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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

Wet mopping floor at nursery half hour before end of session

39 replies

jaabaar · 13/03/2014 04:56

Is it reasonable that nursery huddles children in one corner and tidies and wet mops the floors half our before evening closure.

The children have to stay in the tv corner for at least half hour and are constantly told do not walk there do not run etc etc.

This used to be done after children leave nursery.

When I mentioned that this could be a hazard I was told owner does not pay us to clean after nursery hours.

What is your opinion?

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redcaryellowcar · 13/03/2014 05:17

I think cleaning should be done after children leave, or at least a suitable space be found for them. If its nursery workers cleaning it should definitely wait until children have gone home as they should be looking after your dc?

Original poster

jaabaar · 13/03/2014 05:32

Redcar
I agree. Also in their routine sheet it states that last our is child led play. However if children are confined to one corner and have no choice of toys as chairs are stacked on tables and toys packed away, how can the child lead and choose....

Not to forget the health hazard.

I was just wondering if I am OTT.
I'm upset that I pay high fees just to have child in a corner for last 30 minutes of the day..... So that practitioners can rush home as soon as last child leaves

OP posts:

Original poster

jaabaar · 13/03/2014 05:32

I have to say that by end if day there are only few children left so some are free to clean.

OP posts:

JellyMould · 13/03/2014 06:02

Our nursery sweeps and mops the floor after tea. If it's sunny the children go outside, otherwise they're in the book corner with toys and books. Why are the children huddled there without toys etc? That seems harsh.

5ofus · 13/03/2014 06:10

YANBU at all

5ofus · 13/03/2014 06:12

Oops. Wrong topic. Still I agree this isn't right. I would complain. Is it a private nursery?

CelticJuggler · 13/03/2014 06:33

I'd be a bit grouchy about that too!

Ours will occasionally mop up if they've been doing a messy activity (paint, water play - and this is usually confirmed by looking at DS' top), but that tends to be confined to a Lino area, so not the whole area. The kids still have access to the carpeted areas or they're taken outside - and to be fair it's usually after 5pm when other kids start getting collected.

Mostly, it's after hours though.

TheGreatHunt · 13/03/2014 06:54

If they don't pay the workers then they bloody should, not make children have to miss out because the owners are tight fisted.

insancerre · 13/03/2014 07:21

yes the owners should pay for a cleaner
are you prepared for the fees to increase to pay the cleaners wages?
the children don't need free play at the end of the session, its only half an hour, they have had all day for freeplay
the housekeeping has to be done
I doubt the staff want to stay after their shift has finished to mop the floors

Morgause · 13/03/2014 07:43

I think I'd ask that the children do what is written on the time table, especially if I was paying. Or ask for a reduction.

insancerre · 13/03/2014 07:55

So that practitioners can rush home as soon as last child leaves
I missed this the first time i read your post.
What's wrong with that?
I work in a nursery and do an extra 10 minutes every day, as parents arrive late or bang on closing time and still expect detailed feedback on their child's day, while their child plays up and parents faff about trying to put coats on and collect belongings.
That extra time is not paid. I'm sure as hell not going to stay past my finishing time to mop the bloody floors- paid or not.
I already work a 9 hour day- I do have a family and life of my own, as the staff in the op's nursery do.
In an ideal world the nursery would employ a cleaner and the cleaning would be done when the children had left. But, nurseries are on very tight budgets at the moment, and they are trying to keep costs down without passing on these extra costs to the parents.
So, the question is still the same. Would you be prepared to pay an increased fee to enable the nursery to pay a cleaner?

Technical · 13/03/2014 07:57

I'm not sure it's that big an issue TBH.

Most nurseries aren't huge profit making affairs. So insancerre is right your fees would go up if they paid staff to stay on. It's also not easy to recruit good staff for the late shift - work over dinner time for (close to) minimum wage anyone?

If the few remaining children have 30 mins a day when they have to sit still with a book or watch TV, that's not so bad. Presumably they would do that at some point during a day at nursery anyway. Provided the rest of the day provides a good mix of activities I don't really see it as a problem.

cookielove · 13/03/2014 08:01

Completely agree with insancerre luckily at my nursery we have cleaners, but almost every single day the late shift stay late due to late parents, I think parents who come last or late should get the bare minimum of info. If you want a chat come on time.

Original poster

jaabaar · 13/03/2014 08:10

Insance
I expect the cleaning of the nursery to be included in the 1200 pounds per month.
I also expect that my child is not stuck in a corner for 30 minutes till cleaning takes place. Please note that the paid "session"
Is not finished while this takes place.

If they should not have free play then the daily routine should not state that they have free play. They should state that in last half hour children are in front of tv while cleaning is in progress.

5ofus
Yes it is a private nursery.

Jellymould
Because all toys are tidied away. There is usually tv or very rarely someone seats with them reading a book.

Morgaus
I think your suggestion is fair and a good idea. I will not ask for reduction but I will ask to follow the routine sheet or to change their routine sheet and also list the new routine on their website!

