DD not getting outside time at nursery WWYD

[Deathonacrumpet29]

I'm concerned about my daughter and I think nursery are fobbing me off.

They have a large garden but every time I pick my daughter up she hasn't been outside. DD is 14 months. She's only been there a short time and they are busy there (there was a long waiting list).

Her keyworker does send a photo every day but always inside and similar eg food around her mouth at lunch time or her playing in the same area of the room with same toys - but since she has been there she has never taken any photos outside -even on sunny days.

We choose this nursery as it has a reputation for being eco-friendly, outdoorsy and the large garden it has! It's ideal for getting the children in the fresh air and out in nature. For context, the building used to be an old pub so has a massive pub garden and it is right next to a heath! I'm including this so you can see that it isn't in a built up area with no access to outdoor space - quite the opposite!

I complained to the manager and since then I have been informed that she has had outside time but I'm concerned this is only happening to her in isolation and she is being taken out specifically and probably very hastily as I've complained. When asked if she went out with her friends she shakes her head and is very sure she is just taken out on her own? No photos of outside time either.

Do nurseries do this? Only take children out if their parents complain? I'm glad she is getting outside time but I can imagine she is confused why she would go out there by herself. When I queried about this a member of staff said that she didn't know if they all went out as she was on her break!? I asked her to find out and let me know and I've heard nothing.

I'm not friends with any other mums as we drop off at the door due to COVID at different times still so I can't just ask another parent if they know if they go outside.

I think nursery staff are misleading me about this and/or being lazy and I'm not sure what I can do about it?

Has anyone been through similar?

I just want my daughter to get some fresh air - that's why we chose that nursery. Why aren't they taking the children outside?

What would you do?

@Cantfollowmeround I'm going to start looking at alternatives tonight as I don't think I'm expecting much and if it's really important to me then I need to prioritise it for my daughter's sake.

I don't know whether it's normal or not but my experience of nurseries the kids were in was that they moved from the baby room once they were walking and at that point there was a lot more outside play. Up to then it was the babies being walked in prams. There's a massive difference between a 6 month old and a 2 year old. Sounds like they could do with another in between age group.

I completely understand this but this wasn't what I was told when we signed up and that's my issue here - it's not like I've never been told they had outside time and now I'm kicking off about it - quite the opposite! It was one of their unique selling points.

They should have a schedule for each room that includes blocks of outdoor time. Ask to see the room schedule. With that age group it can’t get followed perfectly, but it’s still going to be a good guide to the day.

ultimately though, if your gut tells you something is off, you need to find a new placement.

Goady? Right ok. Good luck with it all.

Free flow is actually a requirement of the EYFS. If she's not getting outside I'd be very concerned.

When my dd was at nursery there was a period when she didn’t go outside, turned out that the leader in her room had had a row with the other room leader and refused to go out in the garden while she was there, so the other room children had loads of garden time and the evil witch in dds room kept her kids indoors. I wasn’t happy, it was another thing added to my list …..

No it isn't.

They should be taking the children outside though, sounds like pure laziness. I would look for a nursery or childminder who is more enthusiastic about childcare.

Well when I was running a preschool it was something we always got picked up on by Ofsted. It was a few years ago but not that long.

I worked in a nursery where this happened, 2-3 year old room and we never took them out and was only when a parent complained that we did. I was only 17 so didn't speak up but now wish I had of, I left after not even a month...

My 3 year old will tell me she has or hasn't done something when the truth is the opposite and she's pretty switched on. Don't rely on this.

I know my 9 month old has outside time at nursery but she somehow keeps very clean. The 3 year old gets in a right state

From what I can see it is just DD's room that doesn't have outside photos as their website and parent's site shows rows and rows of pictures of outdoor play is going on in the rooms up from hers. This is so lovely and encouraging to see. Is there a rule about certain ages not being allowed in photographs on Facebook? That may explain why there's no photos but doesn't explain why the play clothes, hat and suncream I've packed havent been used or worn.

Your 14 month old baby is not a reliable witness. Sorry.

