Childcare in Sydney

[biddlek]

Not sure if I should be posting here or on the childcare thread, and not sure if I'm being a bit neurotic and paranoid PFB about this!

DS (18m) had his first day at nursery yesterday. We went for a visit last week and an hour last Friday and were happy with the centre. We were very spoilt in the UK with a fantastic nursery with fantastic teachers and I suppose we expected the same.

I called yesterday twice to see how he was doing and they said very well for a first day, a bit of crying but generally ok. The second phonecall they said he had gone to sleep.

When DH and I picked him up at 5pm his whole face was covered with sand and his eye looked a bit sore (they have to be inside at 4pm so had been that way for an hour). He was pointing to the cups and asking for water, and DH noticed he had cut his lip. DH asked what had happened and the teacher said she had seen it when she had put him down for his nap but didn't know how it had happened. DH also asked if he had slept well and she said he hadn't slept at all, despite them telling me otherwise earlier.

TBH, I'm not sure if I'm worrying about nothing, but it just seemed that they didn't "care" as much as at home. Is this because he's older, or is it normal in Australia?

We've only been here 6 weeks and I just want to make sure he's ok before I start work.

We've been in Sydney over three years now and although I never used a childcare centre as my youngest was 4 when we arrived I think that attitudes to children in general are different here. Kids are not wrapped in cotton wool in the way they are in the UK - if you look at playgrounds "rubber crumb" is not the norm. You will see climing frames and all sorts that have been removed in the UK, not because they are particularly dangerous, but everyone (adults and kids alike) is expected to take more responsibility for themselves. You supervise your kids, you pick them up if they fall, you don't threaten to sue the Council becuse they haven't eliminated all risk. You will see kids go barefoot in bushland in the home of the funnelweb which still freaks me out, kindy kids (5/6) walking home from school by themselves, 10 year olds heading for the surf with their mates without an adult in sight etc. etc. SO in a rather long winded way I guess I'm saying it doesn't surprise me if the attitude in childcare centers is a bit more laid back than you're used to, especially about things like being covered in sand.

HOWEVER, as far as I am aware ratios of children to carers are higher here (something which the government is just about to change) which must impact on individual attention. I wouldn't be happy about nobody knowing why your son had a cut lip. I wouldn't worry too much about the crossed wires re. naptime - do they do a key worker scheme here? I certainly wouldn't think that they care less - my experience of Sydney is that it's a pretty child friendly culture, Australian children tend to be a fairly happy, laidback bunch who are used to be taken out and about and behave accordingly. It's a great place to raise children.