Saw nursery worker 'roughly' handle child

[Fantabulousauras]

During a settling in session for my child we saw a nursery worker in the baby room sort of shove a one year old down by the arm. She wasnt holding the child so didn't need to put him down or anything.

But he was standing in the sand pit and she wanted him to sit i assume. I am not sure why or if there is further context i am missing. I don't think he was trying to climb out but can't be sure but even so the wall is very low so it would have been ok?

The child wasn't crying but had a bit of a lip wobble so could possibly have been upset by this. There were no smiles from the nursery worker She may have had something in her other hand too if that is relevant. I had an uneasy feeling about her because of this mainly but she also looked generally a bit annoyed but that in itself is human nature and a non issue I think.

I have tried to provide as many details as I can remember to see if this is something that I should be concerned about or does it need reporting.

If I was going to be present for more sessions then I would wait and observe more but this was the first and only session I am present for.

Equally, if it is a non issue I dont want to raise anything that doesnt need raising as my child will be around this person too.

Insight welcome.

I thought it would be more difficult with holiday cover and also lack of accountability with only being one member of staff but I may have been wrong to overlook.

That's true

That's awful

Report it to the manager. There was 1 staff member at my child's preschool who was seen doing exactly this by a little girls mother (roughly handling her daughter). The staff member was very unfriendly and had a reputation for not liking boys. Eventually, the other members of staff asked for her to be removed from the setting because she had been unkind to children on several occasions.

I would deal with this now.

I feel like i am doubting myself so much. I wish they had recorded cctv so the manager can look back herself at what happened. But I do know I didnt like what I saw.

This is the problem, you don't want to think it. Trust your instincts and be honest with the manager.

Thank you

DH also told me he saw her grab a spade of a baby and throw it into the sandpit presumably to stop them pouring sand out. But no redirection or warmth etc.

It’s not ok, and I would definitely tell the manager. I reported one myself (in a professional, supportive way as part of my job) and told them to look at their safe handling policy. I would not be happy leaving my child in the care of someone who might drag them around by their arms like that.

So she wasnt holding him and I wouldnt say she dragged him but she did roughly shove him down on the shoulder/arm to sit when he wasn't quite sitting with one of her hands but I am not sure why as the child wasn't doing anything that i could see. But there weren't any words or warmth or smiles so it wholly felt off to me.

Trust your gut, 100%!