Is it unreasonable to expect childminders / nurseries to avoid food stains on clothes?

[UnsureIsMyMiddleName]

My baby comes home most days with food stains on her clothes, and it’s often things like turmeric which are really hard (if not impossible!) to get out.

I completely understand that babies get messy and I’m not expecting her to come home spotless – general dirt and mess is fine and washes out. But food stains feel a bit different, especially when they’re permanent and ruin outfits.

I’m wondering if this is just something that comes with nursery/childminders and I should accept it, or whether it’s reasonable to expect a bit more care in this regard?

Would you say something?

YABU

Yabu. Send her in cheap/hand me down clothes

YABU

Do you have separate, cheap or secondhand clothes for Childcare OP?

YABU the dirtier they are, the more fun they've had

Yes it’s annoying, but just send her in some old/cheaper clothes. Or use the damaged/stained clothes on nursery days.

Thanks. Would it be weird if I sent her in with one of those Bibado-style coverall bibs (the ones that attach to the highchair) that I use at home, just to help protect her clothes? Or is that a bit over the top?

How are they supposed to avoid it?

All her clothes are cheap but nice so I take care of all of them!

No, you’ve just got to live with it. Grab a bundle of secondhand clothes off Vinted and send her in those.

Yabu, just send her in, in old clothes. It used to irritate me too but I had to get over it. It’s unreasonable to send your child to a nursery and expect one to one type care

Well my cousin told me that her kids come back from nursery with their clothes spotless so I guess it is avoidable

It happens!

Have "nursery clothes" op. Send them to childcare in the stuff with the food stains on and save the unstained stuff for home.

Ace stain remover is my favourite.

Any tomato based stubborn stains, leave them on the washing line on a sunny day (or in a window if you've no line) - the sun fades them. Not sure about turmeric stains though but someone may be more knowledgeable with that one.

Get a separate pile of nursery clothes. We got second hand/hand me downs for nursery and kept them in a separate drawer.

yes it is. just send her in the stained clothes then that way your reducing stuff getting stained.
very rare not to get stains
Dr beckahm deodorant and underarm stain remover very good for orange based stains as well as suncream

It's always been universal that you send them in, in old clothes OP. As long as they're clean. Keep the stained outfits for those tomes only.

Maybe your cousin’s nursery serves bland food?

Dd1 used to come home with stained food til she was about 11, I was just pleased she was eating well!

My childminder used to tie tea towels around the children at meal times which covered them up completely.

YABU - have a pile of nursery clothes and a pile of clothes for best.

If they stain, they are nursery clothes.

I’d question what is on offer to the children if they come home spotless!

That's not a good thing. Spotless means they haven't done nowt all day.

Or your cousin is lying.

Just as a tip OP, a blob of washing up liquid rubbed into greasy stains before they go in the washing machine gets them out no bother. Also for tomato/turmeric/bolognaise/curry type stains hang the item in a sunny window for a day or so and the sun will bleach the stains right out. My DCs were past the toddler stages when I discovered these laundry golden nuggets, I so wish I had known them back then!

YABU

They cannot keep all the children pristine clean. We had separate clothes for nursery, all hand me downs and I didn't chuck them once stained, they just went in stained clothing. Both kids did look like they'd been dressed at the local jumble sale but came home happy and filthy every day.

Do you think your cousin is telling you the truth?