Nursery disappointment

I found my LBs nursery like this. All comms were face to face and they kept telling me he was eating everything and drinking well. He'd get home and devour food and guzzle 14oz of water every day that he went. I questioned them and they got defensive about the water intake and I also questioned food as they were saying he'd eaten things I know he won't eat, they then confessed he wasn't actually eating a lot. They also never used to let you inside the nursery whoch was very odd!! I also found out they were only changing his nappy once a day!... over 10hours 🤬 In the end I pulled him out and he started a new placement 3weeks ago... its such a different environment there and my LB is so different now he's actually eating and drinking properly! I hope things improve for you and your LO x

Yeah we feel the same. She’s settled but we hate it. Never gets to go outside never get told what activities she’s done if any and as you say they say she eats everything but sometimes they put that on the app when she hasn’t even been there 😂

Nursery worker here to say not all nurseries are like this! A lot of the things are online on the app and sometimes we don’t get round to doing things instantly during the day as in uploading foods, observations etc as we’re busy with the children but they always get done and they should always be accurate! In regards to the end of day communications, they should be telling you what they’ve enjoyed the most that day, I don’t really ask because my little girl goes there, I only care about what her “next step” is but I do detailed handovers to all my parents ! I think if you’re not happy to look elsewhere, I don’t know how many nurseries you looked around but maybe look at a couple more and put the feelers out to find a new one xx

I've just come to say not all nurseries are like this. My sons nursery is amazing! I love all the staff as does he and they all love him. I went to look round a few and I have to say the one we chose wasn't actually the "best ratings" and the last ofsted wasn't outstanding but when I went to visit I asked about this and felt their explanations were valid. I try not to focus on the app Infact the nurseries that focused on apps and documentation put me off as I don't even know what time they have to do all that if they're looking after them all. Maybe if you don't feel like your little one is settled there have a look at other placements, speak to the managers and the owners and get a vibe of the nursery.

Sorry to hear this Is your LO happy to go in ? Happy to see Key worker ?

As a teacher, I can tell you confidently that an ‘Outstanding’ rating does not mean the establishment is outstanding by any means. A nursery/school can prepare & put on the act for an inspection, so as a parent I would be very wary of going for a nursery or school based on their ratings. Also, take into consideration how long ago they were inspected. It sounds like the nursery your child is at don’t have many permanent staff, or are in the middle of a lot of absences. Both factors are a concern as that leads of instability & lack of consistency for children which to me is a red flag. Does your son have a key worker? What is the child:staff ratio? I’d email the management to arrange for a formal meeting to discuss all your concerns as soon as possible. At the meeting, raise the issues, be blunt & be honest. See how they react, make plans to move forward & improve. If they don’t do anything, either escalate it or move nurseries. No compromises when it comes to our kids 🫶🏻

I would say if you’re not happy or you feel something is off then look for another nursery. We love our little girls nursery, she has an amazing bond with the staff and is always happy to go in. All the staff always greet her by her name too even staff members from other rooms. They do daily outdoor activities such as going to the park, picnics and feeding the ducks. This is all documented on the app and we receive pictures. All food consumed is documented on the app too and it either says , none, little, most or all on the meals and snacks. I always have a chat with the staff on pick up too and never feel rushed it’s such a calming environment. Not all childcare places are disappointing I think you can find some really good ones with caring staff! We looked at about 4 nurseries before choosing ours x

I have mixed feelings about our nursery. I also don’t like that they get served cereal for breakfast considering they said they’re all about it a healthy balanced menu. But the rest of the food seems fine at least. One thing that annoyed me was that they were so proudly showing off their big garden area and told us the children go out come rain or shine. This was a huge plus for me as it reminded me of back home in the Nordics where the children really do go out in ALL weather. The first 3ish months of him going they hadn’t touched his overalls that were in his bag, and his shoes were completely brand new and unused. I finally mentioned something and since then there have been pictures of him outdoors quite regularly and his clothes are no longer clean 😅. His key person also changed a few months ago and I have met her exactly twice, it just seems a bit strange. But my boy loves going there and we are leaving London soon anyway so nothing I’ll complain about now!

I love that we opted for a child minder. Our little one is speaking so much, virtually holding conversations now. He gets a great variety of food and we get photos throughout the day via what’s app. If you’re ever feeling a little uneasy or having a ‘tough mum’ day, I just have to message and she will send photos or let us know how he is. Also a lot more flexible with illness. The one downside we have found is holidays, of course it’s just a lady and her husband so when they have annual leave so do we. But it’s workable