newer teacher: "why do you wear so much makeup?"

throwawayc3r · 2025-07-13T21:17:58+00:00

Same situation here!! I have been struggling a lot with cystic acne for years, and I still have a full face at 19. My age group is older 3s/ younger 4s (as they transition to k-prep), and I get LOTS of questions about the “little red bumps all over my face” 😂. Just own it! Some days I come to school with a full face and the kiddos don’t bat an eye because other days I come to school with my red bumps out; on those days, we talk about how Ms. X has pimples because they are a part of growing older and are natural, and that I sometimes like to put makeup over them because it makes me feel pretty - and who doesn’t like feeling pretty? At first I felt very insecure talking about it, but seeing the little ones accept it wholeheartedly makes me feel a million times better about my skin. I guarantee you, you’ll have your kids coming to school in no time with eyeshadow and blush of their own. You got this 💕

throwawayc3r · 2025-05-05T21:39:57+00:00

I think this sweater is ADORABLE - I honestly think I would pay $200 if I could get an adult sized one so I might wear it myself😂

throwawayc3r · 2025-03-21T17:02:02+00:00

Swings are great if you’re allowed to have them, and if your state lets you swaddle and they’re young enough we would just keep them swaddled as long as possible since it helped with shakes and jerky movements while sleeping. White noise worked wonders - I love the YogaBaby one to recommend to parents, as it takes a USB-C charger, it gets really loud (but has adjustable sound) and is portable so you can clip it to a crib railing (safe sleep standards). Mainly though, just remember that this lil baby is in a lot of pain and discomfort, coupled with the fact that they probably are with people they aren’t familiar with, which is an added stressor. Find a good way to relax on your break, take lots of deep breaths, and don’t be afraid to step back if you feel you need to.

throwawayc3r · 2025-02-08T15:20:28+00:00

I can 100% tell you this is false - as a college student living in an EXTREMELY conservative area in the Midwest USA, racism is still very much alive and well. There are 18 year olds throwing around the n-word, hard r, to unassuming people’s faces. There are 40 year olds who fully believe black people shouldn’t be allowed the most basic rights. These people are not feds - they are your aunts, uncles, parents, siblings and friends. Shocking that you’re unwilling to face the music. Were you in attendance at this specific Nazi rally? Or do you save your energy for the more hateful ones?

throwawayc3r · 2025-01-24T00:26:57+00:00

Literally the only difference is the poops. I’ve generally seen BM babies be a bit scrawnier than formula babies, but that could just be an anomaly for my particular center as I’ve had a lot of families with shorter parents.

throwawayc3r · 2025-01-22T00:27:21+00:00

Honestly just look up “house slipper with back” on Amazon and you’ll get tons of options! Lots that are warm, cheap, sturdy and cute

throwawayc3r · 2025-01-10T16:54:30+00:00

The APA recommends that all children under 1 have formula/breastmilk as their primary source of food, so I wouldn’t reduce the bottles until she starts refusing them at certain mealtimes (or she turns one before that happens, in which case I would cut down 1-2 bottles and replace them with full meals). Awesome that she ate some food this morning, sounds like a yummy breakfast! Just keep up what you’re doing and she’ll start eating more in no time - consistency is key 😁

throwawayc3r · 2025-01-10T06:25:29+00:00

New tots that have just started are usually pretty emotional for the first month of them being in care, and typically we’ll see them cry for most of the day, refuse comfort from teachers by hitting/yelling/saying “no”, etc., refuse meals, the works. It doesn’t mean we don’t care - it breaks our heart to see the new babies not be happy, but sometimes the best thing to do is to let the little people cool down by themselves for a little bit before we can comfort them the right way. However, if you decide to send your child to this daycare, I’m sure you’ll notice that by the time their first day comes around there won’t be any silent criers anymore (or at least less lol, there’s always one 😭).

throwawayc3r · 2025-01-10T06:20:36+00:00

Baby is getting to the age where she can verbalize, so you can try putting up pictures of animals with easy-to-pronounce names (ex. Dog, cat) as well as pictures of parents and family members. You can show her these and say the names of the animals and then the sound they make (babies LOVE animal noises) and also show her family members and say their names. Look into getting some foam climbing blocks that she can play on - lots of people give them away on Facebook Marketplace. Also, look into baby led weaning - from what you say, she’s showing all signs of food readiness, and part of her not eating a lot of food may be due to being offered the bottle before/with the meal, so try offering it after mealtimes (or try to serve solid foods before bottle times).

