Day Care Provider

Do the kids in your day care center ever reveal embarrassing things about their parents? (like, for example, daddy's "other mommy")

Asked by struttz over 11 years ago

They do and it's quite funny/embarassing. Nothing like daddy's other mommy, but they reveal what happens in the bathrooms and bedrooms at their house. One told me that he found mommy and daddy wrestling in the kitchen after a food fight (draw your own conclusions). Another told me that he saw mommy and daddy showering together and they told him it was because they were running out of water at the house and they were trying to conserve. one pre-school class, we were drawing pictures of our favorite toys and a little girl drew one of her mommy's favorite toys...needless to say it was a spot on drawing and it didn't make it into her art folder.

What does your day care center have to do to "prove" to parents that their child will be in good hands? Do parents usually just talk to your staff and make a decision, or do they put you through a gauntlet of never-ending questions, tests, and such?

Asked by Kirbo82 over 11 years ago

Our Director sets up appointments and "tours" of our facility and makes sure the teachers of the potential child are aware that a prospective student/parent are coming through. I try to get a floating instructor in the classroom just in case the parent has any questions or concerns so that me or the assistant teacher can answer them to the best of our ability without having to look over our shoulder at the 15-20 kids in our classroom. We do have a "trial" day where the child can come in at no charge for a half day to see if they enjoy our program and we obviously give the parent a complete rundown of how their son/daughter did for the day. I've had parents ask a million questions that may seem like a pain in the butt for me, BUT the more involved the parent is the better. Communication is key in this industry. An excellent director is key to getting a new member into our facility. It can be difficult to stop your classroom and answer questions (both my assistant teacher and I try every time there's a new face at the door to answer any question but sometimes it's just not possible!) when a new parent goes on a tour so the director must be your eyes and ears for you and be very knowledgeable of the programs. I have had amazing directors that know everything and a parent signs up immediately and I have had directors that barely do the tours and have no clue what's going on in each classroom.

Is it ok with your employer if a parent wants to hire you to babysit outside of normal working hours?

Asked by Suzanne (Tulsa) over 11 years ago

That's one rule that has been the same at pretty much every facility I have worked at and the answer is no. It is one of the rules that is consistently broken by the staff, and if caught, the punishment from certain daycare centers is termination.

Is it harder for men to get hired at a daycare because of concerns about them being sex offenders?

Asked by Soleil over 11 years ago

It is strange to have a man working in a pretty much all female environment. I've worked with male teachers and they always teach the older kids (pre-k and private kindegarten). While it is weird to have a male in a daycare facility, parents have loved the two male teachers I have known and so have the kids.

Do you get depressed when kids you've grown attached to leave the program?

Asked by Erica over 11 years ago

I do get kind of sad. You spend so much time with these kids developing their skills and helping them meet their milestones. It's a proud moment when they move up and are prepared for the next level of education whether is be kindegarten or pre school or even going from the infant room to the toddler program. You definitely miss the kids (and families) but once some of them leave your classroom you have a whole new crop of kids to grow and care for. I like to keep tabs on the kids i've taught if they aren't leaving the daycare facility yet. I will pop in their new classrooms and say hi on my break or at lunch to see them and even help them with their transition to their new class if they're having a tough time.

Do parents try to get you to adopt THEIR preferred parenting methods? Is it even possible to remember things like “alright, Jimmy’s parents want me to talk to him this way, Molly’s parents don’t believe in xyz, etc”?

Asked by Erica over 11 years ago

This can be the most difficult part of the job because you cannot make everyone happy. In terms of disciplining a child in class I tend to side with the parent and whatever method they use at home we try to use in the classroom. Everything else gets out of control. One parent wanted me to change the whole classroom's food schedule to accommodate her child's needs and that just can't happen so she began bringing her own lunches to give to her child which is fine (as long as it's peanut free!). If there is something that a parent is a stickler about I will try to make it work, but I can't have 20 different ways of doing things for each child. For the most part parents are respectful of that and let me do my job.

Do you think that all of the peanut allergies that parents these days freak out about are overblown or for real?

