Would you send your 1 year old to a nursery where staff smoke during breaks?

[DesignMamma]

I went to see a nursery yesterday, where I am going to enroll my 1 year l old, I noticed staff smoking during their lunch break. I am all for people doing what they want during their breaks, however what I am worried about is smoke still being on clothes etc. Any mums out there with similar experiences with their nurseries? Thanks

No

If you hadn't seen them, you wouldn't know. If you go somewhere else they may well smoke but hide it better.

No way.

I don't get the issue sorry.

Yes. How does smelling of tobacco harm a child ?

No. I hate smoking and don't like it around my child.

@frogface69

Yes. How does smelling of tobacco harm a child ?

"third hand smoke" is a thing. Health visitors now advise smoking parents to change clothes and wash hands before they touch the baby.

No idea how harmful it really is or if it's just newborns though.

You have no idea if the staff smoke at any nursery. You just saw these ones doing it. I used to work at a nursery and as long as we were off site and out of sight you were allowed a fag on your break.

No.

What if you found a great nursery, your child loved it, loved the staff then a new staff member started who smokes? Would you move your child?

You have no control over what people do in their breaks and whether or not someone smokes isn't a question asked at interview or considered during recruitment so at any point a new staff member could start who smokes.

No

Most nurseries don't allow staff to smoke in uniform or in view of the building. I wouldn't choose a nursery where this was permitted to happen. It shows a disregard for children's welfare and the reputation of the nursery.

There are also some risks associated with third hand smoke. Although I wouldn't be quite so worried about this as it is very unlikely be long term exposure for your child.

No way would I find that acceptable.

Where were they? Outside out of sight of the children?
I wouldn’t like it I have to say, I had ructions with brown owl once.
But ask about hand washing policy etc. Like others have said not sure what else you can do.

When I worked at a nursery, staff that smoked had to wear something over their uniform and wash hands and chew gum before going back into the nursery. It wouldn't put me off

Nope

I'm a nursery nurse, I don't smoke myself but some colleagues do. They have to cover their uniform, make sure they are well away from the building and out of sight, wash their hands as soon as they come back in, and I think they also use body spray but I don't know if that's their own choice or if they've been told to do it.

@idontlikealdi

If you hadn't seen them, you wouldn't know. If you go somewhere else they may well smoke but hide it better.

You'd smell it a mile off

Wow!! Interesting responses! When a person smokes they will breath out carbon monoxide for approx 2-3 hours after a cigarette. This is obviously the same gas people have alarms for in their houses. (Not wanting to be alarmist, but it certainly isn't good for childhood brain development) I would certainly not want my children trapped in a room with that!!!

Nurseries can't stop people smoking on their lunch. As a pp has explained, they can make sure staff change their uniform, do it out of sight and enforce hand washing, but that's as far as they can go. I don't exactly love to see it myself, but I don't think you can ever expect it to be completely forbidden in a childcare setting.

No

@TheIblisHasspoken

Wow!! Interesting responses! When a person smokes they will breath out carbon monoxide for approx 2-3 hours after a cigarette. This is obviously the same gas people have alarms for in their houses. (Not wanting to be alarmist, but it certainly isn't good for childhood brain development) I would certainly not want my children trapped in a room with that!!!

But how will you prevent it?

Nursery staff are allowed to smoke, so are school staff and childminders. If they're washing hands, changing clothes, staying out of sight and spraying then you won't know whether or not they smoke.

You can choose to never send your child to nursery/childminder or school I suppose.

Thank you for the responses, the two staff were on the bench outside the nursery (so in plain view of everyone passing by, although the nursery kids were inside & staff do not wear uniform at this nursery). Do not want to overreact but personally the smoke on clothes and breathe makes me uncomfortable if it's around young children.. I think I will ask the nursery manager what their smoking policy is, and as a option consider a child minder / nanny who doesn't smoke.

No but it would be hard to ensure that you are choosing a nursery where no one smokes. You can smell smoke on a person’s hands even if they wash them and those hands are touching the children.

It wouldn't bother me. I used to smoke years ago and also grew up with adults smoking.