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Nurseries

Find nursery advice from other Mumsnetters on our Nursery forum. For more guidance on early years development, sign up for Mumsnet Ages & Stages emails.

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Original poster

What does your nursery tell you at the end of the day?

25 replies

babybouncer · 25/10/2010 23:05

I'm feeling disappointed that my son's nursery doesn't send him home with any kind of 'report' of his day. They have a clipboard recording what the meals were, nappies and nap times, which they tell me about, but it's hard to take in while I'm trying to get coats on and carry my (heavy) sone who won't be put down at that point.

In particularly I'd like them to tell me at least one of the 'activities' he did during the day and how much of his food he ate, but I don't know if I'm expecting too much.

Does your nursery tell you more/less than this? How do they tell you - is it written down anywhere?

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onepieceoflollipop · 25/10/2010 23:06

depends on age of child I think. My dd2 is 3, we have a brief verbal report daily. (whether she ate well, what she played with etc). If I want to know more I ask.

With the younger dcs, I think they have a book listing their naps, nappy changes, milk intake etc.

ProfessorLaytonIsMyZombieSlave · 25/10/2010 23:09

When they were babies I got a written report. Once DCs get to toddler stage I just get a verbal report covering what the meals are and how much they ate of each one, how long they slept, the activities they've done and how DC took to them, and anything particularly interesting that they've done or said. They have it noted on the room's laptop and read the basic facts back from there, enhancing with their own recollections of what happened.

Original poster

babybouncer · 25/10/2010 23:10

Sorry, I should have said that my DS is now 16 months (in the toddler room) and is full-time at nursery. Previously, in the baby room we did have a daily written report, although it really only said the same three things (food/milk, nappies, naps).

OP posts:

funkychunkymunky · 25/10/2010 23:34

My dd 11 months has a little log book which I have to sign when I pick her up. It has notes of nappies, what she ate and how much, what activities she enjoyed, how much sleep she has had and when and any other notes. These can be anything new she has done, accidents, medication (if relevant) etc. I can look in the book whenever I want to.

SharonGless · 25/10/2010 23:41

Nursery verbally tell me what DD has eaten and how much and if had a sleep which is recorded on clipboard. The activities that they do daily are up in the entrance hall.
They used to do written reports for each child but found that more time was spent writing about the child than actually caring for them.
If you aren't happy with what you are being told have a word with the manager/member of staff you are happy talking to.

Karoleann · 26/10/2010 10:15

Just ask what they did, IMO we get much too much information. I'm not really interested in how many nappies etc.
They may also have a daily snapshot which is an individual comment on your child - something funny or clever they did that day.

notinmypocket · 26/10/2010 11:19

My DD is 2.3 now and I still get a daily report outlining what and how much she ate, how long she slept, what activities they did and when handing over the written report, the nursery worker also tells me if there was anything she liked playing/doing etc.
It gives me an insight of what she does during her day and if she likes a certain activity I can repeat this at home.
I think you should ask what they do the whole day, it really helps.

reallytired · 26/10/2010 11:29

My nursery did intially give me a written report, but now we just get a verbal report. I am told how long my dd slept for, how much she ate and what toys she played with. The nursery also have a folder with details of her learning journey which am welcome to look at anytime.

I told the nursey that I thought a daily written report was a waste of trees and I would prefer the staff to play with my child.

Nurseries have a lot of paperwork on children as part of the EYFS. As a parent you can ask to look at it.

Original poster

babybouncer · 29/10/2010 08:05

Thanks for the advice. I went in and met with the owner yesterday and she showed me his Learning Journey, which had loads of observations and photos in it that really helped me to know what he was doing during his days. They've also offered to take more photos of him during the day over the next few weeks to show me when I pick him up. They're also looking into the idea of a board to put the activities they do in the entrance hall.

Overall it was a very productive meeting (they were happy to help and not at all defensive, which I had worried they might be) and it really helped to reassure me that DS has a great time at nursery (which I knew, but wanted to see) and the staff know him really well even if I don't know them that well. I'd definitely recommend such a chat if you get a chance!

OP posts:

sammich · 31/12/2010 17:50

Ofsted have always said to me that a report for any child under 3 has to be sent home and it has to include food,sleep and nappy changes but then again ofsteds answers are different depending on who you ask at ofsted and what time of the day you ask

Original poster

babybouncer · 02/01/2011 21:45

Interestingly, sammich, when I pick up DS there is always a nursery worker with a clipboard to tell me exactly those things - in a perfect world, I'd prefer them to tell me if there was anything different from normal and what activities DS enjoyed during the day.

OP posts:

cinpin · 02/01/2011 22:46

I used to work in a nursery and it was often made up at the end of the day, what children ate and how many nappies ect as we could not remember.

Years ago we used to do it verbally and you just told them about the important things.

cinpin · 02/01/2011 22:46

I used to work in a nursery and it was often made up at the end of the day, what children ate and how many nappies ect as we could not remember.

Years ago we used to do it verbally and you just told them about the important things.

Original poster

babybouncer · 03/01/2011 17:57

I'm not sure this message is very helpful, cinpin.

