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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

2 bloody minutes!! Petty?

56 replies

cheekymonk · 13/02/2007 10:31

Hi Folks,
Am interested to hear from others if their nuursey is the same. i arrived today at 8.58 and was asked to wait until 9.00 as not all staff were in. I was then joined by a further 5 or 6 parents stood there like lemons!!!!
I think this is so petty and am really mad about it! I don't take the piss, If it had been ten to then fair enough but there are so many times I pick ds up early!
I love how the nursery is with my ds but not so happy at communication skills with me!
Any thoughts?
(Also forgot his lunch today so crap start to day all round! [blush}

OP posts:

Are your children’s vaccines up to date?

Set a reminder

RoundTheBend · 13/02/2007 11:00

Cheekymonk, I did not mean to embarass you! Cod is a magistrate.

FluffyMummy123 · 13/02/2007 11:01

Message withdrawn

Miaou · 13/02/2007 11:04

cheekymonk, this is totally normal (re not letting children in until the exact time). It goes for schools too. Places will even leave you standing outside in the pouring rain rather than let you in early. Combination of a) insurance and b) if they start letting people in two minutes early, then some will turn up five minutes early, then ten ... unworkable for the nursery/school I'm afraid.

Re cod - don't worry, she's spiky but she's lovely really. And no, she doesn't work in a nursery, she's just argumentative for the sake of it!!! . Not an "in-joke", you've not missed owt honest

Original poster

cheekymonk · 13/02/2007 11:06

Thanks Miaou- I get the gist! Have found this entertaining! Will be a good girl and on the dot from now on!

OP posts:

Millarkie · 13/02/2007 11:07

The nursery we used had staggered start and finish times for the staff, so would begin with 2 members of staff at 8am (they would arrive about 5 mins early) and then a few more between 8 and 10, and would also stagger their leaving times. There was a problem with this as the children don't have different start times -they all pay for 8am to 6pm..so although the nursery system worked ok when they had a lot of parents who dropped off at 9 or picked up early, when the parents changed and there were more that needed the full day that they were paying for the nursery did not have enough staff to cope at either end of the day.
They have already got through a 'surprise' ofsted inspection at 8am, when they had 2 members of staff and 9 babies (let alone the over 2's)..another member of staff had arrived early for her 9 oclock start so they told her to start work early.
At the end of the day they tend to take all the kids into the garden so there would be 16 2-5 year olds with 1 staff supervising. (in the garden so they didn't mess up the activity tables which had been laid out for the next day by staff that had left). This meant that I would often pick up an over-tired, cold, child in a dirty nappy (because no staff to change nappies from 4pm)
Don't know if this is similar in other nurseries but I took my kids out of that one.

Bugsy2 · 13/02/2007 11:23

Totally normal cheekymonk. I stood with both mine outside the doors of nurseries & now I do it with the school.
I presume that they get quite enough of the little buggers (I am only referring to mine of course) in the hours that they are open to actually want to see anymore of them than necessary. Not to mention insurance & piss-takers too!
Its a hard as nails world this childcare business!

unknownrebelbang · 13/02/2007 11:35

Some parents take liberties, and two minutes become five, and then ten, etc etc.

Pinotmum · 13/02/2007 11:43

The staff don't start till 9.00 - that's it. They may have been setting up or having a cup of tea god forbid before the rush. They earn a pittance so give them a break .

WigWamBam · 13/02/2007 11:46

All this fuss over 120 seconds ...

weepootleflump · 13/02/2007 11:49

Well, I for one think it's petty of them cheekymonk. I know everyone's going on about insurance and staff ratios but surely whilst you're still there with dc this isn't affected.

My dd starts nursery at 8 and I'm often there a couple of minutes before and other than someone having to open the door for me, I don't see that it affects them. I use that time to take her coat off and settle her in to her room.

The staff don't seem to have any problem with it and my dd is almost never first there either.

