We asked our OwnADaycare Facebook fans who are daycare owners, to reveal information they would love to anonymously convey to parents. This information is helpful not only for parents who send their child to daycare, but also will help new daycare owners create and enforce policies for their daycare business.
Concerns fell into two categories: Daycare owners have issues with respect for policies and with behavioral issues:
Parents, Please Respect our Business and Our Policies
Please be on time and pay the correct amount on time. Child care providers have families too and have to make dinner, clean up and put their children to bed also. So if you are late picking up, their children are overtired and hungry.
Daycare providers are not babysitters; they are professional child care providers.
Bring the items you’re asked to bring (and that you agreed to bring) for your child. When parents following this rule it helps daycare providers care for your child and allows the provider to buy everything they need to care for your child.
Follow the parent and provider agreement and contract that you signed. It is your responsibility to read it. Would you buy a house or a car without the contract before you sign it? If you don’t follow what it says then prepare to lose your child care.
Please read the newsletters and calendars. Child care providers put a lot of time and effort into planning activities for your child and would like for the children to come prepared.
If your child is up all night puking and had a 104 fever, please keep him home! Please don’t give your child medicine before coming to daycare to disguise a fever. Sure, you might miss a day of work, but the alternative is getting all of the kids sick all of the kid’s parents missing a day of work.
If you work together with your child care provider on every aspect throughout the day care journey, you may avoid lots of unnecessary conflict! Follow all policy rules, and work WITH the child care provider, rather than AGAINST her!!
Lack of respect and is frustrating. Just because a child care provider is at home all day every day, doesn’t mean that he or she is obligated to accept kids at any hour during the day. There are regulations that must be followed.
Your childcare provider needs paid days off. You get paid when you take a day off, so please give it to them and don’t make them feel guilty that they need time off.
Please respect the child care provider’s home. Child care providers work hard keep it nice. There are areas in the home that are NOT for daycare. Please keep your child out of those areas.
Please don’t throw your kids art projects on the car floor. Hang them up at home and talk about them. Tell the child care provider how much you appreciate the efforts it takes to do a project. It is a lot of work while we are a cook, plumber, housecleaner, shrink, teacher, counselor, etc. We usually love what we are doing for the children – being appreciated really helps us get thru those rough days.
Don’t expect the child care provider to potty train your child if you are not willing to do it at home. The child care provider will help but it is not their responsibility.
Please Communicate! Child care providers may be able to handle a lot of what is thrown at them, but cannot read minds. Child care providers won’t bite, will not take anything you say to them personally. Please communicate what you expect of them and allow them to fill those needs or to openly express to you why they are not able to do so.
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{ 7 comments… read them below or add one }
Thank you I could not said it better if I had tried.
When your child purposly destroys my property, please make time to discuss this. Do not shrug it off since it is not your furniture, or walls etc. Expect to pay for damage made by your chlidn(ren). Teach your child(ren) respect and manners. We are not your child(ren)s parents, we are child care providers. You need to start it and we will keep it consistant. Thank you
Right on.
Amen sister. You pretty much said it all.
I want to ask you professional something. My kids go to a Montessori schools. The director always claims there are different rules than the ones for day cares.
One of my sons when he naps we have a hrd time putting him to bed at night and as a result cannot get up in the morning. I have asked the school not to put him down for a nap but was told by law they have to. OR I can pay additional $100 a month and have him in a exteded day program taught by the same staff that is already there. I know everyone deserves to have time to take a brake but isn’t it extortion to say either nap or you deal with it or pay up!?
I am so torn with the our way or the high way attitude that I am starting to develop resistance towards the school.
Bobbie…I think you need to pursue this a bit further and maybe get a copy of the licensing policy. You may be getting jerked around here. Rules do vary a bit state-by-state but for the most part they ARE required to have a REST period but not take a nap. They are required to take a 30 minute rest period. After that point they are supposed to be allowed to look at books quietly, do quiet activities, etc. One thing I cannot stand is when the directors do not care about the families needs. It gives the rest of us a bad name. You may need to find a different school for your child. If they aren’t working with you on this issue, what else aren’t they working with you on? Just my opinion.
Sheena if you have a home daycare and your property is damaged that is your resposibilty, and it is a potential cost of doing is business. I would say if you are having problems with a specific child being destructive and the parent is not taking it seriously then it is time to get rid of that child.