She's a baby. It wouldn't bother me at all

FWIW. I think it's very important she plays outside, and if you don't think that's happening, then move nurseries.

Ask them for a diary of her day for a week...!

@justanothermanicmonday21 that's pretty awful, isn't it? Did the nursery you work in not have the staff/space/time? What equipment is needed? I'm trying to understand the barriers as to why staff aren't taking them outside.

My DS nursery doesn't have any outside space of its own and they still manage to take them outside at least once a day, if not twice. It was also part of their Covid procedures to keep children out as much as possible. I'd be surprised and disappointed if they didn't go out.

That’s rubbish. I’d switch nurseries – fresh air and outside play is so important. Even DD’s inner-city-with-crap-yard-not-garden nursery gets them outside frequently, in all weathers. Though we’re moving soon and looking for a more forest school, outdoorsy vibe.

As an aside, never trust your kid’s answer to what happened at nursery questions. On a day they had a visit from bunnies, DD said they did “Nuffin. It boring.” On a day with birthday cake: “I ate nuffin.” Even a straightforward “did you go to nursery today?” gets a barefaced lie

Looking back it was bad leadership, mainly weather focused as was in the winter. The staff turnover was very high/young.

The nursery I work in now is generally door open policy so we are always outside in the warmer months (however the children do choose we don't take them all out as its free play ) in the colder months we do stints in the garden multiple times a day and unless the weather is really bad (in which case we would bring some of the equipment such as bikes fenced off at one end) or our indoor climbing frame comes out.

DD has been at nursery since she was 11 months old and I remember picking her up after her second settling in session from the garden where she was sat with other kids of a mix of ages singing songs/watching others play. She was in the baby room from the July she started until the following September after she turned 2 and they'd always get outside once a day minimum - we are always getting reminders through winter that they are always out whatever the weather. That said, I don't get a lot of photos of her outside playing - only if they're doing some specific outside (they had some new outdoor equipment recently so there were photos of her trying it out) but I wonder if that's because its a little more chaotic than inside organised activities. But when the weather is nice like at the moment, they're always in the garden at pick up and we constantly get reminders for hats/suncream in the summer, waterproofs for winter that are clearly put to use. Plus the usual dirty knees from scrambling around playing! I wouldn't take a 14 months old response as gospel- even my almost 3 year old is economical with the truth and the stories she tells forever change! I'd look to other evidence - are they asking for more suncream in the summer months, notices with reminders about hats, applying suncream before nursery etc.

No reminders for suncream or hats.
No dirty knees or dirty clothes - except for food sometimes. No outside clothes worn or moved from the bag.

I'll ask them directly and firmly and state that unless they are demonstrating they take them out as a group - I want her to be able to play with her friends not just be taken outside coz I've complained and they want to be seen to be doing something - I will find alternative arrangements and hand DD's nursery place notice in.

I can't be the only parent who doesn't care that in beautiful weather their son or daughter only goes outside to and from nursery or if the parent has time to take them out after work - when she is tired and needs to sleep usually. Babies need fresh air and sunlight and even wind and a bit of rain.

Same thing happen to my DD so I moved her to a new nursery and was so much happier.
That was a refurbed pub too, hope it’s not the same one!

I used to work in a nursery and the babies hardly were taken out as they were unsteady or unable to walk and it was a bit of a headache (not saying this is right) they were sometimes put in buggies outside to watch the bigger kids. Bugger knew who could entertain themselves and move independently were out all the time .

@Cocopogo oh really?! That's interesting. I'm not going to name the nursery on a big public forum that is sometimes attractive to the Daily Mail reporters. Whereabouts (roughly) are you ? Are you in the South nearish the South Coast, by any chance? Feel free to pm me if you like! @Niveasun I completely understand that getting lots of young ones out and into the garden would be a mission but that is their job as that is what they've agreed to do - they agreed to me they would do and many other parents besides.

DD and others could go on a blanket even if it is just for a short amount of time. I don't think there's any excuse.

Do you have no entirely outdoor nurseries near you that you could swap to? They are outside the majority of the day from the baby room up, they even sleep out in old silver cross prams under a big canopy.