September opening

[anju]

1 minute ago, Mouseketeer said:

It really needs to be doesn’t it, the schools will have class bubbles but chn from each class could well go to the BS/AS clubs and be looked after by the same adult, I’m still undecided on the shared setting with all the other things open that chn can attend now and families mixing (from posts I see or get shown on Fb they are really mixing 😔), then staff are ‘what are you going to do about that’ and you feel like you’ve turned into ‘constable covid’ (other spellings are available) trying to manage everyone’s behaviour and the expectations on you to keep everyone safe whilst having a nervous breakdown yourself ☹️

It’s all such a worry so stressful and I agree about staff then expecting you to be the police ☹️

[sunnyday]

29 minutes ago, Mouseketeer said:

 ‘constable covid’ (other spellings are available) trying to 

Love it mousie! 😷🤣

[jacquieM]

 

Hello all. It's great to hear everyone's opinions. There has been so much added since I last spoke on here. It is reassuring to know we are all fumbling. We open for "stay and play" sessions with social distancing in 3 groups. Our "older returners " (two of them turn 3 on 31 August!!!) in one session, newly older and then younger newbies! It's so they can see the the setting and (re)familiarise them. We are also justifying parents coming in (masked up) to settle their children. It's all staggered (and financially a nightmare!) as we deem it "essential" as the government states is a caveat to grown ups not entering the premises. It's all so ambiguous!

Ive just completed a COVID settling-in policy and also an altered risk assessment. Ive been trawling through documentation to justify not closing if we have a positive case of the virus. 

If the test is negative, they can return, and household members can end their self-isolation but if the test is positive the individual will follow www.nhs.uk “Self-Isolation and Treating Coronavirus Symptoms” guidance.

The Nursery will remain open until advised otherwise. The Nursery will comply with the advice of NHS ‘Test and Trace’ process and the Local Health Protection Team,   

This information is in line with current gov.uk. guidelines within their stipulated “Systems of Control”.

Any thoughts?

So much for holidays this year. I've just become Head. This is hardly how I thought it would be!!! x

[sunnyday]

Hi Jacquie

I might add something about informing setting of test results

Congrats on your headship

[Mouseketeer]

Hi JM, congratulations (I think) on headship, how big is your school?

we opened again in June and the chn just breezed back in and adjusted as if they’d never been gone which was such a relief so I’m not overly concerned about how my returners will cope, though a few have been off the whole time it was many of our middle group who returned rather than the leavers (there will be the wobbles as there always are with a couple following holidays I’m sure), but I don’t have a clue how we are going to support our new very young ones, a few only turn 2 days before starting, I’ve asked parents to consider half days for a while until settled in but that went down like a lead balloon (2 yr funding has a lot to answer for).  I’m planning staggered meet and greets with KPs before going back for new ones as some haven’t even been in yet. I haven’t thought about a covid settling policy, sounds like a plan, if you don’t mind me asking what do you have it? 
 

I am also still considering returning in 2 bubbles rather than 40+ chn and 7 staff all mixing freely to minimise the risk of a ‘one out all out’ scenario....but tomorrow it could be back to ‘ what’s the point’ 😞

 

Edited August 16, 2020 by Mouseketeer

[sunnyday]

I always find it hard to locate this thread - don't know why I am sure it is on my 'following' - who knows.....

Have just had an email from one of my 'new mums' asking is he can stay for her little girl's first two sessions🤔 I have had to say 'no' but have said that she can stand next to the open door (safety barrier obviously) oh heck I feel awful but i can't possibly have all of the .'new parents' in the setting - can I?

How are you all handling this?

[louby loo]

57 minutes ago, sunnyday said:

How are you all handling this?

With my head in the sand at the moment 😟  I really don't know what to do, if we had a decent outside area I would do it there. (I haven mentioned it on a thread somewhere about our problem with this)

What I find interesting is that on Facebook discussions people are saying how well it works without the parents staying, and that the children actually settle much quicker without the parent hanging around.  Funny, because when I first started in childcare this was the norm - that was then deemed bad practice and that children would settle better when parents stay.😳 

Edited August 17, 2020 by louby loo

[sunnyday]

16 minutes ago, louby loo said:

With my head in the sand at the moment 😟  I really don't know what to do, if we had a decent outside area I would do it there. (I haven mentioned it on a thread somewhere about our problem with this)

What I find interesting is that on Facebook discussions people are saying how well it works without the parents staying, and that the children actually settle much quicker without the parent hanging around.  Funny, because when I first started in childcare this was the norm - that was then deemed bad practice and that children would settle better when parents stay.😳 

