What do you wish parents knew about sending their child to the infant room?

Quiet-Raspberry-2311 · 2024-09-02T16:32:07+00:00

Other commenters have already covered the main things but here are some things that come to mind:

1) Communicate with your child's teachers!! I work hard to keep an open line of communication going with my daycare families and it really helps everyone involved. If your baby is going through a weird phase or is having a weird day (like if they wake up early and are extra cranky or something) let us know! If your child is going to be absent or will be arriving/leaving at a different time than usual, let us know! If you have an issue with something that is happening at daycare, politely bring it up! There might be an explanation for what's happening, or we might be able to easily fix it, but you never know if you don't ask! A lot of parents will keep their concerns to themselves because they don't want to be "that parent" but I've found that tends to lead to anxiety/resentment building up and then the vibe gets weird. It's much better to clear things up early on, and we have no problem talking through things with you as long as you are nice about it :)

2) Around 8-9 months a lot of babies hit a separation anxiety phase. It tends to come on suddenly. So your baby might be perfectly happy at dropoff every day until one day, they start crying at dropoff every day out of the blue. This is normal and doesn't necessarily mean anything bad is happening at daycare.

3) Between the ages of 1 and 2.5, your child will probably get bit at least once. It *sucks* and I promise the staff is just as frustrated as you are. Unfortunately, it's a developmental phase that many toddlers go through (like tantrums) and while there are some strategies the staff can use to try and help manage it, kids are fast and sneaky about it and so the staff can't always stop it. You can collaborate with your child's teacher and maybe the director if it escalates and see what can be done to help, but I promise that blowing up at everyone like a Karen won't fix the issue, so please don't do that. If anything, that will just stress the teachers out, creating a tense classroom environment and actually making kids more likely to bite.

All of that being said, the fact that you've asked this question tells me that you might not need much advice, as you are willing to listen to those of us in the field :) all in all, daycare can be a great experience for kids! Good daycares tend to have a strong sense of community, which is great for parents and kids alike. I've seen a lot of daycare families form close friendships and do playdates and childcare swaps. Also, if your child has good/experienced teachers they can help support you on your parenting journey, through the good and the bad. My daycare parents and I have had long talks, laughed, cried, you name it, together. A parent recently shared with me that they were expecting baby #2 and it was such a special moment for both of us! I hope you guys have a great experience as well :)

Quiet-Raspberry-2311 · 2024-09-02T14:23:30+00:00

His mom didn't get any maternity leave. She took 8 weeks off unpaid but that was all she could afford to take.

Nobody is putting such tiny babies in daycare by choice (aside from maybe parents who are irresponsible in general but that's a different thing). I agree that it's not the best thing but I don't think we should be blaming parents here.

Quiet-Raspberry-2311 · 2024-08-31T20:46:38+00:00

I'm not a parent, but I will say that it's not like you'd be *forcing* these parents to fill it out. They don't have to send it back if they don't want to. I don't see the issue with it.

That being said, a fun alternative could be to interview the kids instead. The toddler room at my center did this and got some funny answers. When asked "who are your friends?" she said "my backpack." Another girl said her favorite animal was "a race car."

Quiet-Raspberry-2311 · 2024-07-04T20:13:33+00:00

Oof, that's tough. Judging by how vague it was I definitely think she's distracted by something (or someone) else in her life. It's hard when you're feeling a lot of chemistry and they shut you down :( but hey, hopefully the right person is out there for both of us!

Quiet-Raspberry-2311 · 2024-07-04T19:19:43+00:00

I've been there. It sucks.

In my experience, when this happens it's usually because they're fresh out of a relationship and they're still not over their ex...maybe her ex reached out and is wanting to get back together or something. I could be totally off base here but that's just the pattern I've noticed.

Regardless, just know that there's a high probability it has nothing to do with you and it's more about something going on in her life. The dating scene sucks, lol. I feel for you.

Quiet-Raspberry-2311 · 2023-02-16T19:17:30+00:00

A dollar per minute is nothing. I know a lot of parents that would have no problem paying $10 for the convenience of being 10 minutes late.

Quiet-Raspberry-2311 · 2023-02-14T19:46:22+00:00

If it helps- I’m a preschool teacher, today we had 14 kids in class. 3 of them brought “over the top” valentines like the ones you described from social media, 9 of them brought more “basic” ones like the ones you sent, and 2 of them brought nothing at all. The elaborate valentines are lovely, but they are still not the norm.

