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Am furious at nursery, am going to kick their ass this afternoon!

86 replies

leglebegle · 03/02/2005 13:40

My ds1 is sort of potty trained but still has loads of accidents. Its not going well at all and My health visitor says its all to do with our new baby. ds1 goes to nursery 3 days a week and every time I am given 3 changes of sopping wet clothes back at the end of the day. I couldn't understand why it was going so badly and why we started so well at home and then it deteriorated into him not even wanting to sit on the potty at all. 3 things happened so far this week which have shown me what is going on and I am so shocked. Monday - I'm told that ds1 and another boy won't go in the designated toilet breaks (both have only just learned to use potty) and they are just 'lazy' as they lose control of their bladders later. Tuesday I arrive and tell them ds1 has just said he needs to do a poo. He's waved to the bathroom on his own and told 'you know what to do'. Well, actually he doesn't! He struggles with his buttons on his jeans, he can't sit on the big loo yet by himself as he's a bit scared in case he falls in, at home we have one of those seats you put over the loo to make it smaller. I was shocked to realise they were going to leave him by himself when he clearly can't do it. Then last straw was last night when I went to pick him up only to find him soaking wet and upset. I'm told he'd said he needed to go the loo, was sent in by himself, he couldn't pull his jeans off, in the end had pulled them down with the buttons still done up he was that desperate and had tried his best to sit on the loo but couldn't balance and had 'misfired' and soaked his jeans. I am furious and so is dh (who is usually the voice of reason). He is so clearly not potty trained, he needs to be helped! I am going in this afternoon to have this out with them. What would you say?

OP posts:
Are your children’s vaccines up to date?
Bozza · 03/02/2005 14:07

Also if they can't leave the room with one child like that they need to look at their organisation.

HeyEnidYouveLostWeight · 03/02/2005 14:08

Just been to visit a nursery for dd2 for September - they had four staff and normally have eight children (between 2.5 and 3.5) so plenty of people to take individuals to the loo. Whats the ratio at your nursery?

wordsmith · 03/02/2005 14:09

Kick ass Leglebegle! It's just not on. At DS2's nursery, yes, they do have toilet breaks, but if a child wants the loo they go when they need to -and there's ALWAYS ALWAYS ALWAYS an adult present, even with the oldest ones!

HeyEnidYouveLostWeight · 03/02/2005 14:09

leglebegle are you back at work, if not, why don't you take him out and have him at home with you? would that be at all possible?

lunavix · 03/02/2005 14:09

I think this is disgusting and calls for a lot of shouting, formal complaints and to be honest I'd take my child out of the nursery.

I don't care if they had one teacher in a room, you can't expect small kids to perform to a 'toilet break'.

PuffTheMagicDragon · 03/02/2005 14:09

IMO there is laziness in the nursery, but it's got nothing to do with the children!

wordsmith · 03/02/2005 14:10

Enid - the adult/child ratio is set by law (or social services which is the same thing . I think it's 1:3 in baby room and then 1:6 when they're older. But don't quote me.

hoxtonchick · 03/02/2005 14:10

at ds' nursery there are mini-toilets as part of his room so no-one has to go out to use the loo. he's just 3. when he was being trained he was taken to the loo every 10 minutes ( - we certainly didn't do that at home...) to try & avoid accidents. they made a big big fuss about how well he did when learning, made him a special badge & everything. i was really pleased with them. he has the odd accident now & we just get a bag of wet clothes at the end of the day. he also still gets stamps on his hands for doing well.

really hope you sort this out leglebegle, your poor ds.

HeyEnidYouveLostWeight · 03/02/2005 14:11

its child abuse IMO

Socci · 03/02/2005 14:12

Message withdrawn

frogs · 03/02/2005 14:12

hc's post reminded me -- at ds's old nursery they actually used to wash and dry the offending clothes as well, so you'd get them back all clean and fluffy.

Twiglett · 03/02/2005 14:13

I would be seething and would storm in there all guns blazing, but if you want a solution rather than an argument I would suggest you try to approach it unemotionally

I think it is appalling treatment that needs to be addressed

Amanda3266 · 03/02/2005 14:15

This is awful - no way should your child be expected to cope with all the demands of undressing and redressing along with getting the wee in the right place. These are big challenges for a small child who is still learning. Yes - you definitely need to bring this up with the nursery - your son is not lazy - just learning and it all takes time. I'm sure toilet breaks are a good idea but they shouldn't be the only time he can go. And there should be an adult who can take him when he does go - have they undergone a rapid change of staff recently.
I'd be heartbroken if this was my child - mot good at all.
Mandy

Hulababy · 03/02/2005 14:16

frogs - DD's last nursery (where she was when PTing) also used to put wet clothes through a quick rinse/dry cycle on the washer and dryer too. They used to do this with clothes with paint, etc. on to. They always did at least one load of washing each afternoon anyway of other stuff - so did it all then.