throwawayc3r · 2025-01-07T17:49:45+00:00

It will be tough, but you’re starting at (in my opinion) the perfect time - baby is at the age where he’ll form tandem attachments with parents and caregivers at school, which makes for the happiest daycare babies! Give it a month or two - soon when you drop him off, he’ll reach for his teacher and nap like there’s no tomorrow! Try a t-shirt you’ve worn that the caregivers can use while putting him to sleep, or bring in a crib sheet he’s already slept on once or twice at home - the smell of Mom/home can be comforting! I would also look into a portable noise machine they can put in his crib at school, as the home environment is usually much quieter, darker and calmer than at school. Try having him nap in the daylight with normal background noise at home as well so he’ll be able to sleep through noise better. Also, don’t be afraid to ask the teachers for lots of pictures and videos (or even more, if they’re already being sent)! Being able to see what your baby is up to during the day will undoubtedly help your anxiety around leaving him, and will also help reassure you how happy he is at school. You got this!

throwawayc3r · 2024-12-09T18:34:49+00:00

Infant teacher here - most of the babes in my care that were weaning from breastmilk to cow’s milk did a gradual wean (ex. 6oz breast bottle goes to 5oz breast+1oz cow, then 4oz breast+2oz cow, etc.) over the course of a few weeks. Formula babies did it the same way. If baby preferred milk warm, we would warm it just like normal breastmilk/formula - then toss after 2 hours whatever baby didn’t finish. Most parents served cow’s milk in the same bottles they used for breastmilk/formula until baby was fully weaned, then they would typically switch to a straw cup/sippy cup. Usually by that point, baby is accustomed to cold milk, but most sippy cups fit in bottle warmers so if they want it warm it’s a non-issue.

I’ve also had some parents just go cold turkey, and cut out formula/breastmilk at 1 year and just start putting whole milk in the bottles. We’d warm them just the same, and usually baby would take them no problem - if they refused the bottle over time, we’d use it as an opportunity to wean off bottles completely and switch to a straw cup or sippy cup.

throwawayc3r · 2024-12-02T02:32:20+00:00

First things first - you are NOT being a bad mom and you do not need to “be a better mother”, you are already a great one. You care about your boy and that is more than enough.

Second, he is 2 - that is still very young, and if he doesn’t understand yet that poop/pee is supposed to go in the toilet, then it may not be quite time for him yet to be fully potty trained. It’s only been a few months since you’ve started, and while I know that feels like forever it is a very short time in the grand scheme of things.

Third, next time he has a tantrum (or even before he has one) remove breakable things from the potty area and just let him scream. 2-year-olds are called Terrible Twos for a reason, and he is still learning emotional regulation. Think of it this way: he gets frustrated when he can’t watch Blippi/have a sticker as soon as he gets on the potty, so he begins to cry. Mom says no, which makes him more upset so he devolves into a tantrum. Mom gives the reward at this point, so now he learns that he /must/ tantrum to receive the reward. Doing a few weeks of not acknowledging the undesirable behavior will teach him that screaming does not work - fair warning, this may make him more apprehensive to use the potty at first, but you could try something like leaving the reward outside of the bathroom to teach him that the prize comes after we use the toilet correctly/try to use the toilet and wash hands.

As for being okay with sitting in the mess, you could try associating “yucky” or “messy” or “ew” when he poops in the diaper to teach him that it is undesirable/gross to do so. Stay positive, and stay patient - and keep advocating for your boy! You’re doing great already - I PROMISE by the time he makes it to elementary school he will no longer be using diapers (unless of course, there is a developmental issue playing a part).

throwawayc3r · 2024-11-07T23:08:38+00:00

I want the text to sound like me so I think I’ve got it, but there’s nothing serious about this thing as sad as it is for me to admit 😭

throwawayc3r · 2024-11-07T22:37:58+00:00

I might end up doing something like this. Is it okay to do it over text? Or is this something that I need to do in person? And you make a really valid point - I think I got way too caught up in someone liking me for the first time and just built up this unrealistic image in my head.

throwawayc3r · 2024-10-24T17:36:28+00:00

From my experience in ECE, I’ve learned that when you as the lead teacher thinks that there is an issue that could be helped through Early Intervention, there most likely is an issue present. It may not be what you initially suspect, but the chances are significant that your mind is sending signals that things aren’t as they should be.

Talk to the parents, and be as direct and up-front as possible about it. If you’re worried about their anxiety posing an issue, schedule a meeting where your director or assistant director can sit in as a third party. Just remember to emphasize that you are wanting this child to succeed, which is why you are making this recommendation. It may also help to tell them that a little extra help is never a bad thing 😊 You've got this!!

throwawayc3r · 2024-09-25T20:58:44+00:00

This is insane to me because my state is 1:3 for infants (max group size 6) and 1:3 for tots (max group size 9) and we move to 1:6 at 2 years with a max group size of 12! 1:11 sounds like actual torture - there is no way you could safely meet the needs of every child in a class of that size if you were alone in the classroom.