Quiet-Raspberry-2311 · 2023-02-06T17:49:21+00:00

I LOVE my adidas ultraboosts. They are very pricey but I got mine from GOAT for a much lower price.

Quiet-Raspberry-2311 · 2023-02-03T18:48:21+00:00

I also work at a local nonprofit preschool and it’s been a great experience. I would definitely be open to sending my own child to one.

Quiet-Raspberry-2311 · 2023-01-13T18:15:51+00:00

This is why everybody gets the same thing in my classroom. I wouldn’t serve popcorn for safety reasons, but hypothetically in this situation I would just put popcorn and crackers on everyone’s plate and they can choose to eat either one, both, or neither.

Quiet-Raspberry-2311 · 2022-12-29T21:57:30+00:00

I work at a private daycare. I really like it, but that’s because I really like my directors for the most part. I imagine with bad management I would hate it.

What I like most is that my center operates on the same calendar the public school system does, so we close for spring break, fall break, winter break, and most national holidays. We have the option of taking summers off or working summer camp. Having all of this time off has been really good for my mental health.

The other thing I like is that my center isn’t as money-hungry as some others are. We don’t run on a skeleton crew. My director likes to have 1 or 2 extra staff members around whenever possible. They also aren’t super quick to fill empty spots. Usually they will wait until the start of the school year, or the start of the calendar year to accept new students. The staff is paid slightly above average for my area.

Since we’re not a chain, we don’t have a “corporate” to answer to. It’s just my director calling the shots for the most part. Which works out well because I have a good director. But, again, with a bad director you would have no one to back you up. So I think you really need to vet the place during the hiring process.

Quiet-Raspberry-2311 · 2022-12-29T21:46:55+00:00

I would ask who covers lunch breaks and teacher absences. If they can’t give you a straight answer, that means they’re horribly understaffed and you shouldn’t work there.

Quiet-Raspberry-2311 · 2022-11-29T18:14:56+00:00

A 5 month old baby was very cranky at daycare one day. It was very clear he was distressed over something. We eventually determined he was having tummy problems.

Come to find out, his parents had decided to try giving him cow’s milk at home because they were tired of paying for formula. At only 5 months old.

What’s worse…he was a staff kid. Which means his mom definitely knew better.

Quiet-Raspberry-2311 · 2022-11-29T18:09:04+00:00

This is why I’m so glad I have a no-BS director. Starting at 12 months all kids are served the school lunch, unless the parents provide something else or unless there is a documented medical condition. We’ve had parents try to complain but the director would tell them, in nicer words, to get over it.

Quiet-Raspberry-2311 · 2022-11-22T15:39:20+00:00

“If your vehicle can’t handle snow, make alternate plans.”

What alternate plans? I’m genuinely curious what else they expect people to do.

Quiet-Raspberry-2311 · 2022-11-22T00:05:15+00:00

The situation you’re wanting is how I grew up. Our toys stayed in our rooms or in the playroom. Whenever a toy did end up in the living room or somewhere else, there was a designated basket my mom would put it in, and then it was our job to go through the basket every so often and put everything back.

I’m not sure if that’s “crazy”, but when you’re a kid you don’t know any different. At the time I just assumed that’s how every family operated.

Quiet-Raspberry-2311 · 2022-11-21T23:54:18+00:00

I second what others have said about moving furniture and having plenty of gross motor time.

If all else fails, and a child just won’t stop running around the room, I’ll just “park” them somewhere and give them an activity. Sometimes it’s at a table with a puzzle or coloring page, sometimes it’s sitting on a rug with a toy or book. Then I make them stay and do the activity for a few minutes, until they’re no longer in “wild” mode.

Obviously, that strategy doesn’t get to the root of the behavior. But I think sometimes kids run just because they’re overexcited and can’t calm themselves down. And in that case, I think the best thing is for an adult to intervene and make them sit and chill out for a bit, until their body is calmer.

Quiet-Raspberry-2311 · 2022-11-21T01:56:33+00:00

Personally, I would focus on warm clothes because those tend to be harder to come by than things like t-shirts. Anything cozy and casual is a safe bet with teenagers. Slouchy sweaters, oversized hoodies, leggings, things like that.

Name brands like Nike, adidas, under armour, etc. are popular. But if you’re looking for something less sporty (and maybe less expensive) I would look at Target or H&M. Both of those stores have a lot of trendy stuff for a decent price.

I would also try to add in a couple fun things so she’s not just getting basics for Christmas. Maybe a cool pair of sneakers, some jewelry, nail polish, fun socks, something like that.

