Active discussions

Are your children’s vaccines up to date?

Set a reminder

Please or to access all these features

Talk
Nurseries

Find nursery advice from other Mumsnetters on our Nursery forum. For more guidance on early years development, sign up for Mumsnet Ages & Stages emails.

Original poster

Routine around nursery

85 replies

theotherfossilsister · 05/05/2023 12:21

Sorry I know I make lots of anxious threads but.ik.now worrying about routine aroud nursery, bedtime, dinner, etc. If a child is collected at five thirty, and it's forty minutes home then isn't dinner/bath etc all a bit of a rush? Do you let them sleep on the way home

OP posts:
Are your children’s vaccines up to date?
Set a reminder
Hazelnuttella · 10/05/2023 13:28

I would also put him on the waiting list for a closer nursery. That 45 min walk is not going to be nice when it’s raining and dark.

I would let him eat in the buggy (not if I was driving in the car).

cpphelp · 10/05/2023 13:28

I'm going to leave this chat now as I'm a bit bored!

Each to their own with regards to safety.... take care everyone!

tikkanaan · 10/05/2023 13:29

cpphelp · 10/05/2023 13:26

@jannier yeah I absolutely would. No question.

Children from 1-5 should be with an adult while they eat. They choke much more easily.

tikkanaan · 10/05/2023 13:30

cpphelp · 10/05/2023 13:28

I'm going to leave this chat now as I'm a bit bored!

Each to their own with regards to safety.... take care everyone!

Fair enoughme too. Safe eating everyone.

cpphelp · 10/05/2023 13:30

This reply has been deleted

Message deleted by MNHQ. Here's a link to our Talk Guidelines.

jannier · 10/05/2023 13:34

cpphelp · 10/05/2023 13:24

@jannier well thanks!

This actually brings me to a huge brag about my children. They sit so nicely through all meals it's unreal. We occasionally have colouring in a restaurant but never an iPad etc.
we've been to a couple of weddings last year in fact where we were very much complimented on the boys nice behaviour at the table.

I am definitely proud of my boys.

But that's when you are with them not when you've left them for 15 minutes....and even attended we choke.
I've always taken children to eat out in restaurants like you describe the accompanied behaviour is not the issue ....and you've never choked on anything even sat up eating nicely?

jannier · 10/05/2023 13:36

This reply has been deleted

Message deleted by MNHQ. Here's a link to our Talk Guidelines.

Regularly...in fact every working day then twins just turned 2 and a 5 year old when I'm not working.

Whatt · 10/05/2023 13:38

Ohhh dinner at nursery is not really dinner I hope you know.

I work for a childcare agency and have been to a lot of nurseries. The last meal is not a dinner trust me.

cpphelp · 10/05/2023 13:38

@jannier sorry, I can't make sense at all of your last post.... I'm sure I'm the idiot!

What ages are your children/twins?

jannier · 10/05/2023 13:42

cpphelp · 10/05/2023 13:38

@jannier sorry, I can't make sense at all of your last post.... I'm sure I'm the idiot!

What ages are your children/twins?

I work with EYFS in my working life.
My twins I care for out of work are 2 plus sibling ergo 3 under 5 what's so complicated ....

leeloo1 · 10/05/2023 13:43

theotherfossilsister · 10/05/2023 10:19

I'm a bit scared of choking but maybe I could try to keep a close eye on the buggy, the fast one doesn't face me (we have a slow one which does but would add time to the journey.) Any other ideas for keeping him awake? Thank you x

Definitely take the slow buggy (you’ll get faster at doing the walk with it over time) - as facing you will keep them awake. Use the walking time to chat, sing and generally re bond with your little one after nursery. Feed them nutritious snacks as you go, so tea is pretty much ‘done’ and when you get home then you can do bath, pjs and bed.

cpphelp · 10/05/2023 13:44

This reply has been deleted

Message deleted by MNHQ. Here's a link to our Talk Guidelines.

ReeseWitherfork · 10/05/2023 13:48

I’m a pretty laid back parent, lots of risk taking here, but I’d never let my kids eat unsupervised. I don’t stare at them or anything, but always keeping an eye out. Why would they need to eat an apple while I shower?!

Falling asleep is definitely going to be the biggest issue OP. But either way you’ll need to be organised with tea prepared etc.

jannier · 10/05/2023 13:54

This reply has been deleted

Message deleted by MNHQ. Here's a link to our Talk Guidelines.

