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Original poster

Are all NURSERIES OBSESSED WITH FRESH AIR or is it just mine?????

85 replies

drosophila · 03/12/2006 20:17

DD's nursery is very regimented I think. They obviously have a time in the day when the kids play out door on an all weather surface. I am getting a bit pissed off with this as I think it's too bloody cold some days and the children are not as active as if they were going for a walk. They are just playing with the usual garden type toys.

I get the impression that the woman who runs the nursery has some view about children having to get a blast of fresh air whether they want it or not. Anyone have a similar experience?

DD is getting over a cold and while I think she may be fine to attend nursery I don't think she is ok to spend a couple of hours outside.

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CheesyFeet · 04/12/2006 11:50

DD has a permanently drippy nose - it doesn't seem to bother her so it doesn't bother me. Does she seem ill with the colds?

Surely they aren't all out there just standing around? Aren't they all running about?

If your dd feels the cold then have you tried getting her some fur-lined boots or something similar just for her to wear outside at nursery? I always feel better if my feet are warm when it's cold outside.

How old is she? Is she old enough to tell you what she thinks about being outside so much?

MrsArchieTheInventor · 04/12/2006 12:46

drosophila - I understand your concerns as your ds has recurrent colds and it maybe that the excessive outdoor time he has at nursery possibly isn't helping that. However, colds are mostly incubated and transmitted in warm, humid and enclosed atmospheres, like buses for example. If your ds is getting recurrent colds maybe you should consider a supplement such as vitamin c or echinecia.

Original poster
drosophila · 04/12/2006 13:03

Twiglet I am starting to think I am alone voice of reason . It is an interesting position to find oneself in challenging perceived wisdom. Seriously though I just know something is not right with the nursery. DS is asthmatic and went to nursery too and whilst he had a good few colds no where near as many as DD. Considering asthmatics have vulnerable immune systems I find it strange to say the least.

I started to look at what the nursery do and every time I pick DD up no matter what time of day it is they are outside which got me thinking they are outside a lot. Intuitively I feel cold air is not good in excess when there is not much activity. When I am there the kids just seem to wander about aimlessly and there is no vigor about them. That is the thing really I am not with her so I don't know how long she is out, have they put her hat on, is she happy or is she shivering.

All of you who are big fans of fresh air I guess you wouldn't take your kids out if they had a bad virus or am I wrong?

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Original poster
drosophila · 04/12/2006 13:06

I guess I am particularly pissed off because DS was admitted to hosp with acute asthma last week and DD is coughing her way through her 6th day.

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Socci · 04/12/2006 13:07

Message withdrawn

Bozza · 04/12/2006 13:26

I am quite happy for my DD to be playing out. And I have been there with a children who have a cold every week. That is part of going to nursery. DD currently has a snotty nose, but not at all ill with it. I really don't think you can put the idea of the children being outside as the issue, if you were so worried about her picking things up you would not be sending her to nursery at all.

Original poster
drosophila · 04/12/2006 13:28

Bozza that is just bollocks.

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CheesyFeet · 04/12/2006 13:41

If dd had a bad virus I wouldn't send her to nursery. This causes no end of problems as we have no alternative childcare but if a child is ill all they are going to do if they go to nursery is spread the infection.

Fortunately she's been well for months but we had a problem with her ears for a long while and most of my annual leave was spent on days off to care for her.

IMHO if she is well enough to go to nursery she is well enough to play outside.

Twiglett · 04/12/2006 13:45

I didn't realise that asthmatics have a compromised immune system .. I thought in fact asthma was a sign that the immune system was reacting TOO MUCH to allergens

I am interested in this little snippet because I was given an asthma dx 2 years ago and because my DH does have a compromised immune system due to his medications .. so I thought I knew about it

dyzzidi · 04/12/2006 13:45

My DD aged 11 months goes outside every day she is at nursery apart form really really bad weather. She has a little turn on the see saw and swings and then is brought back in so she is not in the cold for too long. I think its fine,. I will be happy when she can run about and burn off some energy. I think fresh air is good for you.

I also agree if she is well enough to go to nursery she is well enough to go outside.

hulababy · 04/12/2006 13:52

I'm afraid that if Dd had a bad virus, then I wouldn't have sent her to nursery anyway.

I think you need to sit downa nd talk to the nursery about your concerns. Ask them how long each day is spent outside and what the children are actually doing outside, and how they ensure the children are wrapped up enough.

You seem happy that your DS went there. Have things changed since he went there?

