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?!

@Remmy123

Please mumsnet bullies.. you banged on for months about schools closing - you have your wish.. but ffs, do not start with the nurseries.

Do not send your child if you don't want too. You have a choice.

But it is imperative for us working parents that that age group can be in nursery so we can keep our jobs.

Mine is staying open abd I am delighted.

Yes!! Thank you.

Some people on here simply won’t be happy until everybody is as miserable as they are.

[quote Bringonspring]@BertNErnie yes it’s interesting isn’t it. Early years is Nursery AND reception. Why haven’t more schools followed this approach? It is up to the schools discretion though to open if the nurseries attached to the school though.[/quote]
We have in excess of 100 reception children in my school and in excess of 100 nursery pupils. It's simply not safe for us to open to 200 pupils every day. My phase is almost the size of a small infant school. This, together with no social distancing (and rightly so) in the setting means we won't open unless it's to those who are vulnerable or children of critical workers.

I'd also hedge a bet there isn't a head who will convince school staff in EYFS that it is safe for them to go to school daily but those in Years 1-6 are not safe.

If nurseries are open my employer will not accommodate flexible working for me to keep my toddler home - I would have to stop work (I'm a freelancer) and wouldn't be able to afford to keep paying for childcare I wasn't receiving.

In the first lockdown the regression in my toddler was really pronounced - I had to virtually ignore him for long periods for 3months.

It isn't that I don't care about my childminder & have no concern for her health, but it's an incredibly difficult situation for everyone.

@CKBJ as I said. Keep your own child off if you want.

There are no fines.

I do not know of any cases with any nurseries in my area.

Is it because many nurseries are private and parents pay fees for them? So schools will revive their funding as usual to keep staff but nurseries that rely on parents payment would struggle to pay staff if they closed to paying parents.

Doesn’t make sense but I wondered if that might be part of the reason.

@DigitalGhost

No idea what to do now. It's either safe or it isn't for all kids? My 3 year old loved going back today 😵‍💫

Presume because whilst closing schools and nursery would hopefully help to bring community transmission down even further than only schools, closing only schools will help more than not at all?

A poorly ventilated room with more than 20 children and 8 other adults. No ppe, and worrying every time a child cough or sneezes on me. Can’t wait.
Really annoys me when parents gloat about needing the nursery for their sanity with no thought to staff.
If it’s a single parent working from home in a demanding role, fair enough I understand. If 2 parents, with the ability to juggle, possibly use some annual leave or parental leave, as difficult as it might be because they’re children are “full of energy” then I have little sympathy

My nursery is small, prob only 5 or 6 kids in a class, face masks on drop off and collection, children taken in one at a time and hands washed before even entering the nursery. Only 2 staff max in the group.

For each person that is happy about this ... some others won’t be.

Unluckily op if you’re not happy just don’t send them but I pressure that you’ll have to continue paying for it

Nurseries are not transmiting the virus as much as other settings. And our kids won’t remember about this but their first 6 years of their life are quite important for socialising. H son is a shy boy and he’d struggle if he was again home with us (both working) without seeing his friends.

@Sandcastles09 how am i supposed tp cherish the time when my toddler spends the whole day sat in front of the tv eating snacks because i'm working my normal 8 hours upstairs?

Yeah...great...!!

@bluebeck. It's quite simply a question of funding. Private nurseries are funded through parents' fees. Schools/preschools/school nurseries are funded mostly through taxation/early years funding.

The government can order schools etc. to shut but stay open for the children of key workers/vulnerable children since it is largely funding them. It can't do the same for private nurseries. Many private nurseries would choose to close entirely and furlough staff since the parents of the children who are not attending can't be forced to continue paying fees.

So it's a pragmatic choice, really. Nothing to do with valuing early years education.

I'm genuinely surprised that stating concerns for children, families and staff and not seeing the logic in keeping nurseries open when all other education settings have been shut, is considered bullying by some.

Keeping the nursery I manage opened unless told otherwise! All the children showed up today ! If we close the parents stop paying and we are fucked and will probably close down tbh!

So I’m happy to stay open as long as possible

What I don't understand is it seems that all nursery kids can go back but my friend is a nursery teacher in a school and cos the school is shut it's same rule for nursery kids. So is it only independent nurseries that all the kids can go back?

