The Venting Thread

[Alwaysgreener]

Due to having to get kids on the school bus, I have a no drop off rule between 7:45 and 8:15. This morning it was just my daughter that had to get on the bus, normally we chat at the bus stop.

This morning at 7:49, my 7:30 that normally arrives at 7: 44, pulled in. I told my daughter let's go and we walked out the door. I said hi to mom as I walked by so that she wouldn't go into my house looking for me.

Next thing I know she says to Dcg, "ready to go for a walk", and she followed me down the driveway and she hung out with me at the bus stop.

My daughter is selective mute and I were unable to have our morning chat.

[Blackcat31]

I would. I’d approach it one of two ways…
From a business standpoint, she was late and should have to wait to arrive until after 8:15. Scheduling for 7:30 and arriving at 7:44 is rude/disrespectful.

From a parent standpoint, the bus stop chat with your daughter is important, necessary and a sweet routine between the two of you and DCM kinda intruded in that. I’d ask her to refrain from repeating that action (following to bus stop) in the future

I know it’s not a huge thing but then again, it is as your daughter is selective mute and as a parent those moments are priceless and precious….and as a provider, it’s hard to find a few minutes each day to set aside time for just your child. This DCM basically took that from you.

[GirlMomma]

Yes, say something. This is an important age for you and DD. ❤️

What DCP did was rude and disrespected your business.

[Alwaysgreener]

Yes Blackcat31 when we did the virtual, they insisted that they needed a full 10 hours. But then they asked later if coming at 745 was allowed (they started before I knew the bus time for this year) I said yes thinking they were asking more just in case, not a daily thing. The First 2 days they came at 730, then they started coming closer to 7:40. Now if they come at 7:30 they through me off and I am not ready to meet them at the door.

But they did not really need 10 hours like they insisted they needed, however, DCM comes right at 5:30 for pick up and sometimes after. But when dcd was out of town for a week DCM was picking up at 5:20, I started having DCG ready for her, and then suddenly 5:30 again.

Anyways, I was going to say something this morning but dcg has covid, wait all 3 of them have covid, which they did not mention until I asked how they were doing.

Would it be appropriate to email or text this message?

Hey dcm, On Monday when you followed, I mean joined us at the bus stop, it made my dd uncomfortable and prevented her from being able to talk to me freely during our morning mom and dd time. In the future when you arrive during bus time, please wait at your car. Thank you for understanding.

Thoughts? or changes?

[Alwaysgreener]

Dcm texted this morning Dcg 14m has faver so she won't be there today. Okay

Later she texted again child has COVID.

I sit and think about the child the day before and how did I miss any symptoms. She gives me a low-grade fever occasionally but didn't act out of the ordinary yesterday.

I reply that I am required to report to the health department just like schools are and they need to know the symptoms.

Dcm says the only symptom is a fever of 100.9.

So why did you test just because of a fever? She's had fevers in the past and a couple weeks ago diarrhea and runny nose. Sounds like to me you knew she was exposed over Thanksgiving.

[Alwaysgreener]

Dcm and dcd have COVID too. I asked how they were and dcm told.

[Springvalley]

Do any of you watch "supernanny" either on fb or YouTube? If you do, do you remember the episode of the 2 kids one was a boy school age and the other was a little girl Pre-K or kindergarten.
Mom would fight with the little girl to get dressed and how she absolutely refused and finally mom sends her to school in her PJ's teeth brushed but not her hair and put her clothes in her backpack? What would you do if a child came to you exactly like how I described?

[BeeNature]

I wouldn't even acknowledge the backpack or hand it back like Cat Herder said. I have it in my policies that a child is to be dressed and ready for play at drop off. When I began doing daycare I had a parent drop off their child with her hair a mess. The mom put a hair brush on the table and told me she didn't have time to brush her hair and then left. We'll I didn't have time to brush her hair either since I have other kids in attendance as well. So, of course her hair didn't get brushed and the mom never attempted that again.

[GirlMomma]

My kids have to come dressed and ready for the day. I won’t do the parents job for them.

DD3 gets herself ready in the morning - all I need to do is help her brush her teeth and fix her hair. If you teach a child to be independent at a young age, there won’t be an issue when they go to school.

