21/01/2009 20:54

I'm a childminder, I've been to quite a few toddler groups, ones mainly run by the children's centre and they are very against me taking my pushchair in so today when they refused to let me take it (so I could rock the 10mth old baby to sleep) in I left and went elsewhere (my perrogative) just wondered what is going on with these rules on no pushchairs?

I understand about Health and Safety/ space etc but no-one else happened to have 3 under 5 or needed to bring their pushchairs in. My 10mths old mindee needed to have a nap while we were there and will only nap while we're out if I either rock him in the pushchair or he happens to fall asleep in the car.

OP posts:

CandleQueen · 21/01/2009 22:29

Our doctors allows pushchairs.
And at the playgroup I help at we play in a smaller room off a HUGE hall. There is a buggy park area in the hall and only pushchairs with sleeping babies are allowed in to the play room.

Fable · 21/01/2009 22:30

I've never been anywhere where I cant take a buggy or pram. But in our area they would be at high risk of being stolen so maybe thats why

AccidentalMum · 21/01/2009 22:30

That is rubbish pixie

chegirl · 21/01/2009 22:31

This is a very difficult rule for any parent with disabilities. My sis could not possibly lug her big ol baby into some clinics and groups so she stopped going. My OH couldnt take my kids to clinic for same reasons (thats what HE says anyway .

Seriously though. It came up a lot when I was working with parents with disabilities. You have to carry so much stuff when you have a newborn. Some people can just not physically cope with it. A 'little' thing like this can isolate a new parent.

Just annoys me though. (no one would nick my buggy!)

littleducks · 21/01/2009 22:33

hmmm, but take a sling doesnt really help in my experience, ds is 9 months so not really fun to sling and sleeps for 45 min in am and 2 hr after lunch, if i stayed home those times my toddler dd would never have any fun

i think the irritating thing is that these childrens centres are all 'new' so should have been better thought through in that respect

it always seems to be people who drive who make the rules, if i had a car my kids wouldnt sleep out as much as a trip to playgroup would be for two hours not the time taken to walk and bus it there and back

usernamechanged345 · 21/01/2009 22:36

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

superfrenchie1 · 21/01/2009 22:38

most of the ones round here will let you bring a buggy in if there is a small baby asleep in it... but the playgroups round here are usually in the mornings so it is generally only the tinies who sleep then. toddlers tending to sleep after lunch.

can see both sides tbh.

absolutely at people stealing buggies though!! that's awful

kitkatqueen · 21/01/2009 22:40

All the playgroups I have been to in my area (a lot!!) allow sleeping babies in prams/whatever and have a separate room availiable as a buggy park, for the empties!!

By having a sign up that says "sleeping baby area" there is no confusion and only people with sleeping babies put their buggies in that area.

Lazycow · 21/01/2009 22:40

I really don't understand the 'sleeping newborn needs a pushchair' thing. To my mind a sleeping toddler needs a pushchair far more as they are less likely to sleep in a sling and are much heavier to carry around.

Most babies up t0 a year old would probably sleep in one of those bouncy chairs that toddler groups always have though I appreciate you would have to stay with them all the time in one of those.

I generally took ds home if he was tired but I think a notice outside the entrance to a group saying

'pushchairs are only allowed in if they have a sleeping child in them, please remove the puxhchair once your child wakes up'. That way people who really need to take a pushchair in can but hopefully most people wouldn't need to take one in.

Whatsthebloodypoint - In that case you must be leaving your children unattended unless a friend keeps an eye on them. Frankly I rarely helped at my toddler group because on the couple of occasions I did ds hit other children and I was made to feel like it was my fault as I hadn't been watching him. Something I couldn't do while in the kitchen helping with snacks etc.

lisad123 · 21/01/2009 23:03

I had a CM turn up to an activity at the childrens centre with 6 kids in tow and moaned at me as i wouldnt allow her buggy in so she could put 2 kids in there so she could control the other 4! I had 79 people in one room and a double buggy was not coming in, sorry!
its hard, i try to be as helpful as i can, if babies are sleeping ect, but some people just dont get it. we provide a sheltered area right outside the office at our cc.

Have to say heard an applaing story of someone stealing a buggy from outside the children's ward poor mum had enough on her plate with sick baby and someone stole her quinny!! some people have no shame!!