OP posts:

theDudesmummy · 04/01/2011 15:17

I get a written report about nappies, eating and any incidents, also verbal handover. I certainly hope they are not making it up!

nurseryvoice · 04/01/2011 15:25

we dont make it up! thats bad practice!
what if another member of staff said something different how stupid would you look!
Also bring the nursery reputation down, as parents would no longer feel confident.
I have heard this goes on, as staff who work for me say they did this at other nurseries, thing is when we tell the truth sometimes parents dont like it, "He never did that at the other nursery" etc

BikeRunSki · 04/01/2011 15:25

Written report of nappies, food, drink, sleeps, acivities. Bit of a chat on how he has been and any significant naughtinesses. Any minor accidents - and accident book to sign, if relevant (not often).

cinpin · 04/01/2011 18:30

I think everything important was not made up, but I Could never remember who had eaten well or how many soiled nappies they had. You could not always write it down as you went along.

nutterbutsquash · 27/01/2011 18:56

I don't get any information about what activities my ds has done aside from nappies, naps and meals. The thought of him doing nothing but playing with cars all day has made me now find an alternative setting. I know they do do other things because he very occasionally comes home with a bit of felt tip pen on him but that's the extent of it, very few art works or baked 'treats'. i know you can't make a child do something they are not interested in, but if they had given me an idea of what activites were planned then he'd probably still be going there. I did ask on several occasions but felt they were scraping the barrel for an answer.

mummysweeangel · 28/01/2011 17:58

My sons previous nursery (private nursery) were a bit wishy washy for telling us what he had done through the day yet we had been promised a daily log sheet that would advise us what he ate, how long he slept and nappy changes and activties etc, but 9 times out of 10 we had to ask the staff for this log sheet and they would often just write it out in front of us at the end of the week- which to be honest- you had to wonder if it was correct being written out so quickly at the end of the week and as i normally rang up during the day to check DS was ok and they would tell me what he had ate for lunch and how long he had slept- but the daily log sheets would have something completely different on it. It was all very confusing- especially when he didnt have the "dedicated keyworker" we were also promised before he started so it was all different members of staff that would look after him throughout the day.

In his new nursery (local authority nursery)we dont have any daily log sheets - we are just given a verbal report- my DS only attends 3 mornings a week for 3 hours, yet they still change his nappy, get him out to play for half an hour, or take him to soft play , give him snack which is normally cereal, fruit and toast, and do story time and song time, baking, - i actually cant believe how much he does in just half a morning compaired to what he did in previous nursery when he attended for 2 full days a week. Also helps this time round that its always the same staff that are in charge, so no confusion and the communication is so much more clearer.

myweeangel · 29/01/2011 23:39

My dd has been in toddler room for about a month now and I got one written report on the first day. Since then, nothing (even on a day when she was particularly ill and had to be sent home). In the baby room there was a written report every day, not overly verbose, but succinct and very telling that the staff were interacting brilliantly with my daughter. The report always included those little funny things she had been doing at home (like new words and mannerisms etc) which they couldn't have known had they not been paying a lot of attention to her. The toddler room have been saying there are no notebooks at the minute and their normal practice is to write it all in a book which goes home every night. I find this very disappointing. I shall be supplying them with a notebook myself this week!

stressheaderic · 29/01/2011 23:47

My DD is 11 months. Each day, a page in her Daily Report Book is filled out wrt nappies, naps, milk, meals.... I sincerely hope it is not made up!

There is also a box detailing what they have enjoyed playing with that day. The keyworker reads it to me when I pick DD up, and I take the book home...but I can't help thinking I don't know enough. She's only been going 5 weeks, for 2 days a week - she seems happy, not upset at drop off or pick up, will go to staff willingly...but I'd still like a bit more of a brief personalised chat, maybe mention of a funny thing she's done that day, or what kind of a mood she's been in (even if it's been a whingey mood, I'd prefer to know). It all feels a bit, I don't know, robotic? Like they don't really care?
Having a few doubts now about whether she's too little and a childminder may have been better for a year.

mylittlemonkey · 01/02/2011 20:17

My DS's nursery gives a written report at end of day with what he ate at each meal and how much he ate of it, nappies, sleep times and narrative about what acivities he did in the morning and afternoon. I really dont think they make it up as some detail are quite specific to his pesonality and habits such as words he has started to say and actions he is starting to copy and they really do notice those things which does give me comfort its a good nursery. I think you would know if they were blatently making up things about your DC - you know your DC and the type of things he eats and does.

I agree with nurseryvoice that making things up is bad practice and hopefully only done by a minority of nurseries.

Meglet · 01/02/2011 20:22

2yo DD still has a written report each day with a record of nap-times, nappies (and poo's) and what she has eaten.

4yo DS doesn't have a record book anymore, but as they're at the same nursery I can tell what he's eaten by looking at his sisters book.

TBH I spend about 20 minutes gassing to the staff at the end of every day and they take photos's too, so I get the general idea of what mayhem the dc's have caused.

tryingtobemarypoppins2 · 01/02/2011 21:34

Glad the meeting went well babybouncer. My son only goes 1 day a week but we get a diary daily which is filled in as they go, they do lots of observations and you always see the staff playing with babies with a diary next to them. I guess its about 3/4 page of A4.

TBH, if my son was full time, I would want lots of information so you know he is meeting his milestones, routines change so much at that stage you need to know for the weekends etc, it sounds like they really listened to you though, and you left happy?

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