Even before T started nursery we knew he’d pick up a few things that would be out of our control. Things like colds, stomach bugs, and nits were expected, although I’m pleased the latter has yet to hit us. Hand Foot and Mouth, and Chicken Pox, however, they were our 6-8 month treat!
But what’s really frustrated me about nursery recently, more than the disease (although this got particularly annoying after the third week of illness), is other children’s habits.
Don’t get me wrong, this isn’t meant to sound like a moan about parenting decisions. At the end of the day children will pick up all sorts – the child T has picked something up from very well may have picked it up from someone else too! But when your child picks something up that you don’t use in your house, like a word or phrase, especially when it’s not particularly nice, it gets your back up.
Let’s start with the most annoying phrases to date…
Mine!
We’ve never said this to T in an effort to hold onto something. It’s generally: “That’s so and so’s…” or “That’s not a toy…” So when T came home one week and started grabbing things and shouting “Mine!”, or hiding things behind his back, I was really shocked.
EMBED: https://twitter.com/Lesbemums/status/836547710765436929
Not only is it really aggressive but I worry what’s suddenly being taken from him that he feels he now needs to verbally mark his territory!
Share!
On the same note as ‘Mine!’, we’ve recently noticed T taking toys from us and shouting “Share!”
We’ve been known to say this a lot more when play dates or his cousins come to play, but only if it’s up for sharing. We’re more of a ‘Who had it first?’ kinda family.
Hitting
Probably the biggest shock since T started nursery is when T gets frustrated he can’t have something and then hits our leg (before falling to the floor in a heap).
If he has something that he knows we’re going ask him for, like a dog bone or a random piece of food found from under the sofa, he’ll suddenly hide the item behind his head and then try and hit out before we get near!
Some of these behaviours are really heartbreaking as I can’t seem to snap him out of them until he’s been away for a few days! What do we do? I feel silly talking to the nursery as it’s all ‘normal’ toddler behaviour – he’s bound to pick things up – but I’m still not happy about it. I may very well just bite the bullet and talk to nursery. Even just to ask what’s going on and whether I need to be concerned.
But with all this in mind…
I still wouldn’t change our nursery. T is in a really good one despite the above, and the good things definitely out weight the bad. He’s constantly learning lots of new (pleasant) words, he’s confident, he’s learning about colours and shapes, and even repeats them back to us. It’s incredible.
It’s just frustrating when all your hard work goes to down the drain when the toddler that comes home is one that likes to suddenly poke eyes!
K
3 comments
Argh! Matilda doesn’t even go to nursery but I feel your pain – most of her nursery-going friends shout “Share!” but they seem to be learning it from the teachers rather than the other kids (*goes into side-rant about how 1- and 2-year-olds can take turns not ACTUALLY SHARE and will other grown-ups PLEASE STOP SHOUTING “SHARE!” WITHIN MY KID’S HEARING and here’s a copy of “It’s OK Not To Share”, go and read it etc etc etc!); M inevitably picks up some of their phrases from the odd morning of playing with them. Her behaviour also goes downhill for a day or two after going to our local toddler group – there’s so much pushing and shoving and snatching and fake crying going on amongst the 4-year-olds there; she watches what they’re doing and gives it a go when she gets home to see whether or not she can get away with it (no, she can’t)! It makes me want to keep her at home until she’s 57, personally vetting everyone she’s going to come into contact with, but, alas, that’s probably not a reasonable solution…
Gosh. This sounds like T. He’s also picked up the fake crying! It’s so frustrating as it makes any reasoning difficult as the game cries start. It doesn’t get him anywhere, if anything it just delays things!
I’m totally with you when it comes to sharing, as in, THEY DON’T HAVE TO! Why should one kid give up their toy just because someone else wants it? Wait your turn. Who had it first?
Thanks for reading. I’m glad I’m not alone.
Yep I totally get this and sadly the same thing happens at school as well. Libby has got much worse since going to school and we know there’s one particular child who behaves badly towards other children so we know exactly where it’s all coming from.
Nat.x
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