Nursery Moms URGHHHH

[IamMe]

Having some issues with the moms of our little nursery class... they won't LEAVE

They're disrespectful, talk thru prayers, the lesson.. and it's just too crowded in our little nursery room with 2 leaders, 5 kids, and 7 moms

We need to either get them out so our nursery leaders can do their job, or at the very least keep them quiet and respectful

Ideas?

[EarlJibbs]

Have you tried encouraging them to go to class. Something like "you know, if any of you would like to go to class, I can handle things around here."

I would involve your leaders to encourage them also to attend their other meetings.

[IamMe]

I'm actually in the primary presidency and the nursery leaders came to us with this concern. They said they've tried everything the can think of to get Moms out but they seem its social hour. One of the counselors has suggested a cutesy sign on the door, I'm thinking nothing short of locking them out is going to get em gone

I think the fact that their chatting away without pause through lessons & prayers is most disturbing.

[beefche]

Why don't you or the president actually take each mom aside and say, "I appreciate your concern for your child, but I would like to invite you to go to your own class now. If there is an issue with your child, we will be sure to come and get you immediately." If mom doesn't leave, then ask her to take her child with her to her own class.

If that doesn't work, then I would get the bishopric involved.

[Maureen]

Maybe the Bishop can announce something from the podium before classes start to remind parents.

M.

[Connie]

"We are about to start nursery now. Would you please take your conversation to the foyer so you don't disturb our class."

Always wait for absolute silence before a prayer, from both kids and adults.

Edited July 30, 2013 by Connie

[Guest]

I don't know what it is that makes us so reticent to state things how they are and hand people reasonable expectations, but I'm guilty of it, too.

[FunkyTown]

This... I might be doing my math wrong, but 5 kids and 7 moms?

Are YOUR moms showing up, too?

[applepansy]

its ok to ask them to participate or leave. The nursery isn't a social party

[Wingnut]

I don't understand. I couldn't wait until my kids were eligible to attend Nursery, because it meant that I no longer had to take care of them during those two hours. No way would I hang out in the classroom!

[talisyn]

I'm guilty of staying with my toddler, she just wouldn't stop crying when my husband or I would leave. We're talking crying for 30+ minutes. But one day the teacher sent out a letter stating, in very nice words with very cute pictures and font, that if there were any problems they would take the child to the parents. This might work in your case. In ours, my husband and I said "Challenge accepted" (and then the 30 minute crying session happened, we took Gwendolyn with us for the next few months to our classes, then sent her to the nursery with her older sister for another few months until they both were ready to go to their classes by themselves :) ).

But talking when you're trying to conduct a class is really unfair. I'd try the letter route

[FunkyTown]

I feel like we're getting away from the important question, which is the 7 moms.

Why are there SEVEN moms in a class with FIVE kids?

Seriously. What's the biology of that. Barring the TEACHERS moms showing up to watch, I haven't a clue as to what's happening here or why. There's gotta be a story there that would give us more information.

[Gwen]

If they see it as social hr some may bring a friend (thus the talking and odd numbers).

I would be blunt about it. I would tell them to leave or take their child. If they take the kid then it becomes a RS problem. lol If they insisted on staying I would put them to work. Give them lessons or songs to teach, remind them that we teach by example and demand that they set the standard for prayers and reverence. I would not move the class forward without their setting the proper example for the basic church behavior you are attempting to teach the kids. It wouldn't be long before they grew tired of me and left. lol

Be respectful but straightforward and honest. If you want I'm sure you could find many quotes to include in your discussion/letter (if you choose to go that route) to back the teaching by example and the problems with not going to class (that is part of our covenants by the way). You could also give their names to the bishop explaining that they seem to have a lot of energy and words they want to use each sunday and maybe they need to be considered for a calling. :)

[beefche]

I feel like we're getting away from the important question, which is the 7 moms.

Why are there SEVEN moms in a class with FIVE kids?

Seriously. What's the biology of that. Barring the TEACHERS moms showing up to watch, I haven't a clue as to what's happening here or why. There's gotta be a story there that would give us more information.

I took it to mean the 2 women with the nursery callings are moms as well. Maybe not to those children, but that they are moms. Thus, 5 children with their own mothers there plus two other mothers who hold the nursery callings.

[pam]

I took it to mean the 2 women with the nursery callings are moms as well. Maybe not to those children, but that they are moms. Thus, 5 children with their own mothers there plus two other mothers who hold the nursery callings.

But she did say 2 leaders (which I'm assuming are the nursery leaders), 5 kids and 7 moms..so yeh, the math doesn't add up.

