Fantastic Advert for Nursery Staff.

[TiggyD]

I'm not connected with the nursery in any way. I have never knowingly been to Leicestershire. I just accidentally found it while Googling for jobs. The deadline for applications was last summer. I think it's a great and fun list of some of the qualities you need to work in a nursery.

www.daffodilsoutdoornursery.co.uk/work-for-us/

Includes:
-You must have a warm smiling face that makes every child feel special.

-You must be able to laugh at jokes you don’t understand, or you don’t find funny!

I find it patronising, twee and inaccurate.

You must feel comfortable telling everybody in the same room as you, that you are going to the toilet!

Why would I share with a room full of three year olds that I am going to the toilet?

You have to maintain staff to child ratios. You can't just leave without telling the other staff what you're doing. Plus it's good for the children to know you go to the loo sometimes. Many children try to go the whole day without going and have accidents as a result.

Yes, you tell the other staff. You don't announce to a load of toddlers that you are going for a poo.
Twee rubbish. The efforts to make childcare a serious professional career obviously aren't going well if this patronising crap is how staff are recruited!
Bet its min wage as well.

"You trust and respect that children can manage their own risks." WHHHAAAT?

If my three year old could manage her own risks then I'd leave her with a few of her mates at the house instead of forking out nursery fees. Make sure she can reach the oven and kettle, and job's a goodun.

I help children to understand and manage their own risks. If they want to use the slide or do something quite gymnastic they know they should do it on the rubber surface not the concrete bits. They know sand on the floor is slippery and needs cleaning up. Food on the floor might have germs on that make them ill. That's risk management.

Much of it seems obvious but the quality of applicants means it needs saying. We really get amongst the worst of the worst trying to work in childcare. And to be fair, a lot of those get in.

But a good worker in as much about temperament as knowledge. A good Nursery Practitioner would recognise and really 'get' that list. If you don't have a sense of humour you're not going to enjoy cleaning up poo footprints, rescuing children from killer flies or being weed on.

Love this TiggyD! Agree wholeheartedly with what you say about 'getting' that list. thanks for sharing x

The thread has been quite mixed about it so far!

I love it too
Don't listen to the haters
I get that to work with children you need a sense of humour and not to take things too seriously
It takes a very special person
It is absolutely essential that staff announce they are going to the loo so the other staff know

I would feel very happy to send my child to a place with staff like that!

I think it does a great job of conveying the company's work culture. If I found it twee and patronising, then I would realise I wouldn't mesh with the management's style. That saves both me (and the nursery) wasted time in applying and interviewing.

I wish more job adverts were able to get the company's work culture across this effectively.

Ugh it's so twee it's cringe. Yes it's important to have a sense of humour but this isn't even vaguely funny

"Trust children to manage their own risks" - what a load of bollocks. I'll pop my 11mo on the road then, leave him to make his way to the other side.

I bet its based on experience of other staff who didn't have these qualities. I think it's innovative in a way and interesting that they are prepared to spell out what's needed. As in so many jobs there are 'assumptions' about what a job involves that many applicants inexplicably have no understanding of. Good idea.

I like it

Especially the bit about a warm smiling face

Grumpy arsed nursery nurses who don't like kids piss me off!

The ad is old, it was for a post last year. Presumably they've filled the position now.

Isn't it "Ana" anyway?

They should have said "Able to keep a straight face when somebody poos on a combine harvester".

Long story.

Oh I love this!
Some people who have responded to this thread obviously don't work in early years, the ones who do will get it. I especially love the announcing to the whole room you're going for a 'W, E, E' one and the head count one. Today I counted 17 outside, then questioned myself so re counted and got 12??? Counted again and got 15, then gave up and made someone else count (I was right the first time with 17!)

No I get it, I just don't think it's funny.

I like it, makes a change from the usual twaddle on these kind of job adverts!

Children of all ages do need to learn to manage risks, it doesn't mean just leaving them to their own devices entirely... It's to do with not intervening every time they do something mildly risky, I work with babies and yes I actively encourage them to manage risks but in an age appropriate way. For an 11 month old this might be something as simple as letting them climb down the small steps on the climbing frame and not jumping in to say 'oh no be careful,let's me help you, etc.). It does not mean leaving them to cross a road, operate heavy machinery etc.

Giving children opportunities to manage risk helps them to become resilient, it is a vital life skill gets down off soapbox

😀 tiggy
Or the ability to tell the difference between chocolate playdough and poo, especially when the chocolate playdough has been placed on he floor in a poo shape by a mischeavous member of staff

Absolutely agree glorious
Risk is as essential as food and water

I imagine food and water is probably slightly more essential given they'd die without it

Yes, but only just slightly more important, maybe 😀

Tiggy what a great ad, thanks for sharing :)

Can't even be bothered to have a go at the naysayers and nitpickers, other than to say how fucking joyless!

It is spot on and I know everybody I work with would get it. Yes, it might seem twee, but a lot of what we do with young children in education could be seen as twee too, unless you understand the thought that goes behind it all. A great deal of time is spent on the infinitely fascinating subjects of poo and wee and if you couldn't laugh about it all you definitely couldn't do the job.