@Nochangeplease do you work in a nursery then?

@user1471523870

I am also delighted as we both work full time from home and our 2 year old is SO full of energy! Having experienced the first lockdown I was already very worried. It's not just juggling work and looking after him (which is nearly impossible, on the verge of mental), but he's now discovering the world. He's so curious, interested in everything, developing his vocabulary, learning his social skills.... He spend about 2 weeks at home with us over Christmas (in a tier 4 area) while we were off work. Even with our full attentions he was so bored in the end. Today he went back to nursery with a big smile and I have been told he's been so happy all day.

Our nursery is super small. There are about 4-5 teachers and in his bubble there are at the moment less than 8 children (I think today probably 5). Only one parent is allowed at pick up/drop off. And we have to wear a face mask. We are strictly not allowed in. Children wash their hands every time they step in and regularly during the day.

With primary/secondary closed I am also even more relieved I am massively reducing our risks. Of course we can't reduce the risk to zero, but if I add that we both work from home, don't have family in this country so no visitors, only shop online (haven't set foot in a shop in months, not even a supermarket) I feel ok sending him in.

Yours sounds like mine, wonder or its the same one?..

@LastTangoInBodmin

It could even be an amazing time which you cherish!

Having to completely ignore and neglect my 2 year old child whilst I attend several zoom meetings a day and answer phone calls and emails, whilst feeling incredible guilt for having to neglect my child so that I can keep my job and pay my bills, really does not feel like time I would “cherish”.

If you can keep your child off nursery as you do not work, or you have the capacity to care for them fully at home, by all means please do. But don’t try to make those of us who have no choice feel bad for our decisions.

Exactly! My only option would be 8 hour of TV a day, which would be awful for my 18 month old and could have long term impact. The first lockdown I returned from maternity only 3 days a week, and I just about muddled through with naps and spreading over 7 days. Working full time, it just wouldn't work. I definitely don't have a vital job to keep society going, but it's vital to my family and my own mental health. These are terrible decisions to have to make, but if nurseries are open, people shouldn't be made to feel guilty for using them.

@whereisthejoy

I've made the tough decision of not sending my 2yo back to preschool as I need more childcare help in the afternoons (preschool only take that age for mornings) - this means having my mum as childcare and given she's mid 60s and not great health history, I've had to choose between mum and preschool (until mum has vaccine).

Feeling stung by the comments of how crucial to early development nursery is... what about kids who don't go to nursery even in normal times?

My DC is very well adjusted, a total social butterfly when we bump into others (even strangers) on walks and we play as much as we can with her at home, now I'm worrying about her development being away from nursery for another 6 months!

Nursery is not required for good development! In fact many could and do make the argument that too much time away from mum and/or dad is harmful. Missing a few months of socialisation with other kids wouldn’t harm their development whatsoever ffs.

My DD is at a nursery attached to a school. The school had so many cases before Xmas, including her class (teacher + child) her class has to self isolate. I am concerned about her passing it on to all of us, and for the teachers. However she’s in a small class of 17.. there are 3 classes in nursery and they may well have the run of the school, so it’s a fairly small group, with lots of spacing with other years not being around. I’m torn.

@highschoolneverends maybe because it's part of a school or it's headteacher choice.

Private nursery's are fee paying so assume that's why they can stay open. They can close if they are not happy to stay open.

@Heyahun

Keeping the nursery I manage opened unless told otherwise! All the children showed up today ! If we close the parents stop paying and we are fucked and will probably close down tbh!

So I’m happy to stay open as long as possible

This is what I think the decision was based on!

Thanks @MessAllOver, that makes sense.

I couldn't understand how Reception year children in schools were mixing and bringing the virus home, but children in nurseries weren't

Should have guessed the decision was about money.

Nailed it @MessAllOver we were told in last lockdown we must open for key worker children - that’s 5 children - we needed 3 staff each day - had to have the cleaner in daily! We ran at a loss for months - 5 children paying fees and 48 not paying! Also with furlough as it exists now - we have to pay the national insurance, pensions and a top up amount! It will crush us if we close and receive no more financial help - we are a private business

@ highschoolneverends it’s at the primary school discretion of the nursery is attached to the school