[Alwaysgreener]

BeeNature, your story reminds me of a dcm I had years ago. They only came for a few weeks. But one morning, DCM came in with her boys both in clothes (and in need of a bath), and said, x did not want to change before bed last night and placed something on my washer.

DD (at age 4) comments, why does x still have on the same clothes as yesterday?, so I went and looked at what she had left on my washer. I realize at that point, she meant for me to change x and that the boys would sleep in their clothes at night, so not only did she not get him to change the night before, but she also failed to do it that morning.

I left the clothes sitting there all day and at pick up, gave them to gma and said dcm left these here.

[Cat Herder]

Do any of you watch "supernanny" either on fb or YouTube? If you do, do you remember the episode of the 2 kids one was a boy school age and the other was a little girl Pre-K or kindergarten.
Mom would fight with the little girl to get dressed and how she absolutely refused and finally mom sends her to school in her PJ's teeth brushed but not her hair and put her clothes in her backpack? What would you do if a child came to you exactly like how I described?

I'd tell mom to keep the backpack and carry on with our day as usual. The more drama given to the situation, the more it will continue. This is a parenting issue, not a child issue. I do child care.

[Springvalley]

Had a teacher not show up this morning for their class and was suppose to be here at 7:30 and the director had to go sit in the classroom until another teacher showed up that was suppose to be off today!

[Annalee]

This is a common occurrence in center care here. Staffing is the number one issue here!!! Same for family or group homes if they do not work the daycare themselves.

[Annalee]

FYI.....my center friend has a 99 enrollment child care center and she has hired two people that do errands/jobs for her throughout the day just so she can stay in ratio and have these two extra available if needed in the classroom.....no one wants to sub here for a day here and a day there and she's having to pay them well also. It was either that or close??

[GirlMomma]

My dream is to build my business into a daycare center. But managing the employees will be a nightmare - I’m better off keeping it in my home.

[Springvalley]

Annalee 99 kid enrollment!! Wow, how big is the center? In Alabama we're licensed for 70 something kids!

[Annalee]

Very large; our state has some centers with capacity over 200.....just depends on square feet.....

[Alwaysgreener]

Monday DCM follows me and DD10 down to the bus stop when she showed up late for drop off. That night DD shows signs of being sick but test neg.

Tuesday - DCG5 does not come because she was body slammed and was in pain. (no names were mentioned but it was most likely dcb9) DD stays home sick and is quarantined in her room. I have to find other arrangements for DCG14m to sleep because I do not want dcg to get what dd has.

Wednesday - DD is still sick, she seems better but the virus is still kicking her butt, retest her for covid and she was still neg. Call doc to make sure is not RSV. DCG14m is called in sick. Later dcm text and dcg14m has covid. I let other parents know. I follow up with dcm and find out she and dcd has covid too.

Thursday - DCG5 is back, she is full of surprises, she goes to the bathroom and comes out saying, looks at this. She has a minor freckle-like rash on her hand. I go to snap a picture and she says mom already took a picture. DCB9 says mom thinks it is chicken pox. I think it is just a reaction to something she touched. DCG5 says it does not itch but I check with mom anyway. Mom is aware and is going to be talking to the doctor about it later. I put her on the bus.
DCG3 comes in acting normal but with less than normal appetite. She plays hard with DS4 all day and sleeps at naptime. After naptime, she heads to snack and the SA kids walk in, just as she starts throwing up. I text dcm, she is throwing up please come pick her up. She had very little in her stomach and she listen well when I made her go to the trash can. It was an easy cleanup but boy did I feel gross when I was done. DCM is going to covid test DCG3.
DD is feeling better but fighting me on getting her schoolwork caught up. She is trying to stay home another day.

I am so done for the week and I pray I do not get sick.

[e.j.]

Sounds like a rough week! I hope you're able to avoid getting sick yourself.

[GirlMomma]

Sending hugs! ❤️

[Alwaysgreener]

Just saw dcg3 at the library she's doing fine and no fever. She's eating fine and playing well.

[Springvalley]

My dream is to build my business into a daycare center. But managing the employees will be a nightmare - I’m better off keeping it in my home.