Original poster
drosophila · 04/12/2006 13:57

Twiglet:

Cold and Flu - Added Aggravation"Asthmatics are more reactive to colds," Greenwald says. In a study of students in Denver, published in 2004, researchers found that an upper respiratory infection doubled the likelihood that a child would have a full-blown asthma attack, and quadrupled the chance of a general increase in symptoms. Statistics Canada research shows colds and chest infections are the most common trigger for more than 80 per cent of asthmatics.
What to do?

  • Prevent colds and viruses by washing your hands
frequently and keeping your distance from infected friends and co-workers.
  • If you do get sick and your asthma symptoms worsen, ask your doctor about adjusting your medication.
  • The good news: though still in early stages of research, British scientists found that
a drug developed to treat multiple sclerosis also inhibits the replication of cold virus cells in the lungs of asthmatics. This group usually has a higher rate of replication than non-asthmatics.

Our doc has told us that kids with asthma are more likely ot get a cold than non asthmatics

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Original poster
drosophila · 04/12/2006 13:57

Different Nurery Hull

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LunarSeasonsGreetings · 04/12/2006 14:48

I deliberately chose a nursery which did offer lots of fresh air (and splashing in puddles, sliding on snow, making mud pies, etc if conditions allowed it). Personally I felt that most of the nurseries we looked at didn't allow the children to spend enough time outside, especially during the autumn/winter.

Maybe coincidence, but the children there were off sick for less than those of friends who went to more conventional nurseries. I think ds had 1 day of in 4 and a half years.

Exercise, fresh air and (because nobody has said it yet) natural daylight are important IMHO.

But then maybe if you're in London your idea of "fresh" air is different to ours out in the sticks!?

Snowstorm · 04/12/2006 15:09

Drosophilia - this is obviously a big concern of yours so why don't you go and have a word with the head teacher to find out exactly how long the children do spend outside each day and in what conditions? It would give you an opportunity to discuss your concerns with her and surely that would be a good thing all round?

Original poster
drosophila · 04/12/2006 15:22

Intend to Snowstorm. I posted here to see what her opinion might be. Believe it or not this has helped so thanks.

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Twiglett · 04/12/2006 15:22

now .. I react badly to catching colds .. in fact that's the only time I actually get asthmatic symptoms because it goes straight to my chest .. but I do think your doctor may be mistaken in saying that they are MORE likely to catch the bug in the first place ... I haven't heard that before

Original poster
drosophila · 04/12/2006 20:18

I think it's because the cold virus replicates quicker in asthmatics

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Original poster
drosophila · 04/12/2006 20:24

this explains why asthmatics can't fight off cold virus wasily

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Original poster
drosophila · 04/12/2006 20:27

It is very hopeful for asthmatics. DS is a classic case of a cold and hen hosp so I am hopeful....

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handlemecarefully · 04/12/2006 20:30

Cold? - have we have a cold day so far this 'winter' (asked in all seriousness). Where abouts are you Drosophila ? (I'm near Southampton)

Bozza · 05/12/2006 09:14

Bollocks eh? Nursery is the form of childcare where children are most likely to pick up illnesses. If you had a nanny this would be much less of an issue. And a childminder would probably be middle ground. If you are concerned about her contracting minor illnesses then a nursery is not the place for her.

Original poster
drosophila · 05/12/2006 11:43

Still say it's bollocks. Not all nurseries have a high absenteeism as someone mentioned below.

I will never use a childminder again after DS was hit by one.

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wrappingpaperBOwZZAndribbons · 05/12/2006 11:54

Well you make your choices. I use a nursery and a childminder (DS at school with no after school club). I still don't see how you get round the fact that if a young child who hasn't had chance to build up much immunity is mixing with lots of other young children then they will pick up lots of infections. My DS has never been as ill as he was the first winter at nursery, this was followed by the first winter at school. DD, likewise, was ill a lot her first winter at nursery but she is now a robust 2 1/2yo, who plays out a lot at nursery, but has not had any time off since she got tonsilitis in April. Also I have not had as many illnesses, colds, stomach bugs etc as an adult as I had the first year DS was at nursery. And I was not playing out all winter.

Blu · 05/12/2006 12:05

DS had cold after cold after cold when he started nursery. It wore off after the first year or so, though. Colds are spread by touch, are they not?

I would be very worried about a child getting chilled - i.e out in the cold with insufficient clothing, but in normal southern uk weather, it isn't hard to make sure they are adequately wrapped up, is it?

I would also be wary of an asthmatic child breathing freezing air...but the buds are out, here in my part of S London - no sign of frost at all!

Are they really out for a couple of hours, Drosophilia? That is a lot if they are not being led in active play.

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