ScottishMummy · 21/01/2009 23:05

79 folk one room yay that is a commune

oldraver · 21/01/2009 23:15

The Corn Exchange in our local town that hires out rooms to anyone who will pay, have banned puschchairs from using their lift, so they have to be left under the stairs which is just a few yards from the busy market place. Obviuoslt most parents dont want to be carting their babies/toddlers up two flights of stairs and leave puschairs where they could be nicked

Consequently all the groups have abandoned using that place

mm22bys · 21/01/2009 23:30

How stupid, while I acknowledge space issues and the fact that yes some toddlers are very advanced and so don't need pushchairs, some children do need them for longer, and yes in London, where a lot of people don't have cars and use public transport, pushchairs are a necessity.

They need to think this through a bit more clearly. Yes very young babies can be carried but even the more advanced ones who can walk do still have young legs that do still get tired relatively easily, so they will need a pushchair to get home....(even the advanced ones...)

What's even crazier is the policy of my local Child Development Team, for children with a whole range of issues, many of whom can't walk, have a policy of leaving strollers outside.

I say b*gger to that, I will take mine in thank you very much (had no problem so far...)

mm22bys · 21/01/2009 23:34

Oldraver, that is pure discrimination, especially since they are happy to take anybody's money!

Imagine the outcry if you substituted "pushchair" with "wheelchair".

Glad to see parents have seen since and are taking their money elsewhere (or maybe there is such demand for their premises it does them a favour having forced the buggy-bearers out...)

qaklush · 23/01/2009 16:45

My local GP introduced the no buggy/pram rule last Spring 08. It is a small surgery so I can see why many buggies might be a fire hazard but then I totally disagree with the rule UNTIL they put proper facilities in place for the buggies and to help us mums out! Their system is you go in to reception to confirm you are physically there for your appointment, then they see you have a buggy so give you a small padlock. You then have to go back outside the main door (which is very stiff and heavy and hard to move buggies through)..go round the corner where they have attached about 4 to 6 metal hoops along some of the wall. They have not provided any cover from the elements so when it rains you get soaked and so does your baby! It is a juggling act for me as I have an 18 month old who doesn't walk by herself nor can stand by herself and weighs 12.5 kilos...surely it is a H&S issue if I dropped her outside the surgery trying to hook a padlock to the buggy and wall while holding bags? They have a small roof to the front of the building over the front entrance so why not extend this to cover the 'buggy park'? Fair enough they have made this rule but they should at least make it more easier and comfortable!

Northernlurker · 23/01/2009 16:49

Am to hear about pushchairs being stolen! I always took dd3 to the clinic in her sling because I was paranoid about my bug being stolen whilst we were upstairs - but a part of me thought I was just being silly. Obviously not....

OrmIrian · 23/01/2009 16:49

Regardless of H&S they are a pita!

I do appreciate your problem but they take up so much space. What are they supposed to do if 20 mums turned up with pushchairs?

I wish the mums of children in DS#2's yr 1 class would leave them out in the corridor sometimes. We get 2 or 3 of them entirely blocking up the class cloakroom. Drives me wild! The school have now stopped all parents taking their DC into the cloakroom to help them sort their things out because of the chaos the pushchairs caused.

MilaMae · 23/01/2009 16:56

Our toddler group is at the top of a flight of stairs,no lift so they're not an option,everybody manages.No complaints ever. I had 3 under 18 months and it was fine. I had a sling then used their bouncy seats so put dd in that.

We've banned them from the pre-school corridor as they were a serious obstruction incase of fire. Also those of us with more than 1 child couldn't see their children. It's brilliant now they're gone.

AnnieLobeseder · 23/01/2009 17:26

Neither of the toddler groups I go to allow buggies inside cos there simply isn't room. But both groups provide baby bouncers to put sleeping babies in, so there isn't a problem if little ones fall asleep. Perhaps you should see if your toddler group has one?

RubyRioja · 23/01/2009 17:42

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

oldraver · 23/01/2009 18:46

mm2bys.... yes we thought discrimination but there doesnt seem to be a law against it.(unless you could say it comes under Childrens Charter etc) The ruling was passed by a committee while the caretaker was on holiday and he was furious as he is the one that takes bookings and he has seen a lot of cancellations. Fron what I can gather the upstairs rooms now stand empty. Word has got out as well as to not too helpful policy

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