Asked by Daddy XL over 11 years ago

It's so strange because when I was in preschool and elementary school, we had no peanut allergies around whatsoever. I ate peanut butter and jelly sandwiches at lunch and we could actually bring in homemade cupcakes and cookies to your class when it was your birthday! In no way am I mocking a peanut allergy, it truly is a serious issue and I have had kids in my classes that have had this problem. Do i feel that they are overblown, a little bit yes, but understandably so because of the severity of the allergy. I've had parents that wanted me to send flyers home when they found their child was allergic to peanuts so that the other parents in the class would know about it and every time one came in the room for a pick up, the mom would jump on them to explain her child's health situation. That's a bit overboard...my daughter happens to have an allergy to peaches but I am not writing about it in the sky for everyone to see. All I can do is enforce the peanut free zone in the school (which all teachers do) parents need to understand that we take their children's health as seriously as our own.

How tech-savvy are pre-K kids? Has your teaching had to change because they’re all familiar with iPads and the Internet?

Asked by aaron5 over 11 years ago

It's truly amazing how tech savvy these kids are. My teaching most certainly had to change when younger kids started getting more interested in computers and electronic personal devices (which we don't allow. but we have four desktop computers with wireless internet connection). Again, my cirriculum allows for technical training on the computer with various kid friendly programs, and they are allowed to access it during their free play times as well. Most of the kids have ipod touch, iphones, or an ipad so even the training that the lesson plans offer can be a bit remedial for them!

How physical are you allowed to get with the kids? I mean surely you have to be able to touch them to discipline or teach, but where’s the line?

Asked by spinzonelulz over 11 years ago

We can of course give hugs when they need comfort or high fives when they do something good in class. I do not give kisses, that's kind of a personal line for me because I have seen other teachers give kisses on the head or if they have a "boo boo" that needs attention. I don't want other people kissing my child so I don't do it. In terms of discipline, I don't ever put my hand on a child. If they need to "take a break" in their seat (as I have said before I do not use the term time-out) they simply walk to it after I tell them to. For the toddler kids when it comes to discipline, if there is something that they do that is worthy of disciplining (such as hitting or throwing things) a stern NO and redirection are the methods I use. Toddler age, you do obviously have to put your hands on them sometimes when I comes to redirection to show them something else, but it's not stern or mean and done in a loving manner.

Thanks for the quick response to my other question! As a follow-up, WHY would day-care centers prohibit you babysitting clients' kids outside of normal working hours? Doesn't everyone win in that scenario?

Asked by Suzanne (Tulsa) over 11 years ago

No problem! I'm off today so I"m able to get back to people quickly...At one of my first centers, the director explained it that it keeps the relationship between parents and teachers professional rather than personal. At that same center, I was close friends with the parent (and obviously knew their child well) for a couple years before I had began working there. She had asked me to help a couple mornings taking her daughter to school because she had some dr appointments and stuff so I had obviously helped her out. I was almost fired for that, and even asked to take my personal relationship with the family "back a notch" Needless to say I didn't stay at that place to much longer because I wouldn't sacrifice my personal life for my work life! I think that rule is so that it eliminates personal relationships with the families. If you're having a rough day at work and you call your friend to have dinner to vent or whatever and said friend has children in that school and you start spilling the beans, I think that would lead to problems.

What do you think about the free-form "just let the kids do what they want" school of pre-K education?

Asked by Jojo over 11 years ago

I'm not a fan of that kind of education because I believe that kids need structure and the earlier they learn it the better. Built into the cirriculum I use is free time where the class can go to various stations and do what they want with their friends, but when time is up, they clean everything up, and return as a group for our next scheduled activity. There are pros and cons to montessori schools, but it's just a preference to the parent. I've worked in that environment as well and some kids do very well independently and can work like that, but most of them needed a schedule to follow.

Do you have to be trained in CPR and have you ever had to use it on a child?

Asked by pshwarz over 11 years ago

Yes it's required by law for all staff to be certified. I've used the heimlich maneuver at work before and I've used CPR on a family member but never on a child at school.

Are most day care centers kept under video surveillance nowadays?

