Have you seen your child's nursery room? Do you go in the room at pick up? Lack of transparency is worrying me.

[Paradisaeidae]

DC started at nursery last year. As it was still high covid our visit was after hours so no interactions to see between staff and children and it was dark so no view of the outside area.

DC settled in slowly and I was worried about lack of info about his day. We asked about these things and were invited to look at the room again, but again, it was after hours.

He's now moved to the next age group room. We've not been invited to look at it. I've mentioned this and still not been shown it even after hours. It's a higher ratio and a bigger busier room. DC is hesitant about it.

The layout of the nursery you can't do even a casual peep into the playground or the nursery rooms. Which is good from a security point of view but with my older child I loved being able to peek at them playing happily before they spotted me. It really helped me to see them happily. playing.

Communication still not great either.

I'm just left with this niggly anxiety/concern. I've worked in early years myself and I think the lack of transparency and minimal communication - its just not filling me with confidence.

Would other parents feel the same?
And are other nurseries still doing this??

Bump

If DC is hesitant that speaks volumes to me

My DD started nursery in similar circumstances, initial look around was done after closing and I have never been able to go into any of the rooms during opening hours or even peek through the door.
Communication is mainly when DD is 'focus child' otherwise its just a couple of minutes to let me know how her day has been. I think the emphasis has changed to enable staff to spend more time actually hands on woth the children rather than paperwork and updating parents?
I think it comes down to how you feel, how your DC feel and why your feeling that way?
Are DC happy there? Do you have reason to feel 'off'? Is it just that previous experience means you expected different and thats thrown you?
In my case I have nothing to compare against, DD seems happy and talks a lot about the staff and from what I see of the staff they all seem to engage well with the children.
I always pick DD up earlyish.. I used to turn up during afternoon tea and be all "oops I'm a little early, ill just wait in reception' so I could here what was going on, everyone seemed happy and now I'm a lot more relaxed.

In old is your DC. I guess not old enough to tell you much himself?

We changed nurseries recently and both our old and new nurseries are allowing parents to pick up indoors now. It makes such a difference when you can them in the surroundings.

Don't underestimate your gut feelings. If you're feeling uneasy and they haven't addressed your queries properly, you've every right to be concerned.

The nursery have changed to "indoor pick ups" and I was really happy about it. But by indoor pick ups what they mean is you go into the foyer/entrance and wait there. You still don't go inside the room your child is in, you're stood on the other side of the door waiting. So other than being slightly less cold it's made no difference to me as a parent in terms of being able to observe I interactions, ratios, resources, the general feel of the room etc.

When I previously asked about the room viewing and lack of communication it was kind of half heartedly responded to but I still wasn't fully put at ease. Some stuff was totally blanked that I'd raised, and other stuff was a bit blah eg going to look at the room again while they were closed.

I don't know, I just wish there was even a tiny bit of being able to have a peek or observe but there's nothing! 😔

Since dc has moved rooms I've mentioned several times both verbally and also by email that I've not seen inside the room, and have asked a few questions and no response to that by email (the email was replied to but those bits not addressed) and when I've mentioned it verbally nothing. Just sort of a blank space in conversation and a smile. 🙄

One of my kids went to a nursery like this for a while (pre covid - they said it was for safeguarding purposes - all kids signed in and out in foyer area and the place was locked down like Fort Knox). I didn’t like it at all.

Our daycare director lets parents have a live virtual tour. She video calls them, then goes into the DC’s room. It’s very reassuring for parents who are new to the centre and have never been in because of COVID.

@egyptiancat yes, with there being zero view of the play spaces eg the outdoor areas being tucked away, no external windows as you walk up, no entry to the rooms, etc topped with low communication it's just not leaving me with a great feeling.

I talk to my dc about the nursery positively, I try to talk about things they might have there to play with and so on, but it's hard when I know so little and have very little insight.

You say with your older child, you loved being able to peek in. Does this mean you’ve chosen a different nursery for your younger dc then? Is the previous nursery still an option?

I have a huge age gap between my dcs and also now live in a different area. My eldest also didn't start childcare until they went to the local preschool attached to the primary school so much older, more verbal, etc.