Thank you all for your replies, I appreciate!

OP posts:

EverythingCounts · 13/03/2014 08:12

Mine does this after tea as JellyMoulds says. But at the end of the day the children gather in one room - could yours do this while floor is mopped in other rooms? Have to say I sympathise with the staff here. Sounds like they can't win as either they do unpaid work or parents moan. Speak to the owner and ask if there isn't a better solution that doesn't involve unpaid overtime.

insancerre · 13/03/2014 08:25

ah I see, you are one of those parents
that don't pick up till closing time because 'I've paid for it'
so would you be happy if the nursery reworded the time table and called it storytime or quiet time?
the free play probably refers to it being less structured and not adult led
they have had that all day
ime children need some wind down time at the end of a long busy day, which is exactly what your child is getting

OwlCapone · 13/03/2014 08:25

So, you'd be happy with the cleaning if the printed routine said "quiet time in the book corner" or similar?

clairealfie · 13/03/2014 08:28

As the PP said at our nursery all of the children go into one room near the end of the day so that the others can be cleaned. There's not many left after around 4:45pm. The TV is on for the tired ones but there's always toys out and staff playing as well.

I wouldn't have a problem with TV time for half an hour if that was in the timetable so yes I would just ask that the written routine is updated to reflect it.

PinkMacaroons · 13/03/2014 08:36

"I work in a nursery and do an extra 10 minutes every day, as parents arrive late or bang on closing time and still expect detailed feedback on their child's day, while their child plays up and parents faff about trying to put coats on and collect belongings."

Our nursery penalises parents if they arrive late to pick up the child your parents generally are on time. Why should parents be expected to pick up well before closing time though, they pay through their nose for it. Also why shouldn't parents get a full debrief, even at the end of the day? It is part of the service agreement, so I don't see the problem there.

However, no one should be expected to work for free (although most people do in office jobs by not taking their lunch break or not leaving at five on the dot). The nursery should pay staff for an extra 15 minutes after closing time.

Also I don't agree that nurseries are not good business. Where we live nursery owners take home an absolute fortune.

OP, wrt your question, ask the nursery what kind of free play the children can do during cleaning time as they are not allowed to access part of the room. Of course they need to quickly clean the floor after lunch, although at our nursery it's the kitchen staff who do this.

I would not be happy with half an hour not very well supervised playtime, whilst nursery teachers are cleaning.

TinyTear · 13/03/2014 08:47

In my nursery I have seen they join classes 1 to 4 in class 1 at the end fo the day and I have seen them mopping class 2 which is next to class 1 when I go and pick up.

I pay to 5h30, but tend to collect at 4h50 so not sure when they mop class 1... but i wouldn't have a problem with some quiet carpet time / story time while they cleaned up...

When i worked in a bookshop many moons ago I used to resent having to stay after my shift to tidy, so i wouldn't want the same for the nursery staff, if that wasn't included in their hours

Technical · 13/03/2014 08:54

This is the problem with paid childcare, op talks about the 1200 pm she pays as if it's a huge sum, which it is if you have to pay it and she clearly bridges it - wants absolute value for it.

But, as she's last to collect lets say dd is there for 10hrs a day, thats 6 per hour. There's no huge profit in that

threepiecesuite · 13/03/2014 08:58

Our nursery operates til 6pm. There are very few children left after 5.30 and yes the staff mop and hoover then. Remaining kids go in book corner with books and wooden jigsaws.
I try to pick up around 5pm where poss (I'm a teacher) as I think it's an awfully long day for a pre schooler. The cleaning doesn't bother me at all. Many staff will have put in a 9 or 10 hour shift and are entitled to shoot off at 6pm.

threepiecesuite · 13/03/2014 09:00

Also, the nursery owners live a few doors down from the nursery in a modest house with 2 modest cars. So I don't feel too ripped off!

Original poster

jaabaar · 13/03/2014 09:08

Insancerre

No im not one of those parents who picl up last minute because I paid for it. Im one of those parents whi unfortunately have to work full time and have over an hour comute time.
I would be a much happier mum if I had the choice to pick up half hour earlier and pay full.

However I have to admit im one of those parents who wants her child trated as
Per how thr nursery advertise and sell themselves.

I would be extremly happy if aomonw seats with the children and reads a book to them or if they watch educational tv with an adult sitting with them.

Does this make sense to you insancerre?

If I arrive bang on time I always say ohh dont bother with feedback as you have it all written down on the report.

Regarding staff wages, I believe that practitioners are underpaid and they are the people who do a very very important job!!!! Agree with all comments made regarding this.

When the nursery was under siffeeent manager they haf one practitioner starr half our late and stay half hour longer for cleaning.

However activities should be described and advertised as per what is delivered!

The nursery is one room only.

OP posts:

Original poster

jaabaar · 13/03/2014 09:10

Geeez! Typos???? Apologies!!

OP posts:

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