Am I exagerating? Probably....

[jaabaar]

Hi,

DD 11 months just started nursery. Settled in from the first hour, no probs.

I just have the follwoing issues (PLEASE tell me if I should just forget about it, if it is normal etc):

• DD never had a nappy rush. 6 days in nursery her bottom is bleeding. Nappy is changed 2x in 10 hours, or more often if it is poo.

• Face is always encrusted with dirt. Have to soak it to clean her.

• Tops very dirty (which is normal and of course happens) but never changed into spare clothes.

• Nursery STINKS horribly of poo every time I pick her up. (probably normal with all the nappy changes...)

• Are staff expected to interact a bit with the babies? or just feeding, changing?

Thanks for putting me into place.....! I am sure that most is normal and I am just a neurotic mum!

No, plenty of that is not normal. Staff in a good nursery should interact much more than 'a bit' with babies! Dirty top maybe normal. If her face is always that dirty it seems odd, do you mean food, paint etc. or actual dirt? The nappy situation sounds pretty bad too!

Nappy situation not good. They should be changing her more often - especially if she has nappy rash.

Dirty clothes, well I wouldn't expect ds to have been in clean clothes unless they were wet. Food stains/paint etc after a day at nursery wouldn't bother me.

Dirty face, again I wouldn't expect them to be forever wiping faces but I'd not expect to see the remains of lunch all over her face.

Staff should be interacting with the babies and showing affection. They should be able to tell you about all the things she's done that day, not just what she had for lunch and how many nappy changes.

No, I wouldnt say that was normal either.

When my DD was at nursery (from 6 months old), she was changed frequently, had her face and hands washed, and if she was VERY dirty they would change her into nursery clothes (although a bit of dirt is normal).

At 11 mo your DD they should be letting your DD have more an "experience" at nursery. For instance, if she can hold a paintbrush she should be allowed to paint, they should be singing/reading with her and letting her play with age appropriate toys - NOT just feeding and changing.

I would seriously consider another nursery tbh.

The dirty clothes I wouldn't be bothered with, the nappy rash I would and the dirty face but the biggest concern for me would be if the staff aren't interacting with your dd.

Just as a comparison - Right from day one at my ds' nursery (he went from 11mo too) he was bringing home the ''art" he'd done that day for example and often his hair would smell of the one of the girl's perfume - it annoyed me to start with but then realised it meant he was being cuddled lots so I was pleased about it then! His keyworker seemed to get to know him quickly too so she learnt what his different
babbling and gestures meant - I could see she was spending loads
of time playing and interacting with him.

I would talk to the nursery, explain your concerns and see what the response is, if it's not satisfactory then I'd look elsewhere - I think gut instinct is v important in these things.

i wouldn't be happy with that nursery. i would be taking her away from it. of course babies need interaction.

I work in a nursery and what you describe is certainly not good practice and not value for money either.
Babies nappies should be changed every couple of hours, twice a day is unacceptable and you should raise this issue with the nursery immediately, explaining that your DD now has nappy rash because she isn't being cjanged often enough.

Babies should never be sent home with dirty faces, it shows a lack of basic care. Next time you pick her up and she is mucky, just ask if someone can clean her face. If they get an attitude because of this simple request, then you will have to consider moving her.

While dirty clothes is not really a big issue, it does shows a lack of basic care if they are caked in food. If you supply spare clothes, then ask the staff to change her for home time. Most babyrooms do this as a matter of course. Are they not using bibs?

Babies need adult interaction. It is absolutely essential to their development. The ratio for babies is 1 adult for 3 babies, compared to 1 adult to 8 pre-schoolers. This is so that babies get lots of adult interaction.

TBH, the nursery does not sound like a very good one.

oh, and our nursery does not stink of poo (well, not all the time, anyway)
It smels of toast in the morning, and of cooking aromas throughout the day. It then smells of lemon floor gel as floors get mopped after dinner and various areas are cleaned throughout the day.
I would be concerned about housekeeping if the nursery smelt of poo all day. Do they not have any windows they can open?

That's ridiclous! At my son's nursery, I was embarrassed at the amount of times they changed his nappy ( more than I do at home) Once, when my son had a dirty face when I cane to pick him up a bit early and he had just finished his tea, the keyworker was told to go and clean it before he went home. He also comes home with work he's done. Did you visit a few nurseries before you chose one? I'd go to another one, or a childminder if you can't afford it.

Hi Jaabarr, definetly doesnt sound normal and you need to address these type of things straight away-

My sons old nursery very often smelled of poo aswell coming to think of it and seemed dirty (carpets etc)- i agree that 2 nappy changes all day just doesnt cut it.

The nursery my son now goes to even changes his nappy and he is only in for 3 hours at the very most in the mornings and even if i go to pick him early which i often do they always take him and change him first before we leave. And they also make sure they wipe his face- (son also used to have dirty face coming out of old nursery and really snotty nose)

Try and speak to some of the other parents that have children at the nursery- see what they think aswell- i have found out in the past year after alot of speaking to parents and personal investigation that alot of the time parents are "scared" to come forward and bring up these points as they either dont want to seem picky and fussy or they are scared that their child may get less faveourable treatment because of issues raised etc-

If there is anything at all that your not happy with let it be known- i bet your paying good money for this service ! x

DS goes to a very good nursery. He's usually there for around 8-9 hour day. His nappy is changed at least 3-4 times a day (more if its pooey) and cream applied as and when needed. The room never smells of poo.
His clothes are usually changed at least once and his hands and face are always reasonably clean when I pick him up.
They have a lot of free play but also have organised activities every day (finger painting, making cookies etc). They are taken out to play in the garden every day, rain or shine.
I don't think you're being neurotic at all- I would be very unhappy with what you describe.

Nappies should be changed at a minimum of once in a three hour period but more if they are dirty or have bad nappy rash

Some dirt is normal especially if Dd is crawling/walking but not every time you collect her as it has been said shows a huge lack of the basic care needed to be given to a baby and that would make me want to look closer at the care that is given to the children in that setting

Sometimes the smell of poo in a baby room cant be helped even with all the windows open and all the milton and lemon gel in the world but this should not be a every day occurrence this should be once in a while thing

Nursery staff should be interacting all the time with the children in their care especially babies as it helps them develop and hit the milestones you want your children.
There should also be a couple of activities happening throughout the day to keep the babies stimulated

All of what you have described is not normal, a nursery should be ensuring your child is well cared for including interacting with them constantly and making sure nappy rash do not occur. A bit of dirtiness however is normal although not to the degree you are describing! If you haven't already, it would be worth checking the nurseries Ofsted report online and check out a few other local nurseries so that you have a point of comparison, hope all goes well for you.

No it's not normal.
For comparison:

DD goes to nursery for 8-9 hours a day, 2 days a week.
Her nappy is changed at least 3 times a day but usually more because she will poo in between times

This week she had nappy rash before she went. I sent in some metatium and the rash was gone after 1 day at nursery.

I have never, in nearly a year of taken her, smelt poo.

Her face is washed with a warm flannel after each meal and snack. Hands are washed before eating and after nappy changes.

She often comes home in her spare clothes having got paint, dough or water on hers (not sure why they don't wear aprons but hey ho, I don't send her in anything nice!)

She is cuddled, talked to, played with, sung to, has her favourite activities on the table for when she comes in etc. They care about her development and seem genuinely interested in her life and her milestones

I love DD's nursery and wouldn't send her if I didn't. I think you need to look at some other places to be honest