Thanks louby - I have been really worried about this for a long time, but the email really brought it into sharp focus, this little girl has been at another setting so I think she should be okay, her mum has put all sorts of arrangements into place for people to care for her baby so that she can stay - oh dear

[anju]

28 minutes ago, sunnyday said:

Thanks louby - I have been really worried about this for a long time, but the email really brought it into sharp focus, this little girl has been at another setting so I think she should be okay, her mum has put all sorts of arrangements into place for people to care for her baby so that she can stay - oh dear

I’m still waiting for more guidance before deciding Definitely about settling the new ones 😬

I’m letting them visit in a group of all the new ones before term starts and planning they all hang around the garden and parents have been told to distance from each other. The children can mix as they will all be together with returners in one bubble come September. Then I’m planning to let one parent and child come inside at a time to look at the premises etc. Once term starts I’m planning to have as few new parents (and no returning parents) in the building  as possible. Some will be fine I think. It’s the ones whose parents want to come in which will be difficult and  I don’t want to stagger starts due to Getting all their hours in and finances etc. Am thinking maybe if they have to come in then they stay away from other adults as far as possible and we tell them 10 mins max?? I don’t know really. 

 

[sunnyday]

Thank you anju, it is all so difficult

I need to stop feeling like it's my fault and remind myself that we are just following guidance

[Mouseketeer]

Is anyone else beginning to feel overwhelmed with all the decisions we’re having to make regards September with little to go on and even less in the way of committee support or other staff interest?

if you’re going back as a normal group in one room how many children and adults will mix across the week in your setting? 

[anju]

26 minutes ago, sunnyday said:

Thank you anju, it is all so difficult

I need to stop feeling like it's my fault and remind myself that we are just following guidance

You definitely do 

[anju]

24 minutes ago, Mouseketeer said:

Is anyone else beginning to feel overwhelmed with all the decisions we’re having to make regards September with little to go on and even less in the way of committee support or other staff interest?

if you’re going back as a normal group in one room how many children and adults will mix across the week in your setting? 

Yep 😕 

there will be around 24 children plus 6 adults altogether across the week. Quite a lot eek!

[louby loo]

40 minutes ago, sunnyday said:

I need to stop feeling like it's my fault and remind myself that we are just following guidance

Yes, but I fully understand the feeling.

[louby loo]

38 minutes ago, Mouseketeer said:

Is anyone else beginning to feel overwhelmed with all the decisions we’re having to make regards September with little to go on and even less in the way of committee support or other staff interest?

if you’re going back as a normal group in one room how many children and adults will mix across the week in your setting? 

Yes, defiantly feeling overwhelmed, my deputy is very good though. Both the staff and parents say they trust my decisions. to be honest I can see where the parents are coming form.. but I think the staff are just using it as a cop-out to actually help in anyway 😬

[sunnyday]

48 minutes ago, Mouseketeer said:

Is anyone else beginning to feel overwhelmed with all the decisions we’re having to make regards September with little to go on and even less in the way of committee support or other staff interest?

if you’re going back as a normal group in one room how many children and adults will mix across the week in your setting? 

I was feeling okay, the aforementioned email caused a bit of a wobble

Thankfully my group is really small, it must be so difficult if you have a large group and a lot of staff

I don't have a Committee so no problem there

 

[Mouseketeer]

21 minutes ago, anju said:

Yep 😕 

there will be around 24 children plus 6 adults altogether across the week. Quite a lot eek!

Thanks Anju, we will be 42 + 6 staff across the week and it just feels like to many, I just don’t know what to do, one staff down and bubbles would have to go because of ratios (I usually cover staff absence but would be in ratio a lot more already) I’ve asked staff for their thoughts but get nothing back.

[sunnyday]

1 minute ago, Mouseketeer said:

I’ve asked staff for their thoughts but get nothing back.

So unhelpful

[anju]

2 minutes ago, Mouseketeer said:

Thanks Anju, we will be 42 + 6 staff across the week and it just feels like to many, I just don’t know what to do, one staff down and bubbles would have to go because of ratios (I usually cover staff absence but would be in ratio a lot more already) I’ve asked staff for their thoughts but get nothing back.

It’s a big worry isn’t it and worse for you as you are a bigger setting. I don’t have any answers I’m afraid but I do feel for you. I find that either I get no feedback or too much, like why we don’t need to follow the guidance because ‘someone I know on Facebook says they have soft toys out’ etc 🙄 - does my head in 

[louby loo]

1 hour ago, Mouseketeer said:

Thanks Anju, we will be 42 + 6 staff across the week and it just feels like to many, I just don’t know what to do, one staff down and bubbles would have to go because of ratios (I usually cover staff absence but would be in ratio a lot more already) I’ve asked staff for their thoughts but get nothing back.