It's a nightmare for us as well. Here's how it went:
1) 3 employees got fired
2) one employee wanted the job supposedly and went through the interview and then on the 1st day blocks the admin on fb because the admin asked if they were coming in
3) 2 employees quit via text message
4) one employee went to lunch and never came back
5) 1 employee gave a 1 day notice and quit

[GirlMomma]

Yikes!!!!!

[Sparkles]

I'm so bummed!!!

I was SO CLOSE to having a paid day off...which never happens. Late morning, dad shows up with the only kid here today - IN HIS PAJAMAS. This child hasn't been here in a few weeks because her mom enrolled her full time in a daycare in the town where she works, so she's been going there. This child is only contracted for Fridays. So, of course, on the one day she's here is when everyone else is gone Ugh, I'm so frustrated. I was thinking of all I was going to do today.

[e.j.]

Murphy's Law :-(

[Blackcat31]

Don't parents tell you what days they will or won't be there? If I had only one scheduled child and wanted to have the day off, I'd tell them I wasn't available to take their child. I wouldn't be worried about them not liking it and pulling as a kid that only comes one day a week isn't worth it to me.
If parents don't tell you...maybe it's time they did so you can have days off planned in advance.

[Sparkles]

Mom got off 3 hours ago and child is still here. I close in 20 minutes. This has been the longest day everrrr.

[Pestle]

Parent texted to say that "Trader Joe's is calling" and so they will be later than usual for pick up. Parent arrived earlier than usual for pick up and has been sitting in their car for half an hour while their child has an accident, splashes in it, dumps their snack, and yanks the snack from another (now sobbing) child's hand. It is now past the later than usual time that the parent told me they would pick up out. They are still out there.

[GirlMomma]

I’d open the door so the child can their parent, I’ve done this a few times. 😉

[Cat Herder]

I walk them out. "They can see you, it is disrupting the class. Have a great night."

[littlefriends]

Mine aren’t allowed to sit out in their cars; I agree with cat herder. Get them ready, open the door and walk them out to parent. I put it in my contract because this had become a problem.

[Alwaysgreener]

I think there's a power struggle, last Wednesday I got a text from DCM saying that dcg had covid.
I inquired more and found out that Mom and Dad both have COVID.
I let Mom know that the current rule is 5 days out plus Fridays with a mask. But since child is under two she wouldn't be able to wear a mask. I didn't come right out and say see you in 10 days but that's what I indicated.
Mom says they're going to retest her Monday morning and keep her home if she's positive still. I don't take negative test after a positive, too many possible scenarios of them having a false negative. The schools don't accept a negative test after a positive.
So after a couple days I text her back saying that I can't find anywhere where in the school and daycare rules, that I'm allowed to allow her back with a negative test. So I won't be allowing her back with a negative test. I don't hear anything from Mom and this morning I get a text, she still tested positive so we'll keep her home this week.

Okay so what I said didn't mean anything and you still went ahead and tested her as if you were going to bring her. Of course I wouldn't have been expecting her and I wouldn't have had anything ready for her if you had arrived.

[Annalee]

It is your house, your rules; I think here, though, it is just five days of quarantine and the household doesn't have to quarantine at all unless they have symptoms....kind of treating it like the flu now since the strain isn't as bad as in the beginning?

FYI....I think some people are testing positive for long periods of time with no symptoms???

[Alwaysgreener]

Because my DD was sick last week, I tested her and checked with the school to verify. And they verified it is 5 days at home and 5 days with a mask. Personally I would like to treat it like any other illness now but I also don't want anybody turning me In because they found out I didn't enforce the five and five.

I'm also required to report to the health department whenever anybody is sick, so I had to report DCg having covid.

[Annalee]

Yes, I understand where you are coming from but most places of employment here now are the five days and no test?? I am still watching closely for symptoms but, quite frankly, have TRIED to go back to treating the illness instead of covid! AGAIN, my mental health plus the strains are much milder now!

[Springvalley]

Had a parent send a note to please limit their child's dairy intake to help with their congestion. I understand for help with constipation but CONGESTION?????

[Blackcat31]

It's a very commonly believed myth that dairy makes a child cough more or have more mucus. I just read an article debunking this.

[Alwaysgreener]

LOL, My mom totally believes the myth about milk and mucus. Every time my kids are sick and she tells me not to give them milk. I explain to her that milk goes down the throat and into the stomach, not into the lungs. The mucus comes from the lungs.