Original poster

cheekymonk · 13/02/2007 12:01

Thanks weepootleflump. Have been surprised by the reaction on here but as I said glad I asked as have learnt alot!
I'm sure some have got me pegged as a ruthless cow who can't wait to get to work. As I said waiting 2 minutes itself is not the issue, I was questioning MORE why they aren't ready but heigh ho.
I disagree with the crap wages they get and know that it must be a hard job. Still, I sometimes wish that I could stay with them and properly play with ds/others all day instead of juggling playing with usual domestic stuff.
It feels so homely and wecoming there- its the reason I chose it! Its just this inflexibility that grates thats all.

OP posts:

DrumMum · 13/02/2007 12:03

you wouldn't try to get into marks and spencers early would you!
I bet the staff don't get much chance to chat during the day either so they spend their time in the morning gossiping with out the children....

WigWamBam · 13/02/2007 12:05

Have you asked them why they won't let you in early?

bandofgold · 13/02/2007 12:05

i expct they were still sorting out stuff. WE had to do the same

bundle · 13/02/2007 12:08

cheekymonk do you start work early>

Original poster

cheekymonk · 13/02/2007 12:15

I start work whatever time I can get there. I used to start at 8.30 but now 9.30 as changed to suit nursery (!)
Not sure if you are genuinely asking or being funny but yes I do start early if I can.

OP posts:

bundle · 13/02/2007 12:33

why would i be being funny?

Original poster

cheekymonk · 13/02/2007 13:16

wasn't sure if you were saying that if I expect nursery nurses to start early then do I but you weren't so I shall banish such paranoia! Thanks bundle

OP posts:

WigWamBam · 13/02/2007 13:44

Have you asked them why they won't let you in early?

Original poster

cheekymonk · 13/02/2007 14:46

No I haven't asked. I was actually going to complain until starting this thread and seeing the other side of things has made me think and take a step back.
There is a parents day soon. I shall bring up the issue then...

OP posts:

angmarie · 13/02/2007 17:34

it is also incase there is a fire becaue if there isnt enough staff they wouldnt be able to get all the children turn up and also if ofsted were to turn up and there were all these children and no staff the nursery would be in big trouble
At the end of the day it was only 2 minutes so I dont see the big deal about having to wait

hellywobs · 13/02/2007 18:17

It is an insurance issue. But I assume that it would take you 2 minutes to get to your child's room and leave them, say goodbye etc? So you would not have been leaving them until 9 anyway.

My son's nursery opens at 7.30 and I am normally there a bit early as I have to drop my husband off for a train at 7.15. I get out of my car at 7.28 and get back to my car about 7.35. It is annoying being made to wait in the rain - and sometimes I want to use their loo and can't get in.

But I understand the insurance. However, it does annoy me if I go in at 7.35 and the room is not set up or sometimes the lights are still out!

nzshar · 13/02/2007 18:20

Having worked in nurseries for many years before having ds I can vouch that while 2 minutes may seem petty its a slippery slope towards piss taking by some parents (not meaning you btw) As another poster has already said 2 minutes can become 5 which can become 10 etc. A blanket rule for all then stops that.
An example of this was the last nursery I worked in we opened at 8am, as management i opened at 7 30am and staff came in to set up rooms etc at 7 45am. A number of times i had complaints because I refused parents and children to come in before 7 45 and then god forbid that I insisted they stay till 8am! Give an inch some will take a mile

purplefraggle · 13/02/2007 21:40

nzshar - couldn't have put it better myself! i am a nursery manager and am generally there about 740 to do some paperwork before the children arrive. the other staff in normally arrive about 750 (the room is set up the night before - so there is not much to do first thing)and we open at 8. i have had parents come in at 745 shove their little one in before i can go to see them and leave me with one child and only me on the premises - therefore invalidating our insurance. 2 minutes might not seem a lot and whilst i can understand parents frustration there are reasons behind it and its not just to be a pain

pinkbubble · 13/02/2007 21:42

I used to work in a nursery and we did not open the doors until the 8.30 pips on the radio! That was by order of the management!

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