Worried about working in same room as DS

[Emeraldrings]

Am feeling slightly apprehensive about Monday. DS is moving in to preschool room which isn't a problem in itself. Expect I work in preschool room and won't be moving until September.
I think it's going to be incredibly hard being there as he will see me as mum not as a nursery nurse. Absolutely no way round it until September.
His new key worker said she'll have him with the younger ones and I can have the older preschoolers but she's a 1:1 3 days a week for an older pre schooler so don't see how that will happen.
Has anyone worked with their child in the same room? Was it fairly easy?

I have but he was younger and I have to say it was awful. Absolutely would never do it again. However your son is older as he's going into the preschool room so you can talk to him more about it. Hopefully someone else will come along with their experience

Oh wow I wouldn't like that at all, your right it will probably very very hard for him to differentiate and he will likely stick to you like glue and find it very difficult when you inevitably move rooms.

Is there no way of leaving him in the room he's in until you switch rooms in September? It's not that far away and would solve any potential issues easily.

I worked in a setting where we had two members of staff who had their children in the room. Both preschool age. One found it difficult to set boundaries, her child was extremely clingy and it was very tricky for the key person to do anything with her because she wouldn't leave her mum's side. She also reacted very differently to situations with mum - if she wanted a toy she cried and cried to her mum until she got it, but if another staff member took the lead on that interaction and explained sharing she accepted it without question! The other mum was very clear that she's working and can't always be with her child, and he was absolutely brilliant about it - when upset he'd only go to her, understandably, and for a while if he needed personal care he wouldn't let anyone else do it, but after a few terms let others staff help him when needed.

Both children had a session or two when they were there without their parent, which did help.

So it depends on your personality and the child's! It can definitely work though. It might feel a little cruel for you, I saw it in both staff members how difficult it was to get used to setting those boundaries at work and encouraging that independence.

It's been difficult for the 2 workers that have been in the same situation. Kids got very upset, clingy etc. Mum got told off by other staff for being with her own kid too much. With that said, I do think it depends on personalities.

I think it's unfortunate that I can't move/he can't stay in his room until September but they won't let him stay in 2 to 3 years old group past his birthday.
He's had lots of settles which have mostly been fine but I'm hyper aware of not spending too much time with him. The thing is when he's upset or tired he wants me and I don't know how much to allow it.
He's non verbal and has development delay in other areas so I'm more protective of him than my older DDs. I think that also makes it more complicated. It's going to be about 9 weeks I think, then I'm changing rooms which I think might be unsettling for him too.

You didn't mention his SEN! In that case yes it will be unsettling, you really need to talk to your manager about what is best for him. Why are you moving out of the preschool room? Ideally you would stay once he moves up. It's such a short amount of time so many children would be fine with briefly being in the room with their parent, but it's totally different with a child with developmental delay SEN. How long has this been on the cards for you and him? I would absolutely have avoided it from the very beginning :(

It wasn't supposed to happen at all. I was supposed to move to the 2 to 3 years old room as soon as he moved to preschool. Due to staff leaving , qualified staff being needed etc I can't move rooms. There's actually no way to make it work. Potentially I could swap with someone from baby room but none of them want to move to preschool. So I'm stuck until September.
His settles have been okay and I've mainly let other staff step in and do things for him so I'll just have to see how it goes this week and hope I'm worrying over nothing.

I've had my son with me in preschool 3 days a week since Easter 2022 and its been fine.

But given you will be moving in September it really doesn't sound like your work place actually considers what is in the children's best interests as that would be unsettling for any child, before you even factor in any additional needs. Why couldn't he have stayed in 2-3 until september? If he has developmental delay then I am sure they can continue to meet his needs for a couple of months more.
Unless they are full, and have someone waiting all the way down the chain I suppose. But then the manager still should have sorted staffing out...Why is someone in the baby room not wanting to move any more important than you not wanting to delay your move out, if that was what had been agreed would happen?