Tue 23 Apr 2019
We thought you might like to know more about what it’s like to work for Hello Mums in London nurseries, so we spoke to one of our #ChildcareHeroes and asked them about their busy daily routine…
What’s your morning routine?
I’m up at 6am and have coffee before starting anything! When I arrive at nursery, we set up for breakfast, welcome children to the nursery, set up the room and prepare activities for the day.
What time does work at a nursery usually start and finish?
I start work at 7.30am or 8am, and finish at 6pm or 6.30pm.
How do you usually travel to work?
Usually bus, but sometimes tube or train depending on the nursery location.
What kinds of activities do you do with the kids at nursery?
Lots of different things! Painting, gluing and sticking, cutting. Messy play such as play dough, or sand and water. Playing with the toys, reading stories, supervising the children while they play outside. Singing songs with Makaton signing and sensory games.
Tell us about mealtimes at nursery
Lunch is usually 12pm or 12.30pm. We have to wash the children’s hands and put their aprons on. We sit down with the children and encourage them to have good table manners. We help and encourage them to eat their meal as independently as possible.
Tell us about your lunch break
The room leader usually organises lunch breaks. We usually get between 45 minutes and 1 hour, and we take turns. Depending on how busy we are, our lunch can start as early as 11.30am or as late as 2.30pm.
Tell us about any administrative tasks you have to do
There are quite a lot of these - if a child has an accident, we have to fill out an accident form to record their full name, date of birth, at what time the accident happened, where it happened, what treatment was required, etc.
We also record all nappy changes. We have to write the time the child has been changed and if they have a wet/soiled/dry nappy.
We make note of a child’s nap times and what they eat at mealtimes.
Also we do other tasks such as observations, so we have to observe the children in the setting etc.
What’s your favourite part of the day?
Definitely play / activity time with the children, especially anything with music!
Tell us about some of the challenges of working in a nursery?
I love working with children, but as with any job you can have a challenging day, for example if a child is really upset or tired, it can be more difficult. It’s important to work with the room leader or nursery manager to resolve any challenges.
How do you feel after a day of working at a nursery?
It depends on the day! Most of the time I feel good but tired, and I look forward to relaxing after a long day of work.