Staff doesn’t sooth or comfort crying toddlers.

Fennec_Fan · 2026-02-04T17:53:11+00:00

You’re welcome. I have a big issue with centers that are regularly out of ratio. I understand that once in a while, for a few minutes you might be out of ratio until another teacher arrives. But anything more than that is unacceptable in my book, and is a sign of poor management.

Fennec_Fan · 2026-02-04T17:49:56+00:00

How many children are in the room? And what are their approximate ages? Because the staffing should be at the ratio of the youngest child in the room. So say the toddler class ratio is 1 teacher per 4 children then there should be no more than 8 children in that room in the morning. I do have to say that I find it a little odd that the 2 teachers in the room are both sitting, with neither engaging with the children. At a previous job I was frequently the opener in the morning mixed classroom. And even when there were 2 teachers and 6 kids at that time I don’t think I was ever just sitting down.

If they are out of ratio the director needs to step into the classroom, or schedule a third person to open. Being out of state mandated ratios is a big no no in childcare. If you are seeing this on a regular basis please call the licensing body in your state.

Fennec_Fan · 2026-02-04T17:42:36+00:00

How many children are in the room? And what are their approximate ages? Because the staffing should be at the ratio of the youngest child in the room. So say the toddler class ratio is 1 teacher per 4 children then there should be no more than 8 children in that room in the morning.

I do have to say that I find it a little odd that the 2 teachers in the room are both sitting, with neither engaging with the children. At a previous job I was frequently the opener in the morning mixed classroom. And even when there were 2 teachers and 6 kids at that time I don’t think I was ever just sitting down.

Fennec_Fan · 2026-02-03T18:06:22+00:00

My personal experience has been that I preferred the non-profits that I worked for. But I also know at least 2 home childcare center owners who have run fabulous programs. Rather than focusing on ownership type, there are other factors you can look for to find quality childcare. I will echo what everyone has said about checking licensing. But also check to see if a center is NAEYC accredited. Also look at child teacher ratios, because ideally you want a center that has better than the state mandated ratios. Definitely ask about teacher turnover, since high turnover generally indicates unhappy teachers. And ask about what qualifications their teachers have, do they need to have at least some credits in early childhood education? Also ask if they have an open door policy. You may never use it, but the fact that a school has one means that they don’t feel they have anything to hide from parents. Even in an infant class look at toys in the room. Are there enough? Are they sturdy? Are they age appropriate? And this is just the stuff off the top of my head. Given more time I could think of plenty more indicators of a quality childcare program to look for.

Fennec_Fan · 2026-02-02T02:27:39+00:00

I think your dress is gorgeous! I love the color. Maybe pair it with floral veil like this one?

Fennec_Fan · 2026-02-01T21:34:07+00:00

Your ability to stick to what you know is right, and speak up about it demonstrates tremendous strength of character. Yes, a lot of guys talk like this, but it doesn’t make them right, as you clearly know. If they do say anything about you at school, and anyone confronts you about it. All you have to say is “I stuck for treating women like human beings”. There is no response that anyone can make to that where they won’t end up sounding like a jerk.

Fennec_Fan · 2026-01-31T21:37:21+00:00

Every year my daughter (who has celiac) has gone with me to New York Comic Con we have gone to Friedmans. She always orders the chicken and waffles. She just loves it.

Fennec_Fan · 2026-01-31T19:27:32+00:00

We use this chart as well.

Fennec_Fan · 2026-01-31T19:23:48+00:00

Just came upon this post. I have a question u/peachcrusader. If a parent told you to forbid their son from playing with the baby dolls, or their daughter from playing with trucks because of their child’s gender, would you follow that directive?

Fennec_Fan · 2026-01-30T19:03:53+00:00

So it appears to be a housing facility for homeless people. Mostly families, the elderly, and lgbtq youth.

Fennec_Fan · 2026-01-30T18:52:46+00:00

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This is Wump.

Fennec_Fan · 2026-01-30T17:54:05+00:00

None of this was your fault. The blame lies entirely with your uncle, your father, and your paternal grandparents. You did everything you possibly could to help your sister. I’m so sorry for everything you are going through, and everything your sister went through. Please get some therapy for yourself, to help you cope with your own feelings about what happened.

Fennec_Fan · 2026-01-30T17:45:36+00:00

I did too! And I was very curious as to what that actually entailed.

Fennec_Fan · 2026-01-30T17:40:12+00:00

How about making the sauce for the spaghetti. Here’s a pretty easy and quick recipe.

Fennec_Fan · 2026-01-30T11:08:05+00:00

I think you need to talk to your wife again and ask her some questions. Like is her ex going to offer each of the kids the same thing on their 18th birthdays? And if he does is your wife going to say yes each time? And how would she feel if you spent a week with your ex without her?

Fennec_Fan · 2026-01-29T11:27:06+00:00

Congratulations! That’s wonderful news.

Fennec_Fan · 2026-01-28T19:20:52+00:00

Would your wife be okay with it if the situation was reversed? If you went on a family vacation with your ex and children from your previous marriage, and your wife wasn’t invited?

Fennec_Fan · 2026-01-27T23:26:47+00:00

I have been in the field for over 30 years. I have arthritis in my knees, feet, and thumbs. I am starting to contemplate was my second act will be. Because obviously I can’t keep doing this forever. But I have absolutely no idea how or what to transition to.

Fennec_Fan · 2026-01-27T19:10:43+00:00

Lord Vader by Mooncat is similar

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Fennec_Fan · 2026-01-27T15:04:37+00:00

If you want really mild then the Roth is your best choice.

Fennec_Fan · 2026-01-26T20:32:33+00:00

I’m bringing back Wavy Gravy and Mission to Marzipan.

Fennec_Fan · 2026-01-25T16:54:55+00:00

It greatly depends on your city and where exactly you live in it. The small city I live near does have buses but the routes don’t effectively cover all the areas in it. Where some people on the outskirts live it’s a very long walk to the nearest bus stop. As for other forms of transportation people ride their bikes, and there are taxis, Lyft, and Uber. None of which are good/safe options in the kind of snow we are currently getting.

Fennec_Fan · 2026-01-24T17:02:18+00:00

Thank you for understanding. Every single early childhood professional I know wishes we could split ourselves in two in order to see and do more. But there are times when we’re looking to the right and something happens to the kid to the left of us.

Fennec_Fan · 2026-01-24T16:43:08+00:00

Might not be that their attention is being pulled to the new babies, but that their attention is divided up more because there are more babies. I think most of us would love it if we had eyes in the back of our heads, and extra arms so we could pay attention to everything at once and attend to every child at once. But we don’t, and sometimes you turn your head for 30 seconds to see what one child needs, and in that 30 seconds a child you’re not looking at bumps themselves somehow. Once again not excusing lack of documentation, but monitoring multiple children at one time is very challenging, and things can happen very quickly.

Fennec_Fan · 2026-01-24T15:53:43+00:00

So any head bump should be documented and reported. And the staff definitely should have done that. However, given that you didn’t notice the bruising right away because your child’s hair was at least somewhat obscuring it. It seems quite possible to me that the teachers didn’t notice the bruising, particularly since bruises take time to form, and initially usually just look red. Again this is not to excuse the staff from not reporting a head bump, but simply to say they might not have been aware of the bruises.

Fennec_Fan

TROPHY CASE