Morning Chat

[Annalee]

Same parent: Your clock is wrong, Ms. XXX, so I used my own time. But it's OK! I reply with "oh, don't be too concerned about that because the state is rolling out their digital system in the next three weeks and the state will then control the time-frame and there will be NO need for YOUR time". OOOHHHHH, hit a nerve didn't I, dcm. Have a great day! OOOhhhh, that didn't go over well, but it's ok, MY daycare, MY rules and ALL is GOOD!

[Alwaysgreener]

In the morning, DH will have surgery. The kids will be with my sister.

[GirlMomma]

Sending prayers 💕

[e.j.]

Hoping all goes well.

[Alwaysgreener]

He is out of surgery and recovering. He still seems loopy. Overall everything went well.

[Blackcat31]

It's 8:41 A.M. Kids are so weird!!

DCK 16 months. She won't keep her socks on. Ever. I spend a huge portion of the day looking for her socks, chasing her to put them back on and reminding her to just leave them on. The last few days I've decided not to engage so I remove the socks shortly after her arrival and put them in her cubby basket. She is currently laying on the floor crying because "I took her socks"

Another DCK4 is looking at a toy catalog in the writing center. She is by far THE loudest child here but she's sure enjoying her catalog! Of course, every cool thing she finds in it (which is EVERYTHING on EVERY page) she insists on coming to find me so she can show me!

Two DCKs (3 yr) are sitting with their backs to each other with their arms crossed in the block area. They appear to be having a stand off of sorts.
After observing for several minutes, I can't resist the urge to ask them what the issue is. I am immediately sorry I asked as the 'issue' is that DCK#1 told the DCK#2 that her blocks are better and can build better things. I guess neither of them has realized they each have the identical set of blocks.

Oldest DCK4.5 is playing Mr Potato Heads. She has begged me for days to get them out as they've been stored away for a few months. I finally drag them out yesterday right before pick up and promise DCK that she can play tomorrow. She came in this morning bursting at the seams with excitement. I get her all set up so she can do her thing, After about 6 or 7 minutes I notice she has them all picked up and returned to their bin.
I ask her what's up and she says "This is boring."

*SIGH*

Is it pick up time yet?

[Annalee]

No team-play, self-regulation, adaptation, empathy for others, need I go on.....just like their parents.....no one is 'bad' per se; just all about themselves.

[Springvalley]

Mom & daughter work together at our center (daughter has been there maybe 3 months i think & mom a little less) anyways today mom had a lunch break from 12-2 instead of 12-1 because of scheduling conflicts so anyway 2pm came & mom never came back like up & left. She took her grandchild home & that was it. She said that she had contacted the owner & said she was quitting over a week ago supposedly. This week has been quite interesting

[Cat Herder]

So they were cutting her hours, but taking them in the middle of her workday. Making it impossible for her to enjoy her time off while also costing her income? I don't think I'd blame her. That's pretty tacky, passive-aggressive, management. Sounds like it may be time for everyone to be looking for work elsewhere. Wow.

[Springvalley]

So they were cutting her hours, but taking them in the middle of her workday. Making it impossible for her to enjoy her time off while also costing her income? I don't think I'd blame her. That's pretty tacky, passive-aggressive, management. Sounds like it may be time for everyone to be looking for work elsewhere. Wow.

No, the way our schedules work is we have an opener, closer, 6:30am, 7:00am, 4pm, 5:30pm. If you work let's say 6am until 12pm that's half a day. If you work 7am-6pm you get a 2 hour lunch or an hour depending on how your schedule works so she was suppose to close yesterday and according to the schedule she got a two hour lunch and was suppose to come back at 2pm to get her kids up etc well she never showed up so we had to scramble to get someone in that classroom to cover that class because she never showed up. Our administrator told her that she could take an hour lunch and then come back because she had to be in another classroom for the afternoon because the main teacher was off for the day

[Cat Herder]

Still, asking someone to work 7am-6pm with a two hour lunch break is crazy to me. There is no way I'd do it. That's 11 hours gone from my family, but only getting paid for 9. Then having to find somewhere to sit for two hours, every day. I have never even heard of a 9 hour work day in daycare. Are they paid overtime for that extra hour, or do they send them home early often to keep from paying it?

[GirlMomma]

A virus has swept through my DC. I first caught it last Tuesday afternoon. Saturday, my DD fell ill and by this morning I was down to one healthy kiddo and the kiddo I sent home last week.

Urgent care said it’s just a virus, not COVID or RSV.

[Blackcat31]

Ive had a bit of it as well. Not myself but a couple daycare kids and some of their SA siblings. I haven't had to send anyone home but I've had a few stay home and a few tell me their SA siblings were home sick. Symptoms are mostly stomach related. A few have reported some throwing up and a couple have had diarrhea but all seem to have recovered within 24-48 hours so it's swift moving at least. Hoping your kiddos all recover quickly as well!

[GirlMomma]

Blackcat31 thank you and yours too!

Our bug is a fever, loss of appetite and lethargy. We’ve all thought it was an ear infection - some kids do have one but most of them don’t. My DD didn’t have an ear infection, RSV or COVID. They told us it’s just a bug.

[Blackcat31]

Alwaysgreener
How did your DH's surgery go? Did your kids do okay with you being gone?
I know you rarely leave your kids with anyone so worried about them as well.
Hoping everything went great!