Asked by aaron5 over 11 years ago

I have only worked at one that had video surveillance, and quite frankly it doesn't put the teachers at ease that they are there. It was a very "big brother" feeling. That was about 8 years ago and the three places I have worked since then have not had cameras.

Do you ever get the sense that certain kids get more attached to you than their own parents? Does this cause friction with parents?

Asked by slowgrind over 11 years ago

There definitely are kids that get attached. Most daycare facilities are open 10-11 hours and some kids are there for the entire time five days a week so they might see their teacher more than their own parents! I have seen it cause friction a few times, mostly when the parents come to pick up the child to go home and they start having a fit and the parent doesn't want to deal with it at 6:00 at night after their day at work. More times than not, parents are at ease that their child enjoys their teacher and likes going to school. When the child transitions to another age and classroom that can cause some anxiety problems but nine times out of ten, they will attach themselves to another teacher in the new classroom within a few weeks.

Hi, I'm a stay at home mom and wondering what you have found to be a 'good' age where kids can benefit from playing or being surrounded by other kids.

Asked by SAHM over 11 years ago

I have found that by age one they can benefit from being around other toddlers and adults. A lot of SAHM do this for a couple days a week to get their child out of the house and have some free time of their own! Just make sure that you follow the school's schedule (snacks, lunch, nap) the best you can on the days they aren't there to make sure that when they are there, it's not stressful on your child (or their teacher!).

Have you ever had any super-precocious kids at your day care center? The kind you can tell by age 2 that they're gonna be geniuses? How did you know?

Asked by Jackson over 11 years ago

You can definitely tell which kids are more advanced by age two just by the milestones that they have reached and passed. I thin I stated above that while you can tell which one is smarter at 2, it may not necessarily be the case by the time they are four and the other kids have caught up and/or passed them. I have taught super smart toddlers and they have gone on to gifted programs at their elementary schools, I also had a child in my pre school class (three years old) that I thought he was going to have the hardest time with school when he got there, but she just began third grade and is reading and writing at a third grade level. Each child develops on their own and that's the best part of my job!

How much is tuition at your daycare center? And how competitive is it to get a kid in?

Asked by BartBaugh over 11 years ago

Daycare can run anywhere from 250 to 135 a week, it just depends on where you go. Typically infant care is the most expensive and it tapers down from there. It depends on the facility how competitive it is to get in. In Charlotte where I am, the daycare industry is becoming to saturated so "competitiveness" isn't a problem. There are of course centers that I wouldn't recommend and they're even on the higher end of the pricing spectrum so you just have to tour a few centers and see what you feel best. I've found with my friends that have kids on daycare that whatever center they feel comfortable in immediately was the one they chose. When my daughter was born, and I was working in a different place than I am now, I wasn't fond of the infant program there (and it was one of the more expensive ones!), in face I wasn't fond of the facility and was trying to find another place to work. I placed her in the facility I am in now and waited for a position there to open up! I have found that the centers that are 250-300 a week really are all show and no substance.

What do you do when you suspect a kid's being abused at home?

Asked by Julie over 11 years ago

If there is any suspicion regarding a child's home life, we let the director know about our findings and they handle it. I have had this happen only one time in my years of working in this industry and my suspicions were true. It's an awful situation for everyone involved but after all was said and done the mother thanked me (she was a victim of the abuse as well), and she said we helped her find the strength to leave her husband and get her family the help it needed.

What are the key red flags I should look for when looking into day care centers?

Asked by Soleil over 11 years ago

Look at the cleanliness of the facility and the rooms, also when walking around the school peek into other classrooms and not just the ones that your child(ren) will be in. See what the teachers are doing, are they interacting with the kids or just sitting there? Ask to see when the kids play outside and how interactive the instructors are with them. We shouldn't be just sitting on the ground yelling at the kids when someone does something wrong. We should be running around, playing tag, pushing them on a swing, etc....Another big one is if there is "outside" food in the rooms (we aren't supposed to have any outside food or drinks in the room), and you would be surprised at what some teacher leave out....I was coming back from lunch and one of my co workers had a bag of peanuts out during the kids' nap! Also, see if the center has a reference list of parents you can call to see how they like the school. Parents put themselves on it and it's a mix of positive and negative reviews so you can get answers to questions you may not be comfortable asking the director

Do you have a favorite kid?

