or are the people at our new children's centre a bunch of muppets?

[tabbycat7]

Our successful, well run toddler group recently moved from the village hall (where we had to pay) to the new children's centre (which we can use for free). Despite claiming that they "welcome families with children under 5", we have to leave the buggies outside, unsecured, in full view of the road and with no protection from the horizontal rain that we get often in this part of Norfolk.
Apparently this is for health and safety I suspect they don't want to get their new carpets spoilt.

There is also a charming message in the toilets telling us to take our pooey nappies home with us (exactly where we are supposed to store them until it's time to go home, I'm not sure, although I have considered suggesting their office).

There are rules concerning giving the children squash to drink (banned), biscuits (banned), cups of tea for mums (banned unless in special pen away from chn).

Also I had a minor run-in today with one of the employees, when I asked her for water in a different cup for DS2, who is 18 months, instead of milk in a cup that he could not drink out of. She looked at me, then got drinks for the other children, which I thought was unnecessarily rude.

The place had 5 full time employees not including health visitor or nursery nurse (5!!!!!). They've started up a few groups which we won't be going to because they have separated all of them into under 2s and 2-4s (DS1 is 3).

I thought it was going to be a really good thing for our village. There's not a lot else going on, but at the moment it seems like a big waste of taxpayers money

I would find out who is in charge of te whole shebang, maybe someone at the council, possibly the person in charge of the centre's manager and write to them with all your objections.
It is beyond ridiculous not to have a proper changing room with a nappy bin in it at a children's centre and to have nowhere to put pushchairs
That's what the funding should be paying for.

Yes, they sound like muppets. What a wasted opportunity. Fill in all the comments forms they usually have lying aorund these sorts of places and demand changes- it's supposed to be for your benefit after all (local Mums)

hmmm Norfolk
theres a new childrens centre in the next town I wonder if its that one.

They asked our playgroup to be an outreach centre for them expected us to spend lots of money then wouldnt give us any of their funding (guess what we said)

seems theyre trying to throw money around up here and arent thinking things through

Pooey nappies are taken home by the folks that use our local centre - it's a disposal issue I think, thus a funding/finance issue that you are not aware of

Fire regs will probably mean that buggies should not be inside, impeding the fire corridor and holding up any evacuation - but a shed or lean to would have been a Good Idea

Healthy eating guidelines mean that squash and biscuits are replaced by fruit, milk or water. An 18 month old can start drinking from a cup, yes?

Drinking hot drinks away from the children can't be a bad idea, surely?

TBH I think yabu

I will do all of that!

BoysAreLikeDogs, my boys go to another children's centre that provides nursery services while I'm at work, and the buggies and nappies are not an issue there, which is why I am wondering why it is an issue at this particular place.

I have no real issues with the fruit and water etc, or even the teas, it's just that the kids are mostly there with their mums and surely it's our call.

The cup she offered 18 month old had a spout with a valve that he would have to suck really hard on, and they did have other cups like the kind he has at home. He does drink out of proper cups sometimes, usually with much spilling, but that's not what she offered him.

Our new children centre has just opened as an auxilary branch in a church.

I emailed them to speak about several additions which would benefit all mums, eg highchairs, toilet seats, different resources etc.

I didnt hear back from them for over 2 weeks, and the response was that they had been so busy preparing the launch party that they hadnt had time to consider my suggestions (am a member of 2 toddler group committees) and would be getting back to me as soon as possible!

I would have thought that the things I suggested should have been higher up their list of priorities than a party!

The childrens centres just seem to be staffed by people who are not local mums and dont know what resources would be most used!

SO, YANBU, complain until they get it right!

They could at least manage a shelter for the prams though and some padlock and chains.

well

I would be at obstructions inside a building, be it nursery, playgroup, toddler group, opera house

Why not ask the manager about disposal of nappies

I'll bet they've risk-assessed the hot drinks hence fenced off area

Didn't understand about the cup, I get what you mean now

Re: squash and biscuits. Children's Centres are being encouraged to work towards getting a "Healthy Setting Award", in the same way that schools work towards a "Healthy Schools Award". Part of this involves looking at all the food and drink offered in all parts of the children's centre. Squash and biscuits would not be offered under a healthy setting banner. I presume you are offered milk, water, fruit, breadsticks etc.

I also agree with BALD about hot drinks near young children.

At the children's centre where I worked, all children were offered drinks in "doidy cups" which are un-spouted.

Hot drinks are no longer allowed at the childrens centre I go to. And there is water or squash for the kids.
I am shocked at the buggy thing. Our place gets jam-packed with buggies in the reception when it is busy and it's fine. We don't even have to fold them up.