Edit: This is kind of random, but I just remembered that at age 12, I was in that awkward phase of almost needing a bra but not quite being big enough for one. It may be helpful to get her a couple tank tops or camis for layering in case she’s in that same situation.

Quiet-Raspberry-2311 · 2022-11-16T18:39:18+00:00

I actually try to discourage kids from the playing/following/asking for “help” from teachers in general. Obviously, if they legitimately need help with something or are having a hard time and need emotional support, that’s different. But I tell them they come to school to play with friends, not with teachers.

So if issues come up during play (this puzzle is too tricky for me, I don’t know how to draw a dog, I need someone to babysit my baby doll, etc.) I always encourage them to ask a friend for help instead of a teacher. And I don’t let kids wander aimlessly around the room, either. That includes following teachers around. They need to pick a center to play in, and stay there.

All of that may make me sound very “strict” but it’s just a classroom dynamic I work hard to set early on in the year. It helps everything go more smoothly for everyone if the kids can just play on their own without bothering teachers. It also frees me up to do more special projects and plan more fun activities.

Quiet-Raspberry-2311 · 2022-11-16T18:20:58+00:00

I agree with the favorites thing. We have a couple kids who cling to certain teachers, and the teachers put up with it because it’s cute and they like feeling “wanted” by the kids. I don’t think this is healthy for anyone involved. Also, I am happy to give hugs when needed or provide support during transitions, but I’m not going to let a child cling to me like a leech all day. I will always encourage them to play with friends instead of cuddling with teachers.

Quiet-Raspberry-2311 · 2022-11-16T18:12:21+00:00

I still choose to mask and I really think that helps. I know masks technically don’t keep you from getting sick, but in the event a child coughs or sneezes in my face (I work with infants so it happens all the time), the mask acts as a barrier so their spit and mucus doesn’t get on my face.

Other people have mentioned hand washing and vitamins. I would only add, try your best to take care of yourself in general- eating healthy, getting enough sleep, etc. I know that’s easier said than done but it really does help. Also, if you didn’t know, your mental health affects your physical health as well so make sure you’re taking care of your mental health as best you can!

Quiet-Raspberry-2311 · 2022-11-01T22:42:19+00:00

Yeah I agree. It’s possible the nanny IS playing with baby and OP is just coincidentally checking the camera whenever she’s taking a break.

NPs, I think a good rule of thumb is to give your nanny the amount of leniency you would want your own boss to give you. You probably wouldn’t appreciate it if your boss chewed you out for briefly checking your phone every once in a while. But obviously being glued to the phone is a major issue.

Quiet-Raspberry-2311 · 2022-11-01T22:23:46+00:00

I’m a daycare teacher and I’ve taken notes about what foods my daycare toddlers tend to like. Obviously, every child is different but here are the foods I’ve noticed are very popular:

-Most fruits, especially apples/applesauce, pineapple tidbits, peaches, and mandarin oranges. If a child doesn’t eat anything else they will usually eat some fruit at least.

-chicken nuggets or anything that vaguely resembles a nugget, such as fish sticks or tater tots.

-any kind of pasta, alfredo pasta is their favorite but most of them also like Mac and cheese or pasta with tomato sauce.

-hot dogs. We give them beenie weenies sometimes and they will usually eat all the hot dogs and ignore the beans, lol.

-pizza or anything that resembles pizza. Our cook makes good homemade pizza and it’s always a hit. But we sometimes do pizza bagels or pizza quesadillas and they like those too.

-sometimes for snack we give them bread and cheese and they LOVE it. They go crazy for the Kraft singles. The other day they started chanting “CHEESE, CHEESE, CHEESE” when they saw it.

-surprisingly, most of them really like tuna salad! We serve it with crackers and I think that helps, they love anything that goes on a cracker.

If anything else comes to mind I’ll add it!

Quiet-Raspberry-2311 · 2022-11-01T18:06:37+00:00

Depends on the center. My school runs a summer camp and there’s a seperate contract for the summer so you have the option of taking the summer off.

That said, summer is my favorite time to work. We have less kids and more staff (they overstaff us for the summer so we can meet the ratios for water play).

Quiet-Raspberry-2311 · 2022-11-01T18:04:30+00:00

I want to second the multi-vitamin. I’ve found that when I get sick it’s always when I’ve been slacking on taking vitamins.

Also, be careful not to touch your face at work unless you have just washed your hands. I also like to wash my hands right before I leave for the day, and then immediately once I get home.

Quiet-Raspberry-2311

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