[Cat Herder]

It's also very common that studies funded by the dairy commission print articles debunking those beliefs.

It is also believed, and proven in studies funded by other interest groups, to be in the persons DNA how their respiratory system reacts to dairy.

"As Dr. Michael Gregor M.D. of NutritionFacts.Org states, “The guess is that opioid receptors on the mucus glands in the respiratory tract may respond to the casomorphin from milk, which could potentially stimulate the production and secretion of mucus from these respiratory glands. This may explain why a subgroup of the population who have increased respiratory tract mucus production, find that many of their symptoms, including asthma, improve on a dairy elimination diet.”

[littlefriends]

I’ve been going back and forth with a mom of 2yr old about potty training. Mom says she’s ready. I say she definitely IS NOT. She uses her pull ups as a diaper. Does not indicate to me in any way when she needs to go and does not tell me when she has. Of course mom swears up and down AT HOME she’s totally trained and only wears undies. (Yay for you, omg, how many times do I have to tell you home is not daycare and vice versa?!) Today mom brought a watch for kiddo to wear that blinks and plays music to remind her to go. I stopped kiddo as she was taking off her coat, took the watch off of her arm and handed it back to mom saying “Sorry mom but there is no way that’s happening!” And told her to have a great day as I shut the door. Idk how to get her to knock it off!!! She’s 2!

[GirlMomma]

Here is my PT policy.

TOILET TRAINING. ABC Daycare is not responsible for toilet training. Once the child(ren) is accident free for two weeks at home (nap time/bedtime excluded) the Provider will go over a checklist with the Parent(s). If the child is capable of doing everything on the checklist independently, the child(ren) will then be permitted to wear Pull-ups to daycare. If the child is accident free for two weeks at daycare, the child will be permitted to wear underwear. Should the child have any accidents during the two week trial, the two weeks will restart. The Parent(s) must provide Pull-ups for nap in the event of an accident.

[littlefriends]

That’s pretty much exactly what my pt policy says. She has a copy of it and I have them sign one to keep in their file. I just dk how to make her stop asking/pushing it to me. Short of terming but I don’t want to term over something so stupid, ykwim?

[GirlMomma]

Yeah, I know what you mean. Maybe you’ll have to issue a warning about it or a “friendly” reminder? LOL

[Alwaysgreener]

So DCG3 got sick last Thursday and I sent her home, saw her the next day at the library mom thinks it is something that she ate. However, she did not eat anything all day. She is acting better and had no temp come Monday/yesterday.

I woke DS4 up this morning/Tuesday and he says "I told daddy I puked". Sure enough, he had. Now I have to close for the day for my ds to recover from the same stomach bug that she had.

I am not annoyed that ds got sick, I am annoyed that DCM thinks DCG wasn't sick and I am not sure how to convince her otherwise. Her doctor told her that dcg had a sensitive stomach and that is why she will get sick but then be bouncing off the wall hours later.

(I checked with DH and DS had not said anything)

[e.j.]

When I first opened my daycare, I had one of my nieces enrolled with me. She often came down with "Something She Ate" as diagnosed by my sil. Somehow, the rest of us always seemed to come down with the stomach bug right after her bouts with "Something She Ate". Every. Single. Time - For 4 years straight. Since "Something She Ate" isn't contagious, though, we all knew it couldn't be anything but a coincidence. If dcm is anything like my sil, there will be no convincing her otherwise so I wouldn't waste my breath trying. Just follow your sick policy and send dcg home anytime you feel she could be sick.

I hope your son is feeling better soon and that the rest of your household doesn't come down with it.

[Springvalley]

Do ya'll remember the dcg that I vented about that didn't wear shorts or anything under her dress, had a bad attitude was disrespectful etc? Yesterday dcg wore a dress with shorts but instead of keeping her dress down she would pull her dress up and then tell the other kids to look at her panties so yesterday she got a very lengthy note home from her teacher (her teacher is also the same co worker I complained about having a terrible attitude and thinking she's better then everyone else). So today dcg came to daycare in pants because according to what I overheard this teacher say to the dcg she told her that she would include in the note home to this child's mother that she was not allowed to wear dresses skirts etc to school anymore! We have in our policy that parents must dress their children in appropriate clothing for playing and getting messy.