Nurseries staying open

[meow1989]

To coin a mn phrase: is Boris on glue?!

So now I will have to pay to keep my toddler off to keep him (and us) safe?!

[quote dumbledory]@CateJW

Unfortunately, not all settings are equal, as several of my early years colleagues have emphasised on this thread. We are a preschool and our local authority is insistent that we follow department of education guidelines to the letter, or else risk out on funding. So although we could put similar measures in place, we legally couldn't enforce them if parents were unhappy/unwilling to cooperate. Financially, we are not in a position for parents to stop paying - bit of a catch 22. It's such a minefield...[/quote]
Yes, this thread has been an eye opener, Our nursery is on a farm and kids spend large parts of the day outside, it was one of the main reasons we chose it, in fact we loved it so much we didnt look elsewhere, thus my surprise.

I may have felt differently about sending him if it were more like some of these examples, so feeling grateful about now!
I do really feel for those working in them who are truely worried.

It's awful for nursery staff but they're always treated like the poor relation (as in teachers can work from home or with smaller groups of children but nursery staff should just get on with it).
My sons nursery is open but I do feel for the staff. However I also do have to work and my husband and I are both key workers outside the home and I'll probably lose my job if they close.
My job though is not more important than nursery staffs lives.

that we are palming our kids off on EY staff just because we can't be arsed looking after our kids. No doubt some people do but I believe that's the minority.

I think this is unfair. Even if I didn’t work I would chose to send my child in for socialisation with peers and not because I can’t be assed to look after them.

Thank you Rosebel for recognising the unfairness of this situation and that your job is not more important than nursery staffs lives. Unfortunately not all people here seem to agree. Dumbledory hopefully Boris will follow NS. I’m truly outraged for you all. 🍀

For as many caring, compassionate posts on this thread, there’s just as many that are the stark opposite.

Early years care is needed for parents to work, if they have absolutely no other option. Sending a child in for the sake of socialisation in the middle of a pandemic is thoughtless at best.

Even if this virus doesn’t kill me or my colleagues, the lasting effects many young, healthy people have been left with is staggering. I would rather not lose part of my lungs for the sake of a few parents’ convenience.

This is a difficult time for all of us, and I know parents are struggling. But if schools are not safe to keep open, neither are nurseries.

Wow overtherainbow you’d still send your child for ‘socialisation’ even after reading about how upset and scared the sectors staff are? Here’s a thought, you could ‘socialise’ with your kid. Chat, read, play cars, play dolls, bake, play ball! Most under 4’s don’t require to socialise as the predominantly parallel play until age four. After that they look for a little more from their peers. But as this is for approx 6 weeks he/she will be just fine at home with you.

Totally agree oopsiedaisy1 some people on here are outrageously selfish!

Why has this just been highlighted now the schools have closed tho?

@LollyBeebee123

Ours is a small nursery which emailed us saying they’ve offered all workers the opportunity to be furloughed or use their annual leave and none
Of the workers have chosen to.

@Remmy123

I think all my colleagues believed that the Early Years sector would be closed to all, but vulnerable or keyworker children, in line with every other educational setting. The fact that this has happened in Scotland, but not here is mind-boggling.

It’s dreadful for those parents whose work is closed (gum, beauty, hospitality) and therefore have time to look after nursery age children but have to pay for nursery place., completely wrong. Great though for 5hose wfh!!!!!

And Most under 4’s don’t require to socialise as the predominantly parallel play until age four

Is untrue

@LollyBeebee123

Wow overtherainbow you’d still send your child for ‘socialisation’ even after reading about how upset and scared the sectors staff are? Here’s a thought, you could ‘socialise’ with your kid. Chat, read, play cars, play dolls, bake, play ball! Most under 4’s don’t require to socialise as the predominantly parallel play until age four. After that they look for a little more from their peers. But as this is for approx 6 weeks he/she will be just fine at home with you.

Hang on, aren't you an early years educator? And you think that children do no social development with their peers before 4? That's quite scary.

During the last lockdown myself and husband both had to be on Zoom full time, all day long. Our then 2 and 4 year old kids just ran riot around our home. We had to stick them in front of the tv with sugary treats to keep them quiet. I live abroad and we werent allowed to even go outside for exercise: only groceries.