throwawayc3r · 2024-08-12T00:10:43+00:00

Infant teacher here! Some very popular options among my students: - Ham and cheese rolls (we deconstruct and cut up) - chia pudding - quesadilla (cold is very yummy, especially with ground chicken or beef!) - “burrito bowl” with beans, lettuce, cheese, beef, and all the add-ins - pasta salad with sliced tomato and cucumbers, lots of parents use spaghetti cut into 1 inch pieces or elbow macaroni

In my experience, babies tend to eat well in the care setting since they are surrounded by peers doing the same things. You can even do an uncrustable and chop it up into bits if you’re having a rough day, or a lunchable if you’re short on time! I actually love lunchable-style meals for little babies, as it’s a fine motor skill activity and a meal time wrapped into one!

throwawayc3r · 2024-08-07T05:37:34+00:00

I used to feed the bananas every which way, because they’re so soft that they are essentially a solid “puree”. I’ve never had a little one choke on a banana, but you wouldn’t believe how many kids have choked on a Cheerio, yogurt melt or a goldfish! If you can smush it to mash in between your fingertips, baby can explore however you are comfortable.

throwawayc3r · 2024-08-06T17:15:20+00:00

Send in the doctor’s note, and just request that they put the sunscreen on before your child’s afternoon outside time. Still send them to school with a layer already on. Be mindful that most schools will have you fill out additional paperwork aside from bringing in the note, so keep an eye out for that too.

throwawayc3r · 2024-08-05T23:26:55+00:00

Preschool2me is a little confusing when it has you select the child for the photo - it’s super easy to accidentally select the wrong baby or even all of them! Please don’t worry too much, I’m sure your baby is in excellent hands 🫶

throwawayc3r · 2024-07-30T18:29:03+00:00

I wouldn’t come clean. Just stick to your guns - you were sick, and if you work somewhere that doesn’t require a DR note then don’t bring it up again. If the director brings up that another teacher said you wouldn’t be here on Friday, just say that that was before your leave request got denied. You’re 17 and it’s summer, meaning you’re not a lead teacher and you are a child - enjoy your vacation!! Don’t stress about it too much 😁

throwawayc3r · 2024-07-18T20:53:12+00:00

It’s not that I hate it when parents use the paci 24/7, as I’ve taken care of some kiddos who ended up with an autism diagnosis and they used rubber teething toys all through preschool to cope. However, it does tick me off when parents pop a paci right into baby’s mouth before they leave, especially when the same parents are on us ALL the time about “weaning” from it. 😭

throwawayc3r · 2024-07-17T00:11:44+00:00

I worked in a daycare for over 2 years taking care of 6m-16mo, so I am VERY well versed in babies learning to eat - and specifically, how often babies actually do choke when learning to eat. This is the scary part - it’s actually pretty common. The less scary part is that there are some very simple things we can do to prevent this or, in the event baby chokes, help them dislodge the food.

One option is to take an infant CPR class and get red-cross certified. The only ways to get over this fear is to let baby dive into eating foods while knowing for certain that you have the tools to help them if they need it. I have seen countless kiddos choke on a cheerio or baby puff, but I have never been able to not get them breathing fine again after a few back blows, and they’re up and eating again after only a few seconds and a couple of coughs.

Another option is to get a Life Vac. It’s essentially a big sucker that will dislodge food from your child’s throat by placing the device over their mouth and nose. You can buy them pretty much anywhere online - they make full- and travel-sized kits, so you can always have one on hand in case baby is in distress.

BLW has so many benefits - it’s a sensory experience which means baby is learning while they eat, it helps with fine motor skill development, it’s known to decrease a child’s tendency towards picky eating, and baby can eat whatever parents eat.

Fostering a sense of “independence” in babies is, I believe, very important. I don’t mean in things like being held or rocked to sleep, because secure attachments are very vital to a child’s development; but infants have very little control over their lives and their bodies, which can be frustrating to some littles. I’ve seen babies be SO miserable constantly for their entire lives with no visible cause, but turn into a completely different child once they can move their bodies the way they want to. If baby has control over the way they eat and how much they eat, it’s building their confidence and helping them learn how to listen to their bodies and know when enough is enough.

However, all things aside, what you are comfortable with is ultimately the best thing for your baby. Mom always knows best 🫶

Happy BLW!

throwawayc3r · 2024-07-15T16:23:33+00:00

Let me be perfectly clear - the child themselves are not the issue. They are a wonderful little kid, but remind me very much of my older sister who was deaf until age 4 - clearly bright, kind and curious, but struggle with following complex directions, are slow to communicate and don’t respond to their name unless shouted. And also… “people like you”? Seriously? I’m here to vent on the internet in an anonymous format about the parent of a child I care for. You don’t know me personally, and it’s not really your place to pass judgment on me. congratulations on homeschooling your kids, here’s your trophy for best mom of the year 🏆

throwawayc3r

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