If 2 children are continually clashing at nursery what should the staff do?

[glasjam]

OK I have an ongoing problem at my just turned 4 year old's nursery. It's a state run nursery and has a good local reputation although the only grumbles I have heard about it are always from the parents of boys.

My boy is constantly clashing with one child who is 3 - the boy seems to think that it is fun to push and hit my boy and I think it's his way of communicating or trying to get him to play. Unfortunately it is quite rough and twice this term alone I have had to sign incident forms. My boy is also a livewire but has made brilliant progress in not lashing out in retaliation which we are all really pleased by.

I think that more could possibly be done to keep these children apart or at least observe them more vigilantly when they are together. I think there's not much that can be done on the "let's try and be friends" route because I think the younger child is a bit too immature at present to process this. He doesn't seem particularly verbal and this will probably eventually change but at the moment I feel that option is not going to work.

I am seeing the head teacher tomorrow but when I phoned to make an appointment she was already in defensive mode and basically said that she believed that the supervision was "fine" and that they could only do so much.

Am I being naive to think that something CAN be done or should I just accept that my boy will be injured (and we're talking visible bloody scratches, egg sized lumps on the head etc..)at least once EVERY week? Thanks!

Well my DD was bitten LOADS of times (once on the face) by a particluar boy at nursery.

The nursery met with the boy's parents (who were lovely btw) and agreed a 'punishment' - i.e. every time he did it (or attempted to) they would spearate him from the group for 10 mins.

It worked. So to answer your question, yes I think they need to have a plan to address it.

Yes, they must have a plan to address it. There is only so much they can do, but they have to address it. If the staff are aware o the situation, they should be more vigilant surely an try to divert the child when this starts. Heads are always defensive, ignore that, if this situation was happening at home and he was coming in with lumps an bumps, believe me, they wouldn't think it was fine". Interesting that she already knows about the situation, has it been discussed at staff meetings? If so, there it must be an issue at nursery. Good Luck and keep at it, this is not right, for you or your child.