Nurseries - do you go in to collect child?

[Gigi00]

DS is 14 months and been at nursery for 12 months

Drop off and collection is to go into the baby room and hand them over where all the other babies are.

The nursery states a no phone policy when we visited to view originally but this doesn't seem to apply when we drop off and pick up. I could be getting my phone out taking photos , yes there are staff around in the room. Babies often approach me and I'm cautious as to not touch other peoples children.

Having spoken to a few friends they all collect from the door and not allowed in.

Just wanted to find out if this is the norm and should i raise with the nursery? They have sent out a parent survey today

DS has been at the nursery since 12 months old*

We drop at door of the room normally . Occasionally, I’ll go in at collection but generally he’ll be handed over at the gate.

Not understanding phone thing. Why would someone have their phone?

Our old nursery was drop off & pick up from the door only. It started shortly after Covid and they just carried it on.

Moved to a new private nursery and it's drop off at the door but 75% of time they let parents in at pick up. That's for pre-school (3-4yr old) the baby room don't let parents in.

@LittleCarrot12 you are allowed in to drop off and pick up with your mobile on you. when i visited originally to view, phones had to be handed over to the office. So doesn't make sense ?

I feel like dropping and collecting at the door seems the safest for the babies?

Ever since COVID we drop off and collect at the door, we aren't allowed into the room. When DC1 first started in 2019 we used to go in and out of the room. I much preferred this and very sad it hasn't come back but I think most if not all other local competition have the same rules so no incentive for them to change.

Usually dropoff at the door but always go in to pick up. I like being able to see the room and it makes me feel confident that the nursery is happy for parents to arrive at any time and see what’s going on.

I don’t see the issue with phones. Why would anyone take out their phone at drop off or pick up?

People could take photos anywhere. I go into my son's primary school daily, kids everywhere, I could probably take a photo without being noticed. I think as long as you're not left alone in the room it's fine.

Drop off and pick up in the room, phones not to be used but you don’t have to give them to anyone, just not have them out.

We drop off / pick up our 14 month old baby boy just inside the front door entrance hallway which is quite spacious and a nice square shape as our nursery was once a private house. So they welcome us into the hallway to wait on collection. The baby room is upstairs so they go and collect and bring your baby down with their nursery bag and give you a handover if how they've been, what they've ate, slept, toys played with, activities etc, run through their daily journal. The toddler room is downstairs off the hallway, but the door stays closed (with a child safety gate across the doorframe too) unless they are bringing out a toddler to their parent.

We drop off and collect at the door outside, if it's raining they let us wait inside but we wouldn't see the other kids as we are waiting in a small corridor essentially.

We go into the building (finger print access) but don't go into the actual room. They don't allow outdoor shoes in the baby room so it's just easier. It's not specifically not allowed though I don't think. No one does though.

I go into the room. I would find handing in my phone a bit weird and not something I would be happy to do

We go in to drop off and pick up. There is a strict no phones policy on the site and people are told to put them away if they get them out by accident (I did once). I'm surprised your place is so lax on this. You don't need to hand them over but they should be enforcing their policy given it relates to safeguarding. If they can't be bothered to enforce that policy what else are they letting slide?

i have visited 5 nurseries (across 2 children) and all tequila to hand in phones when looking around the first time. With both DC we have gone in to the room. DC1 parents had a code for the gate and then you walked through the garden and had a code for the main door. During covid they brought the children to the gate. DC2 you ring the doorbell and a member of staff comes to open the gate, take children through to the room to drop off and then pick them up from the room as well. Not required to hand phones in.

No parents over room doors, this is an extremely strict rule at DC’s nursery

We drop and pick up inside the room. I would be really uncomfortable if I wasn’t able to turn up anytime and see what was going on. Would not use a nursery with door drop off/collection only.

Same, when I collect I like to stand outside the room for a minute to see what DS is doing. It's the only time I get to see that he is truly enjoying the nursery and interacting with the other children because he runs to me as soon as he sees me.

We went in for drop off and collection at all nurseries we have used. We had to drop at the door for a period during covid. I think I’d find it weird if I couldn’t go in. It would be like they had something to hide

We've always dropped off in the room and collected from the room. We get to speak with the keyworker and find out about her day. I wouldn't be happy not being able to walk in and see what was going on. Our nursery has an open door policy so we can go in whenever we like to observe/spend time with our children/get involved in activities etc.

Mine had this as a Covid rule and has now gone back to letting us in the room. It’s much nicer!!

I always thought it was a bit suspect that they didn’t want us to see inside, and I like seeing my child playing with others / getting their coat etc.

It also means I know who the other children are - and their parents! I am fine with the fact a fellow parent might recognise my child out and about, this makes it feel like a community!

It seems to change every so often as management changes or they try different set ups. At the moment we go in for both drop off and pick up. If I got my phone out someone would very swiftly tell me off. I've seen it happen so someone who was just checking their emails.

We go into the room at my little one's nursery.

We go in. We couldn't for a year or two during covid including DC2's whole time in the baby room. We definitely prefer to go in, it's much easier to build a relationship with the staff and the other parents when you're not doing a hurried handover at the door in a queue of busy people.

At our nursery, the phone policy applies to staff not parents. I once took a quick pic of something DC1 was doing in the baby room to show DH, staff were fine and encouraging as it was only her in the shot.

Other parents having their phones on the, or indeed out, never occurred to me as a cause for concern.

I've been a Nursery Nurse for 30 years. Going into the room at pick up and drop off times is your only real chance at seeing behind the facade and seeing what it's really like. The staff interaction, the equipment quality, the way things are offered to children, ratios etc. Avoid nurseries who don't let you in.

Depends on the time of day at mine, if I collect DD early afternoon, they usually have the little ones napping so all parents collect at the door, if at closing, parents go in the room and collect.
Our nursery also has a phone ban but it's more just don't use it in the room, you're allowed to have It on you as most of the time you're in there for at most 3/4 minutes