Asked by toozl over 11 years ago

I hate to admit it but I do, there are always one or two kids in your class that make it worth your while to go to work! And any teacher that tells you otherwise is lying. I don't treat them any different than anyone else in the class, and in most cases your "favorite" child started out as your favorite parent/family. The parents you have the most communication with, the parents that treat you like a person not just a full time babysitter for their children, those are the parents of the children that become your "favorite."

You mentioned having seen teachers get kicked out. What had they done?

Asked by Chucky over 11 years ago

That was worded wrong, I meant that I had known teacher who have known kids that have been asked to leave the center because of their behavior. Sorry for the mix up!

Can you see personality and socialization traits, like leader-vs-follower tendencies, developing in children that young?

Asked by Lorax over 11 years ago

That's something that I am so interested in and look for in every class I teach. You most definitely see which ones are more introverted and which are more social. Sometime they surprise you though, the most attached toddler can blossom at three or four and become a totally different person so it's really fascinating to see them go on that journey of self discovery and finding who they are.

If your day care center hires someone new, does she usually get saddled with the less desirable stuff like diaper duty for awhile?

Asked by Suzanne (Tulsa) over 11 years ago

No there's no "hazing." Whoever gets hired knows going in what position they are getting (infant teacher, toddler, pre-school, etc.). If someone is hired for the infant room, they know they're gonna be changing diapers and all that stuff so they know what they're getting into. The turnaround in this industry is pretty high and every teacher in the center I am at has pretty much worked with every age group at the other facilities they have worked in so people who get hired are pretty well rounded.

If a kid has horrible, horrible behavioral problems, what's the furthest you're allowed to go in disciplining him or her? If it gets bad enough, will you kick him out of the program?

Asked by Chucky over 11 years ago

I've had kids in my class that were absolutely unbearable and there's only so many timeouts and trips to the director's office that you can give them and they still just don't care. That's when we need the parents to intervene and help us figure out what's going on. Sometimes it's a problem at home and they're simply acting out, a lot of times i've seen it be a behavioral problem that has been undiagnosed and once it's recognized and a treatment plan is in effect the behaviors get exponentially better. I have never seen a child be "kicked out" of a daycare center but I know teachers who have. In those instances they said the child became a physical threat to themselves or the kids/teacher around them. Like I said earlier, there might be some things going on at home that can cause behavioral problems, that it why communication is so important between teachers and their parents. I know it can be difficult to "air your laundry" to your child's teacher, but once we know what's going on we can help with the child's behavior.

Do you have to be accredited by the State to run a daycare center? What sort of incident could get you decertified?

Asked by mortsaul over 11 years ago

I know you have to be accredited and receive permits for either a franchised or private in home day care. There are a lot of things that can get you decertied. One of the main ones is having to many kids and not enough teachers. I know where I work, our director and assistant director are sticklers for this one. Each age range has to have a certain ratio that you must stay in so you can't just slip out for a second and leave one teacher with 6/7 2 year olds. You must get a floater in to help for the few minutes you need to step out. The ration problem you see more in a private in home day care than you would in a public facility.

What's some of the most extreme behavior you've seen from overly protective or neurotic parents?

Asked by Kirbo82 over 11 years ago

I've dealt with pretty much everything to a mom coming in every hour on the hour to make sure her child who was potty training got her chance to sit on the toilet (and she did with or without her mother being there). Parents would come in at lunch time to sit with their kids while they ate. I've even had a mom (it's usually the mothers) accost me at a restaurant on a weekend day because she didn't feel her son was getting enough attention at school...mind you this mother was a stay at home mom with only one child and he was in our school mon through fri 7 AM to 6 PM....I'm thinking he wasn't getting enough attention at home but i'm not a licensed psychologist....When I was in an infant classroom I had a mother come in and stay with her baby almost all day and not allow us to build a relationship with her daughter so when we went to go near her the baby would scream and the mom would blame us because we weren't acceptable caregivers and didn't know how to act around her daughter. I do welcome over protective parents and accept their neurosis to an extent, but when it interferes with my job and my classroom, I need to have an open and honest conversation with them usually with a director present so it's documented. I've found that an open dialogue is key with these types of parents and they tend to back off and trust you a bit more once everything is out in the open....this is only the tip of the iceberg....I could write a book with this question alone!