It all seems soo different now and I sometimes can't believe I signed myself up to the whole chapter of nursery and school stuff all over again!

TBH I wish I could have kept littlest home but being a lockdown tot and it really affecting them I felt they needed that bit of something out of the house to reintegrate them back into society lol rather than just seeing mum and dad. DC2 literally didn't see another child for months at a time at one point.

Same position OP. I'm worried about my DC and will be asking for photos of the environment.

Ask for photos and a video tour. Do they do parents meetings about progress etc
I've been into all the rooms at my son's nursery, I'm one of the last parents to pick up so there are less children about and it feels more relaxed.

The parents evening kind of things have just been a regular telephone call.

I think for me, even if they show me the empty room, it's just I'm at a point now where the lack of transparency is a worry and it will only be eased with me actually seeing SOME interactions in the room, SOME observation of the room in action, the ratios being right etc.

I know they've been struggling for staffing and hiring (a lot of early years settings are since covid) and it leaves me suspicious that they're being so closed doors because of that. I've worked in nurseries myself that haven't stuck to ratios or had young untrained staff etc. With zero view of the day to day you just have no clue do you?

We've been allowed in for a few months now, and it makes a huge difference.

However, during 2020/early 2021 when we weren't allowed in, they were very good at sending out photos and I know they did do a video tour for new parents. They also did good handovers where they talked through the child's day (whereas now it's more of a 'Yup he's been fine, off you go'). Have you specifically requested a view of the room, or are you waiting for them to offer?

It sounds like you have more concerns than not being allowed in, tbh.

Tell them your concerns.
I work in a nursery and most parents haven't been in since pre-covid. They asked for more insight and they now receive a daily update of what we've done accompanied by photos, individual and group. It takes up a lot of our time but we have to involve parents somehow.

Our parents also asked to know more about staff, especially as there had been changes since they stopped being allowed in the building. There's more information about us on the website and we have "about me" information we give to our key children's parents. They should hopefully value your insight and make some changes. They won't realise what it's like for parents.

I'm allowed in and encouraged to do so, more so at the end of the day. Are you arriving with a lot of time for handover or just before they close?

Personally I'd be unhappy with your set up.

No. We’re in Scotland and have never been allowed in once.

It’s rough, OP. I find it really frustrating that I can come into the room at DS’s karate class but still not nursery.

I thought all EY provision sent carers photos and updates. DD went to a nursery for one term where we weren’t allowed in the front door. It was rubbish. All the nurseries my GC have attended allowed us in and send out photos. Why can’t they give you an online tour for 5 minutes one morning?

This strikes me as odd. I work in a nursery and our visits are still continuing.

We also have transition evenings for those moving up and parents are always invited to attend. This gives the parent a chance to see the room and get a feel for the new routine their DC will be starting.

We also send out photos and observations daily. As well as a full breakdown of sleep times, nappy times and meal times.

Sounds as if another word is needed OP.

@RiskyCookie in Scotland, we still can't have parents in the building. We're allowed a small number each week so have to keep it for emergencies.

Do you get any photo updates during the day? This would at least give you some insight as to what is happening

When I pick up they are often all in the garden so I have a little peak around the corner and watch her
playing before she sees me. If they are inside I go to her class and I can see them playing through the glass door. Has been the same the whole way through.

I'm in yorkshire. My little one started nursery in Oct 2020 at 9 months old and I haven't been inside the nursery (well I have because DD2 was there years ago, but not since he started!). I was allowed a visit in the outside space before he started (I could see the room through a glass door). He is moving rooms in February and i haven't seen the new room although I may get a chance to go out of hours. We have an app where we usually get a photo every day and details of meals, sleep times etc. We get a call from the key worker each half term and get his observations book home. This is fine for me but I know most of the staff there from DD and previously they were very into parental involvement so Im not concerned they are hiding anything. My boy took a loooong time to settle (they called him the koala!) but he gains so much from his time there- something we just haven't been able to replicate elsewhere with covid. Let the staff know you would like more communication-if they are a good nursery I'm sure they would be willing to try and find a solution.