Need A Good Old Moan!

[Guest]

Just need to have a bit of a moan. At home time parents come into the classroom and we hand their child over to them. If someone other than the expected adult is collecting them it has to be written on a signing out sheet by the childs parent. I was on a course the other day and we had a supply teacher in. A childs grandmother came to collect him and her name was not on the list - she regulary collects him but the supply teacher did the right thing and checked with our nursery nurse that he was ok to go with nanna. The nursery nurse was phoning another parent who had not put a name on the list. The nanna was waiting only 2 or 3 mins but became very aggressive saying she should not have to wait etc.. As soon as the nursery nurse returned she said that it was absolutely fine for the child to go with nanna and she was sorry to keep her waiting. She also explained that it was procedure tat all staff had to check if they were unsure.

 

However nanna has since complained to the head and gosip in the playground has been unbelievable. The general consensous (?) seems to be with parents that staff were just being down right awkward.

 

I am just so angry that all of these procedures are in place to keep their children safe and yet they truly believe that we are just being awkward by enforcing them!!!!

 

Anyway rant over!!!!

[Sue R]

I feel for you!!

 

it's a shame there seems to be such negativity - what if she'd been allowed to take the child and run off with them? Would you have been being awkward then?

 

Recently had a similar thing which took half an hour to resolve - fortunately, everyone was OK - grateful we were so careful, in fact.

 

Sue

[Guest]

I understand your frustration, I once had a grandparent storm off and leave a child because I had to check with mum that it was ok!! I do find that 9 times out of 10 people are very patient and grateful that these things are checked thoroughly. Maybe you should speak to the grandparent again, and explain that the childrens safety is your priority when looking after them and that is why things are checked, and then double checked.

 

There's just no pleasing some people

[hali]

you just have to be greatful that the right thing was done and no harm was done. We have all ben in the same boat, and these parents/carers would hate it if we didnt follow procedure.

[Guest]

One of our dads arrived for his daughter the other day and the member of staff who answered the door didn't know him. The little girl obviously was very happy to go with him but the member of staff asked me to come and say goodbye so that I could check who he was. Apparently he was very impressed that we wouldn't allow his daughter to be taken by just anybody. I would be grateful that staff were being cautious-but you can't please everybody.

I would just ignore the gossip etc-even though it is unfair. They will have something else to moan and gossip about soon.

Linda

[Running Bunny]

What a situation!

 

Like others have suggested, I would talk to nanna or the child's parents to apologise about the delay, but point out that it is procedure.

 

If it starts to happen frequently, I would mention it on your next newsletter or put it on the notice board as a 'polite reminder' that there is a procedure to follow if unfamilar family members are colecting children. (I'd leave it a few weeks or else it will seem like a personal dig, and she may get even more upset)

 

As a matter of interest - what is school proceudre? If it is the same, perhaps you could point out that you are being consistent with school - surely the head teacher should have supported the nursery staff, although you haven't said what the outcome of the complaint was?

 

RB x

[Guest]

Sorry should have explained we are a reception class. The next day we spoke to mum and aplogised for the delay and explained that we were following procedure as our main concern is for the child's safety. However this seems to have caused more trouble as mum went back and told nanna that we had spoken to her the next morning and so she then went and complained to the head about the fact that she was kept waiting. I really thought parents would just be grateful for the fact that we take their child's safety so seriously. I hate any sort of confrontation and am really upset by the fact that parents don't realise that safety is our prime concern and don't like to think that they think we are being awkward.

[Guest]

From your last comment Lola, seems to me that nan was "put out" because her daughter had spoke to her, (told her off) possibly saying something in the lines of "Why make a fuss for having to wait when picking daughter up".

 

I think a notice should go out tomorrow to all parents saying you are changing procedure to prevent delays at pick up time and that anyone or anybody is quite welcome to pick the children up.

 

NOW THAT SHOULD REALLY GIVE THEM SOMETHING TO GOSSIP ABOUT ( tongue in cheek)

 

Chin up, it should all simmer down soon, as Linda says, when they have something else to gossip about.

Rest asurred, quite a few parents will be quietly thinking, well done, you did the right thing, even under pressure to "just let it go", and how secure they feel leaving their children with responsible, professional fdults like your staff obviously are.

 

Peggy

[nicki-k]

hee hee hee Peggy

 

If only we could get away with a sign like that!

[Gezabel]

Oh Lola! I think we can all sympathise with this one but do try not to let it upset you ( easier said than done I know!)

 

Only last week I had a mum drop a child off and in the afternoon a total stranger (to me and all staff) appeared. The child was thrilled to see Grandad and my concern was lessened slightly by the fact that grandad had an older sibling with him that he had obviously collected from school.