But if you had to evacuate in an emergency - and the way out was clogged up with buggies and pushchairs - doesn't bear thinking about, truly

But if you had to evacuate in an emergency - and the way out was clogged up with buggies and pushchairs - doesn't bear thinking about, truly

ooops

It's a big reception and there is always a bit clear - there are also lots of other fire exits too.

YANBU life with kids is about the reality of where to park your buggy, how to get rid of poo and the chance of a cuppa and biscuit once in a while!

I hate it when chldrens/ community centres open up and then implement all sorts of rules. Before i get jumped on I have 10 years as a community worker under my belt and so I DO know about the regulations/fire safety issues etc. What happens in places like the one the OP describes isn't that the regulations mean you can't have prams, it is that the people organising it havn't thought through the issues - which in my mind is disgraceful in a new centre.

Hot drinks near young children is one I see quoted alot - do we all take our cups of tea into a seperate room when we are at home? Health and safety is about assesing the risk factors and then taking appropriate actions to minimise the risk. You can ban hot drinks, restrict them to a certian area or simply have a sign up which say "please remember there are children running around and make sure you have your cup of tea/coffee in your hand and not on the floor"

The fruit and breadsticks thing always seems a little too poofaced for my liking at a 1-2 hr toddler group. Why not have a choice? Water, Squash or milk; Biscuit, fruit or breadstick?

As for the pooey nappies, thats just daft a chillren's centre NOT including appropriate funding for disposal units? Do you have to take bloody tampons home too?

boysarelikedogs, if you had to evacuate in a hurry I would sort of hope they had fire doors!

And what about a shelter or a larger room? I'm assuming this was a new building so why wasn't it thought about in the first place?

I am just that you have somewhere to use for free.
Our rent for premises for toddlers doubled this year.
I'd happily use your place (though the tea/coffee issue would irk me!)

I realise it is all health and safety and finance issues that they cant do these things

but it is for these reasons , in particular no where to put dirty nappies, that make these centres empty and pristeen because no one uses them
if they are going to provide funding for surestart centrs they need to be user friendly

it's common sense

I've been thinking anyway. In the childrens centre I go to, there would be two locked doors between the kids playing (in a room with two fire door if its own) and the reception with the buggies in. If there were a fire, I think we'd get out without having to get around the buggies.

I dont see whty the nappies are an issue, take them home and deal with them as people using cloth do.

the way we did the hot drinks thing (did volunteer at a childrens centre group last year) was to carry ll cups in a bowl...and to keep them, of course of the floors etc...

I think somewhere for the Buggy's should be offered, however, if it rains, well, you have a raincover over them anyway, haven't you?

The Healthy eating thing is pushed a lot, but is no bad thing, really....

the groups with only younger children, do they not offer a creche for siblings? I know that is what this one has in place...

BALD is right of course, there will be a duty on these professionals to look into health and safety and liability for insurances.

just becuase a local church hall doesn't operate that way doesn't mean it shouldn't.

IME at these kinds of places there is a place for parents to be part of a committee.

yes, there should be adequate storage and protection for your buggies, this in itself is a liability issue which i think they haven't considered - supposing one gets nicked? have you left it there at your own risk or can you sue them?

maybe you couod ask about being part of the management committee and sort change from there.

you could suggest a suggestion box!

a weekly parents meeting

and ask them how you could source funding for a shelter for the buggies. maybe they could put something towards it - or you can contact your council and apply to the community chest fund ( most have them in one guise or another) they also have funding officers.

i dont know the law behind human waste - but i imagine that they aren't being pedants for the sake of it.

perhaps you could ask them specifically why - and suggest to them that they put the answers in a parents newsletter.

there must be a way round the nappy thing - i am thinking about other public places with changing facilities. it might be worth asking the environmental health department at the council.

the woman might well have been obnoxious - thats kind of a job requirement ime

Good suggestions from custy.

I think this is about picking your battles. The hot drinks thing is health and safety so just go with it.

Buggy thing is too - but definitely get on a committee (or form a committee) and get fundraising.

It's an amazing facility to have in principle - you're dead lucky to get it for free - it just sounds like you need a few adjustments to get it all running smoothly.

I think YABU. It is the same set up at my Childrens Centre and I feel that these places, which hold all sorts of activities, from weigh in clinics, parenting classes, support for lone parent families etc etc...need to be exemplary. It can be frustrating as it is not how you might do things in the comfort of your house, but hey ho for a free centre where they run good activities that follow the Every Child Matters mandate, I dont think its too bad.
however I would expect a shelter for the buggies!