green hippo Posted June 5, 2019 Share Posted June 5, 2019 I need some support from all you lovely people...I have been criticised by one of my parents this week...for a couple of things but one of them was for having dirty dolls! She is a reception teacher so I feel really judged and wounded. I'm not saying my dolls are super clean but they do get washed! The children take them in and out during their child initiated learning time so they are going to get a few mucky prints on them! So...how clean are your dolls? To be honest we could do with new ones but have no money and I've already spent £1000 of my own money since Christmas! I'm really struggling with this criticism. How have others dealt with criticism like this? Thank you Green hippo x Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sunnyday Posted June 5, 2019 Share Posted June 5, 2019 Oh green hippo - anyone can 'pick holes' if they have a mind to, I can't tell you how many times I say things like 'this could do with a good clean' and then fail to do anything about it 2 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Panders Posted June 5, 2019 Share Posted June 5, 2019 Oh dear Greenhippo - there's little point in saying don't take it to heart because it feels like a personal critique - try and look at the nursery with fresh eyes maybe, and see what your parents are seeing with all the things we must do this seems pretty low on the TDL. Re our dolls, they were constantly getting bathed by the children as this was a way of engaging with them and so they looked reasonably clean, even if their hair was "manky" one of them had been face painted as a pirate and that never came off, just faded over time! 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
finleysmaid Posted June 5, 2019 Share Posted June 5, 2019 ask her if she would like to do some cleaning for you?? or sort out a summer cleaning schedule asking parents to take a bag of stuff home and give it a wash. (oh and remember you can't please all of the people all of the time) xxxx 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
louby loo Posted June 5, 2019 Share Posted June 5, 2019 Best not let her come to our setting then! ......... anything of ours looks gruby within five minutes as our old hall floor is so dusty (genuine parquet that needs a good coat of varnish ). Even the children are gruby within minutes of arriving 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mouseketeer Posted June 5, 2019 Share Posted June 5, 2019 1 hour ago, finleysmaid said: ask her if she would like to do some cleaning for you?? or sort out a summer cleaning schedule asking parents to take a bag of stuff home and give it a wash. (oh and remember you can't please all of the people all of the time) xxxx That would be my response too, along the lines of “I appreciate your observation but we do find allowing the children to transport them from indoors to outdoors to continue their interests and learning sometimes means our resources don’t always look their best” and then as you say FM either plan a day where parents are invited to come in and help clean resources in the holiday ....you can bet the complainant won’t be one of them :-( 4 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
green hippo Posted June 5, 2019 Author Share Posted June 5, 2019 Thank you for your support. I think I've taken it so hard because she is also an early years teacher. X 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
finleysmaid Posted June 6, 2019 Share Posted June 6, 2019 9 hours ago, green hippo said: Thank you for your support. I think I've taken it so hard because she is also an early years teacher. X HAHA you'd have to get over that in my setting!! about 30% of my parents work in education!!! 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
blondie Posted June 6, 2019 Share Posted June 6, 2019 I wonder how clean all her resources are? 1 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sunnyday Posted June 7, 2019 Share Posted June 7, 2019 Thought of this thread this morning as I was tidying and cleaning - we have our Reception teacher coming to visit next week did notice one of our dolls seems to have some pen on her head that I couldn't shift Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stargrower Posted June 7, 2019 Share Posted June 7, 2019 I think it's the implications of a criticism like this that are hurtful not the actual criticism. We take it to heart and wonder if the person was implying we are unhygienic, slap dash etc when all they meant was the dolls are a bit grubby. My setting is far from pristine but children learn lots, have fun and I tell myself they have strong immune systems! 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Panders Posted June 7, 2019 Share Posted June 7, 2019 4 hours ago, sunnyday said: Thought of this thread this morning as I was tidying and cleaning - we have our Reception teacher coming to visit next week did notice one of our dolls seems to have some pen on her head that I couldn't shift ballpoint pen? one of my parents suggested hair laquer to remove ball point, but don't know if it works, it didn't work on the item we had which was the cover of a tablet, maybe nail varnish remover might do it. Pinterest very good for this type of thing too, plenty of ideas on there. I used one to straighten out doll's hair when it becomes matted, which was to use neat fabric conditioner and comb it through and leave it for a while before washing out, did a pretty good job considering the mess the hair was in. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
finleysmaid Posted June 7, 2019 Share Posted June 7, 2019 1 minute ago, Panders said: ballpoint pen? one of my parents suggested hair laquer to remove ball point, but don't know if it works, it didn't work on the item we had which was the cover of a tablet, maybe nail varnish remover might do it. Pinterest very good for this type of thing too, plenty of ideas on there. I used one to straighten out doll's hair when it becomes matted, which was to use neat fabric conditioner and comb it through and leave it for a while before washing out, did a pretty good job considering the mess the hair was in. once daughter babysat for a neighbour who's son drew all over the leather sofa with a biro....hairspray did the trick! fab WD40 also great for mark removing or vinegar 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cait Posted June 7, 2019 Share Posted June 7, 2019 (edited) You really shouldn't take it to heart. I'm sure that she wouldn't expect you to be doing such soul searching over it. Everyone is tired and not thinking straight at this time of year, I remember it well. Things you'd normally shrug off with a laugh become more important than they should be. My sister (who is a psychotherapist) would say that it's how you deal with her words that makes the impact of them. They have no power if you ignore them. You know that what you are doing is right, and you can justify why the dolls are a bit grubby. The children having fun and learning in a secure and loving environment staffed by caring professionals is the core, not the cleanliness or otherwise of a few dolls. Edited June 7, 2019 by Cait 5 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
green hippo Posted June 8, 2019 Author Share Posted June 8, 2019 Aww thank you so much everyone. You are all right! I'm trying to focus on all the lovely comments parents make! I've been asked to teach in Reception next year which I'm very excited about. I'll be taking this Nursery class with me which I think will be great for the children. So...this mum will be coming with me as a parent and she'll be on maternity so I'm sure will be watching us with beady eyes! But if she doesn't like how we do things she can always choose another school! Thanks again. 5 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cait Posted June 14, 2019 Share Posted June 14, 2019 Invite her in as a classroom assistant! Unpaid of course Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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