There is an Excuse for the Long Absence...

I just finally remembered the correct username/password combo!! I really need to write this stuff down somewhere...

But today's complaint...why do people think that it is ok to give a 2- or 3-year old gum...and then send them to daycare?!? Why does it never occur to them that it is going to end up carpet/hair/clothes. Even when I say this to them, they give me that blank look. "Oh my child always keeps it in his mouth!" Yeah, right.

And stickers. Not opposed to the occassional sticker coming in on a shirt from the doctor, or even as a potty reward. As long as the child understands that if the sticker comes off the shirt once, or even partially off, said sticker is in the trash and no  more will be allowed. However, I once had a child come in every single day with a freaking huge sticker on the back of her hand. Then said child would refuse to to wash her hands because of it. After a few days of that, I mentioned it to mom (dad was the one bringing child in the morning). Guess what never happened again. Of course, the same child shortly thereafter came in with approximately 52 stickers plastered all over her shirt. Guess where I later found about 40 of them...attached to the bathroom wall. Guess who was banned from ever having another sticker at Sophie's again.

Sophie

Do They Think They Know Better?

You drop your child off at 7:30 in the morning, along with seven other parents. You have no contact with us until  you come to retrieve your child at 5:15. You have no idea what our day has been like or what we have already done or not done. So then why is the first thing out of your mouth "oh, I thought you would be doing xyz??

Also equally annoying are the parents who don't bring in the proper outdoor attire as required by the contract, because they didn't think we would be going out that day.

My contract also clearly states that kids are not allowed to bring toys from. But there are always those parents that say oh, "but I thought maybe you'd let him keep this one".  Some parents think their child is so special that I will most certainly make an exception.

They most certainly thought wrong.

Sophie

Dumb Questions

Why is the response to the text/phone call saying "your child just threw up" always get the response of "do I need to come get them"?  Would I be calling/texting you if you didn't???
Sophie

More Interview Warning Signs

Years ago, I took on a family that I thought would be perfect because mom was a former daycare provider. Surely she would understand! Surely for the next year I listened to "well, when I did daycare". It was during that time that I swore I would never take another former daycare provider on as a client.

I have since relaxed that policy, and had wonderful working relationships with two such families. However, this was because I did some careful screening during the interview process.

Recently, I received a phone call from a lady who was looking for spots for her grandchildren. Turns out that the parents were divorced and shared custody, and Grandma was calling for her son (the father). Big red flag - why is Son not calling daycares himself? Grandma goes on to tell me about problems with some of the other daycares THEY have interviewed.

She then began to ask about the fees. Not a red flag. The red flag came when she questioned me about Son having to pay for the weeks when the mom had the children. Well, yes, I explained, he would have to pay for those weeks. Her reply? "Well, when I did daycare..."

I knew very early on in this conversation that Grandma was going to be overly involved, and I learned years ago that this is going to lead to problems with grandmas. I had one grandma in the past that was such an issue that my contract now has a section all about how I only discuss things with the contracted parents, and what my expectations are of grandparents or anyone else picking up the children. I have turned clients down because grandma came with on the interview and I could tell she was going to be an issue. And this grandma having formerly "did daycare", was going to make working with this family a nightmare.

Grandma ended this conversation by saying that she hoped that I would consider the fact that Son is a single dad. I told Grandma that I hoped she would consider the fact that I have a family to feed and house.

Needless to say, this family has not been, nor will they ever be, enrolled.



Sophie