Monday, June 05, 2006

Nursery Frustrations!!!

Aaaaaaggggghhhhh!!! It seems that there is major drama between the nursery leaders and the primary presidency. Luckily, I've been able to stay out of it pretty much, although it is driving me crazy. In the nursery, we have four leaders when really two would be sufficient, although I really like having three. One of the leaders is 8 months pregnant and is asking to be released. I don't blame her!!! Poor girl is having a hard time sitting down on the floor with the kids and she is just super uncomfortable and is getting no sleep. Also, it is very difficult to be in the nursery with a newborn. Which brings me to my next point. They just put in a mom who had a baby 3 weeks ago. This mom is so great, but is having a very difficult time right now. She is not sleeping and her beautiful new daughter has not been easy on her. She ends up having to nurse her baby most of the time during nursery and the other time she is so tired. She has told her visiting teacher (which is also another nursery leader) that she just doesn't think she can do it, but is too embarassed to ask to be released. Her VT talked to the primary president about this and she responded by saying "What do people think? That if they have a baby, they just don't have to have any church responsibilities? A baby is no excuse - besides, nursery is the best place for them!" I was told it was said rudely and I just feel so bad for those two nursery leaders. I had been bummed I had been asked to be in the nursery, but I don't have nearly the issues as these two moms. I just feel that the primary president needs to be compassionate with them. We would be fine in nursery with just the two of us and they could get another to make three. I just don't know what to do for them. I feel so bad. We have been telling the one with the newborn to go ahead and go to Relief Society since we can handle it. The pregnant leader has not been showing up. It's just going a little nuts and the primary president is losing a lot of respect from people. I just feel helpless.

A good thing though is that a little boy who is having a hard time in the nursery and doesn't let his dad leave is doing much better. I suggested to the dad to just go and leave him last week because I thought he might do better if his dad wasn't there. Sure enough, we were able to calm him down and he did do pretty good. He has a hard time being nice to the other kids, but without his dad there, he listened to us more and we were able to separate him from the rest of the kids when he was mean. He decided he didn't like that as well and decided to go back and play. He did great the rest of the time. I think that his parents try hard, but they have different parenting styles and are never home together with him. Recently they have started to discipline him by squirting him in the face with water from a spray bottle when he misbehaves. I think this is a terrible idea. It reminds me of what someone might do with a cat or a dog. I can't imagine this helping him at all. She even told me that if he doesn't do well in nursery, she'll bring it for us to use. I told her that we wouldn't need it, but don't know her well enough to tell her I didn't think that it was good plan for her either.

Anyway, enough of my ramblings about nursery. This blog is just a good place to get out my frustrations.

3 comments:

WarriorWife said...

Wow. Squirts in the face for misbehavior? That does sound like a cat or dog that doesn't understand what their doing.

Sorry about the frustrations and drama. Stuff like that, no matter what area of life, is never fun! It's hard too, when you're sure they could solve all the issues if they were better at communicating their different opinions with respect. Why is it that some people refuse to communicate and solve the problems?

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Erin said...

I can understand your frustration, being in nursery a couple times. i asked to be released before I had my baby, because I knew I didn't want to do it. I don't know think new mom's should be in there unless their situation allows the husband to take the baby and the lady thinks they can handle it. It's tough because what do you do? It's also tough when you have different opinions than others, like the primary president, at that point do you go talk to the bishop about that new mom's frustrations? Good luck with that, I'm glad you are at least sensitive to how she is feeling.

Stephanie said...

A mom with a new baby should so NOT be in nursery. THE GERMS!!!! Ohhh, the germs! Every week Reenie goes to nursery she comes back with a snotty nose. If the new mom is too embarassed to ask for a release, then I think you could tell the bishop for her.

Just my opinion.