 

Nonetheless I was not prepared to let the child go without all necessary checks being made. The explanation was that Mum was out for the day and dad should have collected but was delayed in traffic many miles away so had phoned Grandad.

 

Grandad was not on the list and fully accepted my explanation. I phoned Dad on his mobile and he was extremely grateful for my call and very apologetic - he hadn't got the pre school phone number

 

Either of them could easily have reacted very differently and it could have been me writing you message!

 

Just remember you know in your heart of hearts that you absolutely did the right thing and hopefully nana will realise it was nothing personal but that you had the best interests of her grandchild in mind.

[Guest]

A bit off track, but reminded me from Geraldines comment. Last term I made credit sized cards with preschool contact numbers on for all parents to carry in their purse/handbag/wallet. Hopefully to reduce the incident of stuck in traffic, didn't have your phone number situation.

 

 

They were easy to make printed off on card and laminated.

 

Peggy

[Alison]

peggy we do the same thing provided printed cards with an emergency contact number and some parents remember to phone and others dont but at least we know we gave parents the oppotunity to contact us.

 

Lola arent you glad you can come here and get it off you chest!! this weeks gossip will soon be forgotten.

 

as for grandparents collecting children they can be wonderful and awkward its an age thing (sorry no insults intended to grandparents) my mum moans about nothing and then says "its her age"

[Elfy]

You can't please everyone...

 

I explained to a parent once that she needed to take her child back home after she had just told me her child had been being sick all night!!! I explained that we had a twenty four hour policy about sickness so as to protect everyone else. She seemed fine about it and took the child home.

 

Later in the day however she rang the school to make a formal complaint - saying if there was a sickness epidemic we should have informed her!! There was no sickness epidemic, but there may have been had we allowed the child to stay!!

 

You have to have a very thick skin sometimes, don't you...

 

Elfy

 

xx

[Guest]

It's the usual thing: the children are easy (ish ) to cope with - it's the parents that are the pain!

 

It's a really awkward situation to be put in, when nobody has notified you of changes in who is collecting their child. I am pleased to say that our 'unknowns' are nearly always happy for us to phone & check, and appreciate the security measures in place (although the children don't always understand why they can't just go with so and so who is waving at them through the window). My gripe with parents is when we try to contact them, e.g. in a situation like this, and find that they have changed their mobile number without telling us. This has happened with a child who was really quite poorly at nursery; we had 3 contact numbers and none of them worked! The poor child had to stay until, not only the end of the session, but until the end of the lunch club that he was due to stay for.

[Alison]

Emergency contacts!!! its ok to have mobile phones but parents must remember not to leave them at preschool in the childs bag!!

 

or leave the baby in the car seat in the cloak room! (luckily mum noticed when she got to the car) but its happened a few times over the years with various siblings being forgotten and left at preschool normally only for a moment,

 

When they teach childcare at colleges they remember to include parents in partnership but there is so much about working with parents that they dont teach and it would have been nice when I first started to be aware that parents are a special breed of people that need special care and consideration and as a parent my self I know I am no better and think of all the times I made the same stupid mistakes such as forgot to read the newsletter that said preschool was closed for half term or sent the child to school in uniform on mufti day!!

 

but what would we talk about if we didnt have the bizzarre behaviour of parents to moan about??

[Guest]

I always think of the parents that tell me I'm on my mobile then don't turn it on!!!!. Lola as the others have said don't take it personally. I was talking to a group of parents one day about the new grants so fairly important and a grandma said she couldn't wait because she had a pie in the oven!!! have to say we all had a good laugh about it. You will have to develop a slightly thicker skin, parents in the playground are notorious for gossip. By next week it will be some one else who has had an affair with some one husband and your tale will be old new. don't worry it soon goes away.

On a different note if any one wants to log onto www.vistaprint you can get 250 business cards free as long as you use their designs. well worth it good quality. I've done it for emergency numbers, had them out to every one.

[Puddleducks]

Well don;t feel too bad... I had a Dad turn up once for his baby, and I asked him for ID - I knew he was coming but did not know what he looked like... and he was 30 mins early. He had no id.. and went home to get it and came back.

 

Child was a baby, I apoligised on return, and said if the child had say Dad, then I would of sent him home, but as he was too young and sleeping... Ifelt I needed ID.

 

Dad was actually pleased, and said he felt the child was in safe hands... mum thought it was funny!!!

[Guest]

Thanks for all you rmessages guys. I think your right steph - i'm going have to develop a thicker skin and not let these sorts of things affect me so much. Thanks again.