We're about 37 over the week with 6 staff (including me).   I feel it's too many, but we need them finically, we are staggering the starts to ease us in, but these will be our numbers after half term.   Every other year our numbers have been really low this time of year 20/24 max, the one year I'd actually like such low numbers we are full with a waiting list.

No committee.

Edited August 17, 2020 by louby loo

[zigzag]

I have been interested in the comments on Facebook about children settling better without parents, I actually prefer it when parents don’t hang around as I feel we get to become closer to the children quicker. I remember the old days when this was the normal way to do it.

We are going to be 14 children and 3 staff across the week, so we are just one bubble as there is no other way of doing it. As for guidance (or lack of) I am using common sense and what I feel is safe and manageable for us.

[anju]

5 minutes ago, louby loo said:

We're about 37 over the week with 6 staff (including me).   I feel it's too many, but we need them finically, we are staggering the starts to ease us in, but these will be our numbers after half term.   Every other year our numbers have been really low this time of year 20/24 max, the one year I'd actually like such low numbers we are full with a waiting list.

No committee.

That’s so typical about your numbers this year 🙄

[Mouseketeer]

6 hours ago, zigzag said:

I have been interested in the comments on Facebook about children settling better without parents, I actually prefer it when parents don’t hang around as I feel we get to become closer to the children quicker. I remember the old days when this was the normal way to do it.

We have always discouraged parents from stopping with their child (since our smaller entrance isn’t suitable for hoards), feeling it only delays the inevitable, if the child is truly showing no signs of settling after a short time we ask them to come back and then spend a little bit of time in the setting before taking the child home (though I’m not planning on this September)sometimes we set a plan to come back in one hour and build it up to a full session over a few sessions) if it’s just white noise between being distracted we usually plough on, if we know a child will be upset on arrival we ask the parent to be a few minutes late rather than early so hand over doesn’t tie up a member of staff at a busy time being a 1:1 and it’s calmer in the cloak room. 
 

I also remember the days when parents would stay whole sessions and would even still be there ‘muddling in’ when their child was fine, I guess that was before the days of stringent safeguarding and Dbs checks and no one had mobile phones to worry about 😝 

Edited August 18, 2020 by Mouseketeer

[louby loo]

7 hours ago, Mouseketeer said:

We have always discouraged parents from stopping with their child (since our smaller entrance isn’t suitable for hoards), feeling it only delays the inevitable, if the child is truly showing no signs of settling after a short time we ask them to come back and then spend a little bit of time in the setting before taking the child home (though I’m not planning on this September)sometimes we set a plan to come back in one hour and build it up to a full session over a few sessions) if it’s just white noise between being distracted we usually plough on, if we know a child will be upset on arrival we ask the parent to be a few minutes late rather than early so hand over doesn’t tie up a member of staff at a busy time being a 1:1 and it’s calmer in the cloak room. 

Your  method sound very similar to ours really, new starters always start later than the regulars- so they come into a room in full play- rather than with other parents still faffing about etc. And they always leave early too - so they go 'mid-play' rather than at the very end.  We then build up both ends time wise until  fully settled, some within days, other may take weeks.

If a child in genuinely unsettled though we do call the parents to come back, it's funny how you get to know real upset as apposed to cross/angry at being left upset. 

[sunnyday]

You are all so right

I also do not allow too much 'hanging around' even in normal circumstances and these are far from normal circumstances

She hasn't replied to my email, I am now beginning to think 'whatevs' which is a great improvement on what I was feeling yesterday

[sunnyday]

Feeling guilty about my last post, she has now sent the most lovely reply

[Mouseketeer]

22 minutes ago, sunnyday said:

Feeling guilty about my last post, she has now sent the most lovely reply

Don’t feel guilty ...it isn’t fair that people can make us feel like they do and think it’s ok 🥺

[zigzag]

https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/covid-19-supervised-toothbrushing-programmes/covid-19-guidance-for-supervised-toothbrushing-programmes-in-early-years-and-school-settings?fbclid=IwAR2mUJlnnFzILwPJ-6HWnn7lPowfVK2dpPx0ko7YhrJLQJNxGwt3b0PTPEM
 

[Mouseketeer]

It’s ridiculous that we have so much to sort out and all we get is a teeth cleaning publication 😠

[anju]

4 minutes ago, Mouseketeer said:

It’s ridiculous that we have so much to sort out and all we get is a teeth cleaning publication 😠

Yep, ludicrous