We lived in a city centre apartment with no garden. I took my 4 year old for a sneaky walk around the block as he was literally bouncing the walls and the police told me to go home. The poor boy was running into our living room wall, bouncing off it and running back into it over and over. My 2 year old was jumping on and off the sofa, emptying drawers and boxes, running around with a toilet brush and generally behaving dangerously. Both kids together trashed our apartment over and over. Trashed it!

I had to excuse myself from video calls so many times because my kids were fighting, screaming, crying, jumping, banging, just behaving like wild animals! My children are very well behaved but they got very little attention or supervision during the day and they did what all kids do when the rulebook gets thrown out the window!

We were just so grateful to still have our jobs that we jumped through whatever hoops we had to. Anyone who hasnt tried to work from home with small children knows that it is actually dangerous for the kids and immensely, intensely stressful. I totally get why parents are happy that nurseries are open.

@dumbledory yeah well Scotland have their own rules.

How wouid someone work full time from home efficiently with a 1 year old? They can't

Nursery's do not transmit it as much as secondary kids.

Also what would a nursery worker do at home on furlough? Nothing for weeks abd weeks whilst getting an income while others lose thier jobs.

No it’s true Overtherainbow! I’ve been doing my job for 18 years. There are of course exceptions, but there’s usually a reason for this. Perhaps the staff at your kids nursery also enjoy ‘socialisation’!

@Thejoyfulstar well said!! Sounds so tough for you but well done for getting through it x

I think it's quite bizarre that this thread is so full of nursery workers arguing that nursery has no value for children and that SAHPs - or, it would seem, parents who work at home - are just being lazy if they use one. Do you really want people to agree with this and so just stop using your nursery? Or are you hoping for some sort of scenario where people indefinitely pay hundreds of pounds a month to not send their child to nursery?

@LollyBeebee123

Wow overtherainbow you’d still send your child for ‘socialisation’ even after reading about how upset and scared the sectors staff are? Here’s a thought, you could ‘socialise’ with your kid. Chat, read, play cars, play dolls, bake, play ball! Most under 4’s don’t require to socialise as the predominantly parallel play until age four. After that they look for a little more from their peers. But as this is for approx 6 weeks he/she will be just fine at home with you.

How do you think this will happen with parents trying to work at the same time? I have repeatedly said that I don’t think nursery workers have been acknowledged at all in this, but seriously - what do you imagine is happening in the homes of the children you normally look after right now? If you are furloughed or not working, you are looking after your own child and don’t have to do anything else. Parents who are trying to work and look after preschoolers are not able to provide what you can.

Also what would a nursery worker do at home on furlough? Nothing for weeks abd weeks whilst getting an income while others lose thier jobs.

When I was furloughed last time I started learning Spanish, completed the Couch to 5K, and wrote 2 scripts. "What would a nursery worker do?" Such a snotty put down of a whole profession!

I own a nursery and yes we are staying open fir hours as usual. Only 1 family is keeping their child at home. Thank goodness I have amazing staff working for me, they are prepared to put themselves at risk for minimum wage salaries. A little fed up with years of being overlooked by many but now we are the most crucial point of education in a child’s life, something I have always known. Let’s hope our funding goes up to reflect this but highly unlikely I think.
Many families have said they don’t know why we can stay open but they are so glad we can allowing parents to work or educate older siblings at home.
High quality early years settings have a vital role to play in families lives in so many ways. Getting it right in the early years can save so much heartache in later life.

When I was furloughed last time I started learning Spanish, completed the Couch to 5K, and wrote 2 scripts.

Well that sounds delightful - I wouldn't know, I've never been furloughed and so just had to work starting at 6am and ending at midnight every day for months while trying to not completely neglect my toddler and frequently crying about what a crap job I knew I was doing and how badly I was letting him down. Which might explain why I'm a bit less enthusiastic about nursery closures than you. But I'm so glad you got to learn Spanish and do some running.

@Mysterian I didnt mean that I meant it's not like they can online teach nursery kids is it!!!!

How lovely you got to do nice things last time 🙄

I agree Hardbackwriter, talk about doing your own profession and skills down

I am paid not a penny more than minimum wage to educate and care for young children. As previous posters have mentioned, we are in closer contact with these children than many of you are with your husbands, probably. They need cuddles, hands-held, faces, noses and bums wiped. We plan and implement stimulating activities with them, based on their individual needs and development.

The majority of us chose to work in this sector not for the money, but out of genuine care and passion for children and their development. Our care has been taken for granted numerous times, but the government has completely failed us now.