Are the kids potty-trained or are you changing 20 diapers a day?

Asked by toozl over 11 years ago

in the infant and toddler rooms you are obviously changing a million diapers a day but around 2 1/2 years old we start putting them on the potty even if they are still in diapers. By three years old, in order to move up to the pre school classrooms, you must have your child be fully potty trained....of course there are still occasional accident but for the most part, they must be self sufficient in the potty area. sometimes parents get offended when their child hasn't moved up because of this reason and then we find out they aren't potty training at home at nights and on weekends. They're just leaving the work up to the daycare teachers and that just won't suffice when it comes to potty training!

I have a 2 year old boy. In his first week in daycare he was placed into time out and made to eat snack alone facing a wall. We complained to the director and no more timeouts have been recorded on his daily sheet. Is he being punished secretly?

Asked by Concerned Mom over 11 years ago

Placing a 2 year old in a time out his first week? That seems kind of crazy to me too and as a mother myself I wouldn't be happy either! As much as I want to answer a stern NO to your question, I cannot. The reason why I say that is because timeouts are a simple and effective way to dealing with a problem (especially at 2 years old). I personally do not use a timeout method for disciplining my own child or the kids in my classes, so I have had no complaints in this department. I only answer this way because I have seen this in every facility I have worked in when parents are unhappy with a disciplinary measure taken in the classroom. The director is always going to side with the parent (after all they are paying for the service), notify the teacher, and it's up to the teacher to uphold the agreement of not using the time out method (in your case it seems a bit extreme, I cannot believe they did that to a two year old!). Until your child can communicate with you and tell you every aspect of his/her day in the classroom, you must trust your teacher (and that builds over time) that they aren't going against your wishes and if they are find somewhere else to go because there are plenty of places that are fantastic and wouldn't do that to you or your child. I can understand making a mistake once but if it happens again and you've already had an agreement in place, that's unacceptable. I hate to sound negative or put you on edge, and I wish I could have a more definite answer for you. My gut is telling me that they are continuing with the timeouts because I have seen it over and over again even after a parents asks them not to.

Do you think less of stay-at-home parents who use day care services even though they don't work?

Asked by laaaaazybones over 11 years ago

I do not think less of parents who stay home and their kids are in daycare. Some want them to have the social experience and that's fine. I do have a problem with parents who just want their child out of their hair so they can go about their business. And I can spot those parents from a mile away. Why even have a child (and have the ability to stay home with them) just so you can put them in a daycare facility for eleven hours a day five days a week? One parent was a stay at home mom and I never met her, the housekeeper would drop her kid off and pick her up. That child was in my class from 7 AM until 6 PM Monday through friday. The housekeeper would feel awful for the child and pick her up early and take her on daytrips because she wasn't allowed to bring her home before 6. Ridiculous.

Do most of the people you work with have kids of their own? Does working at a day care center help make someone a better parent to their own kids?

Asked by slowgrind over 11 years ago

It's pretty equal between the amount of teachers that have kids and those that don't. it definitely helps if you do have kids and need daycare because then you get it at a pretty good deal! I worked at daycare centers for a few years before i had my daughter, and it didn't make me a better parent, but definitely more patient with her. And now being a parent, so of the parents of my kids offer some pretty good advice on things that I would have never thought of on my own. It doesn't make someone a better parent, but it certainly does have its resources you can use.

Do children you care for remember you years later and come say hi, or are they too young to remember you?

Asked by MikeR over 11 years ago

Some of my Pre-K kids remember me when I see them around town, especially if I have kept in touch or became friends with their parents after they have left, but for the most part, they are too young.

Has a parent ever just outright abandoned a child who was in your day care center? As in, dropped the child off one day and never came back?