[beefche]

It adds up for me, but then I haven't taken math in many years. I wonder why my bank account is always unbalanced....

[pam]

It's supposed to balance? Wow I just learned something. :)

[Guest]

I feel like we're getting away from the important question, which is the 7 moms.

Why are there SEVEN moms in a class with FIVE kids?

Seriously. What's the biology of that.

Wow, my husband saw some pretty shocking and liberal behavior when he was on his mission in San Fran/Oakland. . . but wow. . .

[zippy_do46]

I always sent a letter out to my "little ones". In the letter I always listed my goals for my nursery. I asked them to bring their "little ones" a few times before they are suppose to be there. In the letter I always asked about Family. ( Mother, Father, sisters, brothers, and any special people who might be taking care of them) I had been in the Nursery a number of times and a number of years. :) This helped me talk to the child using names and things about their families when I am trying to get them to stay. This letter also let them know what the rules of the Nursery were. One of the rules in my Nursery was if you stayed you must take part in everything. I do mean everything. I put songs on the walls. Lesson schedules on the wall. I followed a routine. I gently told all the adults the first few times that their "little one" needed to see them take part so they would know that they should. I let them know this was a classroom. I let them know my goal was to ease them out of the situation. That I would try to distract their child when they start to leave. If their child kept crying then we would go get the parent and try to get them distracted again while the parent was there. Then we try again to let the parent leave. If this did not work I asked the parent to stay, but I would still work with them to leave. The longest I ever had to go with a parent was a month. Sometimes I would suggest that both parents take turns. When the parent would leave I would simply tell the child that they had to go to their class. I would then point out to the child that their parents class did not have all the great things we do. That child that took me a whole month to get to stay was the Bishop's daughter. :) On the fifth Sunday she walked in and told her dad that she would see him later. Never had another problem with her not wanting to stay. Sometimes to be honest our "little ones" are just not ready to leave us. Just because they have turned 18 months does not mean they are ready. They are like little sponges at this time. One minute they will not let you go and then suddenly you wonder if this is your child.

I stress to my parents that the child's feelings are very important to me. I have been blessed. The few times that I have had the problem you mentioned I treated it with a sense of humor and told the parents that we need to follow our schedule. I told them that I would used bubbles for distraction while they all get away.

The other method I would use for distraction was singing. I would tell the parents or parent who brought their child or children feel free to stay in the Nursery but they would have to sing when ever I did. LOL Then I pointed out the songs and told them no excuse. Then I broke out the bubble machine. Bubbles tend to go everywhere. lol It did not take long for me to clear a room of adults. The "little ones" wanted to stay. My daughter says I have a voice that only children love. lol Maybe it was the bubbles and maybe it was my singing.

Edited August 6, 2013 by zippy_do46
felt like I needed to explain my actions some

[Quin]

I feel like we're getting away from the important question, which is the 7 moms.

Why are there SEVEN moms in a class with FIVE kids?

Seriously. What's the biology of that. Barring the TEACHERS moms showing up to watch, I haven't a clue as to what's happening here or why. There's gotta be a story there that would give us more information.

I will now officially start book on

1 - 5 moms, 7 kids typo

Vs

2 - not only are the nursery mums chattering away... They've brought friends who don't even have kids in nursery!!!

Q

[IamMe]

I feel like we're getting away from the important question, which is the 7 moms.

Why are there SEVEN moms in a class with FIVE kids?

Seriously. What's the biology of that. Barring the TEACHERS moms showing up to watch, I haven't a clue as to what's happening here or why. There's gotta be a story there that would give us more information.

5 kids + 5 moms + one nursery leader + one nursery worker =7 "adults" to 5 kids

[NightSG]

"Today's lesson is about the earthly consequences of bad decisions. We will begin with a demonstration of what a Tazer does to an unruly adult."

[john doe]

Have the Primary president tell them that if they spend more than half their time in the nursery they might as well have callings as nursery leaders to make it official. The best way to get moms to leave is to threaten to make it their calling to be there.

[Guest]

Saw this movie today - Searching for Bobby Fischer. These kids went on a Chess Tournament and the parents were so unruly that the tourney guys locked them in the basement...

[IamMe]

Update: We held a nursery / primary pres meeting and decided moms need to be gone, later spoke with bishopric who are behind us and of the same decision. A letter is to be made up and given to the nursery parents and the bishop will announce from the podium.

I was put in charge of the letter. How to go about saying without sounding down right mean??? Every time I try to word I sound cruel...