Bozza · 03/02/2005 14:17

Frogs that is impressive. I currently get on average one outfit a day home from DD - but she is 8 months and a food smearer.

sobernow · 03/02/2005 14:20

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

leglebegle · 03/02/2005 14:32

thanks for all messages. I have decided to go in tomorrow morning so I can leave the baby with my Mum and really go through it with them. I will let you know how I get on. I am really suprised they let them go in on their own, and its nice to know that other nurseries don't do this unless the children are just about to start school. I am going to tell the manager about the laziness comment. It worries me about how 'sympathetic' she is when he has accidents. He is not old enough to be sitting on a porcelain toilet on a tiled floor when he can't balance properly. They are the mini one's but the seat's are full size IYKWIM so he has to hang on. There are potties in there but as he's on his own I assume he tried to be like the others and sit on the big loo. I only know because that's where I found him yesterday by himself. I am so p'd off. Just when you think you're lucky to have a good nursery, something happens to disappoint you. Keeping him at home isn't an option as I am due to go back to work shortly and apart from this he is happy and looks forward to nursery. It would be a big step back to just remove him. Will let you know how I get on and will use some of these comments to illustrate to the nursery what others do.

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scotlou · 03/02/2005 14:34

I agree with everyone else - that is no way to treat a small child. When ds was small it was the nursery that instigated his potty training (I was too lazy and would have waited till he was 18 probably!) Took him regulary and progressed from potty to toddler toilet. They did have toilet breaks - it does help them to manage staffing in advance - but obviously they would take kids in between times if required. They did used to wash and dry soiled clothes too - until good old Health & Safety stopped all that (slight risk of infection being transferred through washing machine or something!)

Bozza · 03/02/2005 14:38

Eh? Scotlou. Would have thought if anyone was worried about infection they could always wash them at home again themselves.

Leglebeagle agree that is wise to wait until you don't have baby there as a distraction.

Sponge · 03/02/2005 14:51

Even when they're just about to start school they need help wiping after a pooh IME. My dd is 4.5 and at school but still doesn't make a great job of this - we have wet loo wipes at home to help her out and she'll often ask me or dh to help her wipe.
It's easy for them to get infections if they don't clean themselves up properly and it's completely unreasonable to expect a child who is just potty training to be able to manage this alone.
Give em hell.

leglebegle · 03/02/2005 15:15

Sponge - that is exactly what my Mum said when I told her today! She said how on earth can he wipe his bottom after a poo? He's only just 3 and could never be expected to do it properly! I hadn't even thought of that till she said.

OP posts:
franch · 03/02/2005 15:22

leglebegle, I have no experience to offer but just wanted to back up everything you've said - I'm very shocked at the 'laziness' remark and am amazed that any nursery operates this way.

fisil · 03/02/2005 15:26

Surely one reason for the staff ratios is so that if a child who is currently being potty trained suddenly needs to go to the toilet, someone is always available to take him?

really for you

Poshpaws · 03/02/2005 15:34

leglebegle, I think the bottom wiping thing comes from child abuse allegations (or something). Most parents I know who send their children to nursery (me included) notice that their children's bottoms are not wiped - I think it's ridiculous.

Must admit, I know where you are coming from with the wee thing. DS has started to wet himself this week during the day when he has been dry during the day since he was 2 (he is 3.5). Each time I go to pick him up they tell me how many times he has wet himself that day. I understand why they tell me, but it is beginning to annoy me as they tell me in front of the other children and DS (not that he or they seemed bothered, but I am) and there are no suggestions about what I can do to help him. He does not do it at home so I presume it is nursery. Apparently he no longer asks to go when he needs to (after the designated toilet breaks).

So, I'm going in this afternoon to find out what exactly happens and see if they are monitoring it as much as they should (appreciate the number of other children they have but this is clearly a problem).

Good luck and I hope you can resolve it soon.

Pamina3 · 03/02/2005 15:41

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Message withdrawn at poster's request.