Hi all,
I had an issue today with my sons nursery and I just want some advice on it..
My son is three years old, and has attended nursery from the age of around 18 months. He has always cried while I am dropping him off in the morning, which I had originally put down to a bit of separation anxiety (lockdown baby.) His comforters are a dummy (getting this off of him is a work in progress but we don't mind him having it at night times and going into nursery as we know he gets upset) and his favourite teddy.
This morning I was bringing my son into his class as normal, I pick him up and bring him into the room as normal he had his dummy and his teddy. There is a new lady in the classroom, I briefly spoke to her about what my son had done the night before and as I went to hand him over and leave he began getting upset, as I was leaving he was crying and asking me to wave at the window (right next to the classroom door) so I said that I would.
As I was watching to wave, the member of staff put my son down, ruffled his hair and then walked away with him - with him still crying, he followed her with his arms up and she walked away from him again. To which he again tapped her leg with his arms up, and she again, walked away.
He then walked over to another member of staff with his arms up to her, she also ignored him. At this point he was crying to the point I could hear him from outside of the room and his mouth was wide open, meaning his dummy fell out - my son bent down to pick it up, and the member of staff snatched it out of his hand and put it in his drawer, which obviously made him more distressed.
At this point I took a step back from the window as it was just hard to watch my son get treated like this when he was only looking for comfort. I decided I wasn't leaving him there and went into the classroom to get him. He had moved to a different area of the classroom, on his own, still crying, with no staff member acknowledging him, no one trying to speak to him, cuddle him, nothing.. There was never any attempt to calm him down or even just speak to him.
As I walked in the staff were 'shocked' lets say, panicking telling me that my son was 'fine.' Even though he had ran to me instantly and was finding it hard to catch his breath. I told them that I was bringing him home and I wanted his dummy back. On my way out, at reception I was told the manager wasn't in that day so asked that she contact myself or my sons father about the issue. The member of staff there was covering from another nursery so I asked to do so privately, which she brought me to a private room and did agree that what had happened, shouldn't of - a member of staff from my sons classroom came to the room we were in and asked if I was okay, the cover staff just said to her that I was bringing my son home as he was 'a little bit upset' to which the member of staff from his room replied 'he always is in the morning.'
Neither myself or my sons father received any contact from the manager today, so I was just looking for some advice on what to do. I have said to my sons father I would like a meeting with them (the third in just over six months, firstly for leaving him in a nappy for 8 hours (before he potty trained), secondly he came home with his bum covered in poo that had been there so long it had dried) and now this, I'm just at my wits end.
Do you think I should go higher than the actual nursery? (they have been rated 'needs improvement' with ofsted twice in the past year, the last inspection being November.) Are there any specific questions I should ask in the meeting? Am I overreacting?
I'm just so concerned that this is a common occurrence and by chance I witnessed it today