So if they live with me and I do the parenting they are not having 3 children of my own to care for? You don't have to have given birth to be solely responsible for children from birth to adulthood you know? I pay for them care for them parent them.

ZacharinaQuack · 10/05/2023 13:58

I'm amazed at all the PPs with toddlers who don't need tea after having it at nursery! My child has pre-breakfast at home, breakfast at nursery, then lunch, snack, tea and another dinner at home, at which he sometimes eats more than DP. We live rurally so nursery is about a 20-minute drive. We pick up at about 5:30, home by 550ish, then cook something really quick to be eating by 615 latest. Bathtime at 7, story and normally asleep by 8. In the earlier days (under a year old) he did sometimes drop off in the car on the way home, but it wasn't a disaster if only for a few minutes. Normally only if he hadn't had a good nap at nursery for whatever reason. 40 minutes would have been pushing it though. Now he's two he can stay awake.

Ilikepinacoladass · 11/05/2023 07:26

cpphelp · 10/05/2023 12:53

@tikkanaan at even 'just three' I just still think that's okay! There's no way in a million years your nursery/childminder/or you frankly watch her 1-1 every single bite.

Yes they should be supervised when eating (especially something like an apple). Particularly in the car coz if they are in rear facing you can't even see them and might also not be able to stop straight away if there was a problem. Spicy food/scooters/skatepark/swimming while supervised are all normal and safe activities.

Original poster
theotherfossilsister · 14/05/2023 09:54

Thanks. I like the idea of shouting out colours. He hadn't got any language yet though. Just babbles. He also will sleep in his buggy unless I find a really creative way to keep him up

He's currently going down between eight and nine, which is fine for now but nursery will mean leaving flat at seven twenty at the latest, so I guess a six thirty get up (maybe he could move his night feed to then, although at the moment he needs it in the early hours.) We're actually ok having him up with us, we like his company a lot, but I don't know how good it is for him developmentally

His dad works from home sometimes so could have dinner ready for us getting in, which would help.

He normally has a bath with his dad before bedtime which I'd like to keep because his dad swims him up and down after ducks and it's their special time. Just working out how to make it all work.

I'm lucky that with the eight am drop off, I will then be at work forty five minutes before I need to start working so can have that time to breathe/have coffee/be alone, which I know is such a luxury.

OP posts:
Whatt · 14/05/2023 09:56

Also you won't have to rush and could sometimes drop him off later if your running late.

Original poster
theotherfossilsister · 14/05/2023 10:17

@Whatt true, although I love those forty five minutes. I see them as keeping me sane.

I'd like him to be at nursery for breakfast too, although the plan is to give him milk before we leave and overnight

OP posts:
NurseryNurse10 · 14/05/2023 21:55

Yes we do watch the kids eat every single bite. We would never leave a child unattended when eating. Standard rule in most nurseries.

Emeraldrings · 16/05/2023 18:46

cpphelp · 10/05/2023 12:53

@tikkanaan at even 'just three' I just still think that's okay! There's no way in a million years your nursery/childminder/or you frankly watch her 1-1 every single bite.

They also don't go and have a shower while the children are eating.

BernadetteRostankowskiWolowitz · 16/05/2023 18:52

You could always just accept the sleep and it be bedtime for him? Nursery pop him into a fresh nappy and sleepsuit ready for pickup and you wrap him up in the buggy and he drinks a bottle of milk. Falls asleep. You then get home 6.15 ish, lift him and pop him into bed.

He will probably be shattered after nursery and the fresh air will help get him into a good deep sleep.

Emeraldrings · 16/05/2023 20:55

I don't think most nurseries have the time or staff to get the children ready for bed. If they do it for one then they have to offer it to everyone and it will become impossible. You can ask but I doubt they'll agree.

Whatt · 16/05/2023 23:32

We would judge a parent that picked their child up and put them to bed.
When are you spending time with them? Shocking.
Prepare for a lit of calls that he is not being himself and you need to collect.

Ilikepinacoladass · 17/05/2023 03:53

Whatt · 16/05/2023 23:32

We would judge a parent that picked their child up and put them to bed.
When are you spending time with them? Shocking.
Prepare for a lit of calls that he is not being himself and you need to collect.

On non working days and weekends? Don't think the OP has said if it's full time nursery or not? I would have thought it's better for the child to go to bed on time / when they're tired, than be kept up so parents can spend time with them and then be over tired the next day - seems like that would be more in the interest of the parents than child. I pick my son up from CM and it's straight to bed when home, because he's tired.