[Alwaysgreener]

Alwaysgreener
How did your DH's surgery go? Did your kids do okay with you being gone?
I know you rarely leave your kids with anyone so worried about them as well.
Hoping everything went great!

The surgery went well. The surgery before him ran over so we were there for an extra 2 hours. By the time DH came back from recovery, I was so ready to leave, although DH was not and still need more time to recover.
My sister took both kids to the homes that she was cleaning that day and then met my other sister/neighbor at her work to bring the kids home to us.

The next morning, He was up early and woke me at 630 to tell me that DD school had a snow day, (I didn't need to get up until 730), I say DH woke me because he was lonely up by himself. I had an appointment and he canceled his sitter. I made him uncancel, Doctor said for him to be supervised for 24 hours and I had to go to my appointment. He told me to take his truck because the roads were bad and worried about getting the sidewalk shoveled for me. He got dd to shovel by asking her once, that is something she has never been willing to do before. At that point, I knew he was feeling better.

[GirlMomma]

Most of my kids are still out with this virus, not COVID. I probably won’t have a full group again until Friday.

Since my entire group got sick, I considered waiving my “24 hour fever free without fever reducer rule” because I thought it was silly to prevent the spread of something that already spread. I hadn’t told parents because I was on the fence. I felt like if I waived it once, I’d be expected to do it again.

This morning, I had one family text me, “Snowflake broke their fever overnight, Snowflake will be coming today!” and that just went right thru me. I enforced my fever policy and Snowflake will return tomorrow, after she’s fever free for 24 hours without fever reducer.

Not only do they get a copy of my illness policies, but they are on every newsletter that I send out every season. I wish parents would read them!

[Blackcat31]

I understand wanting to waive it in certain situations but clearly parents take advantage if you give an inch so stand your ground. Also, even if they already spread it, most kids are cranky and irritable for a bit after they are fever free and their immune systems haven't fully recovered so they are more susceptible to getting sick again so the 24 hour fever free rule should always be enforced. Think of it as a safety net for you too...not having to deal with kids that aren't quite 100% and them not reinfecting others making illness a vicious cycle that never goes away. Shame on your DCP's thinking they can return so quickly.... when they KNOW better.

[GirlMomma]

Blackcat31 why I was on the fence about it… cranky kids are not my favorite! LOL

[Annalee]

Off today; dentist done; another appt at 1:30....always something but it's all good!

[Blackcat31]

Got a TON of snow last night and it's still falling. Yesterday was a holiday so I had several families cancel at the last minute (bad planners..lol!) so I ended up with 4 kiddos for the day. It was a good day to get paperwork done.

Now today with all the snow, they cancelled school which is rare here no matter how cold or snowy it gets so I opened an hour later than normal so my DH and I could clear snow etc. Of course I notified every parent last night and all said ok, see you in the morning.

Fast forward to morning and I have 2 that have not showed up at all with zero communication, one that texted really late last night saying they were staying home and 2 that waited until an hour after I opened to text they were staying home. Now I am here ALL day with 4 kids. 2 were here yesterday and 2 are different kids from yesterday.

I get paid for ALL my kids regardless of attendance but if I'd have known it would be another quiet day, I would've just closed and called it good. Quiet days with few kids make me antsy and feel trapped. When I have a full boat I am busy and the day flies by. Now it feels like it's dragging and that I've already been here for hours when it's only been 90 minutes. lol!

Of course all 4 kids I have are end of the day, last to go home pick ups.

[Annalee]

I hear ya!

School is letting out here early due to flooding and all the parents are freaking out......LOL

[Cat Herder]

Dreary, grey, drizzly rain, soggy yard, blah mood, sitting in the dark while they sleep, paper work to do but I don't wanna........

Warm sugar cookies after nap should help us all.

In the oven they go..... added cinnamon because, I need the pick me up.

[Alwaysgreener]

Woke late, so started on the wrong foot, of course, it is the day that I have 2 dcf at 7 and 1 that comes at 715. DD was up and dressed before me, which is great but she stirs the pot differently when she is up and ready on time, I am just not used to her being prompt. I had to run to the bathroom in between drop off.
DH is still home from having surgery and he has been potty training DS. DH slept in and DS got up early, I took him back to his room to go potty and he refused. I left him to check on the others and he pooped and peed on the waterproof mat. He has not pooped on the potty chair yet.
One child went to the mudroom and started getting ready to go to the bus. It would be great if it wasn't 30 minutes early. Another child was overtired and hungry, sat at my table waiting for her breakfast. The SA kid was yelling at his younger sister again. Ds was refusing to get dressed.
DH agreed to stay with the young ones while I took dd and SA down to the bus stop. While we were waiting, the bus called and says they can not get down our road and asked to meet them at the corner. So we headed back to the house and DH took the kids to the corner. There was no way, I was going to not send SA to school.
Once back to the house, I got things together and got back on schedule.
It is raining all day and we are cooped inside, but I did sneak them out for 20 minutes when the rain was light. They mostly just walked around but they/I needed them to get out.

[Annalee]

Have relicensed for the 30th time.....can't believe I have owned this business or 30 years.......been in child care for 38 years starting out in clients homes and moved on to a child care center then started my own Family child care business....I think I still have about 15 years left in me and, believe it or not, those 15 may be my best yet.....happy about the new roll-outs that are taking place.

[GirlMomma]

I have a new DCK starting today and I’m really excited about it, even knowing there is an adjustment period.

The weather is expected to be wonderful this week, too which instantly puts me in a better mood.

Happy Monday! ☕️☀️