A division has developed between staff in a large nursery about different approaches to the physical care of babies and toddlers. Two practitioners feel that very young children should be given time and attention for their personal care routines. The other two practitioners who work with the youngest children argue that everyone is supposed to focus on adult-organised activities to ‘get children to learn’ and that changing and feeding time is ‘just care’. A situation has now developed where toddlers vote with their feet and go to the more caring practitioners to be changed and when they want any personal attention. Their colleagues now say that the children are spoiled and should not be able to exercise this kind of choice.

● What do you judge are the main issues around practice for this setting?

● What should happen now?