Asked by Mrs. Rogers over 11 years ago

I've never had a child abandoned at a daycare center, but there has been instances where there is a custody issue (and again communication is key in this situation) and the other parent picks up their child without consent from the other one and then they get to school to pick up their child and they're not there....you can imagine the chaos that ensues...and I have seen that happen more times than I can count. I have never even heard of someone of just leaving their child in a daycare facility and not picking them up....and I hope I never do hear of something so awful!

If a parent is chronically late in picking up his or her kid, what can you do besides insisting they arrive on time?

Asked by Twotwotwo over 11 years ago

There's really not much you can do. There are centers that have a policy that for each minute they are late after closing time, they owe one dollar. Unfortunately, that doesn't deter parents from being late, they just hand you cash when they walk in to pick up their child. If you have a chronically late parent, and you have to stay past close, you just have to grin and bear it and wait for that child to graduate to the next classroom so that parent can become another teacher's problem!

What is the typical career path for a child care teacher (kindergarten and preschool-age) and what are the timelines associated to each step up?

Asked by Bunnz over 11 years ago

you must have an early childhood certification to be a lead or assistant teacher in a classroom. To be a "floater or teacher assistant, you do not have to have that qualification. To obtain a certification, you take a class (EDU 119). Kindegarten teachers have to have a bachelor's degree.

Are there times when one of the kids is acting out SO badly that you have to contact the parents and have them pick their kid up immediately?

Asked by Soleil over 11 years ago

Yea there have been many. Mostly with the kids that physically harm other kids. Behavioral problems are not easy to take care of, but a bit more manageable than that of the kids that bite or hit. Biters are the absolute worst because they break skin sometimes and that can get the kids sent home that got bit and the child that bit them (due to health concerns). I have had many meetings with parents regarding biting and hitting, some parents are responsive and want to "fix" the behavior and be very hands on, and some just think that kids are kids and they will grow out of their negative behaviors. Again this is where communication is key. Sometime parents think daycare teachers are glorified babysitters and do not take us seriously. What they fail to see is that being in this industry is a career choice for many of us much like choosing to be a doctor or lawyer is to a parent. We are passionate, and want to make a difference in these childrens' lives!

Has working with kids made you want them yourself more or less?

Asked by tylerx1987 over 11 years ago

I love kids which is why I chose this profession. I currently have one child of my own and would love to have more!

Is day care basically a baby-sitting service, or are there also educational aspects to it?

Asked by All Thumbs over 11 years ago

It's a common misconception that we are glorified babysitters. There is a ton of learning that is going on starting at the very beginning in the infant classrooms. We fill the day with activities so that the kids are stimulated throughout the day and continue to learn. There's social building games, reading and writing exercises and tons of art projects to showcase their creativity. And that's just scratching the surface. There's tons of educational opportunities that are being offered in the classrooms and we as teachers take advantage of every one of them.

Are you able to work in a daycare without your EDU-119 Credentials?? Like I took the class and I made a C. Is there any other position to do with just a high school Diploma??

Asked by Jasmine B. over 8 years ago

Does management do regular searches to see what registered sex offenders live in the area? Do you ever report suspicious people you see hanging around the center?

Asked by LeahP over 11 years ago

If you don't mind my asking, what's the pay scale for working at a day care center?

Asked by Gemma over 11 years ago

Question what do you think the rest of this school year (and possibly next) look like?

Asked by dfasdfd about 4 years ago

Do you find certain co-workers becoming particularly possessive or protective over certain kids more than others? Do they start to view certain kids as "theirs" (at least, during the day)?

Asked by Kelly Ann over 11 years ago

What do we do about this disaster of online learning? Many kids can not even get online and so many kids also just wont do the work. Things sometimes get turned in at strange hours and then like I said not at all. Some kids who always did their work and always got it done on time are some of the kids who are not doing anything. ANYTHING NOTHING gets turned in by at least half of the kids, another quarter of them get things done late and somethings don't get done. Then becuase of confuseion someitmes is the issuie. I don't even know what to do anymore. I doubt we will really open in two weeks, month, next year or EVER. I think this is a goverment coo and I always thought those people are crazy but I am pretty sure their right at this point. Where being taken over and no work is being done by students because they don't want to and there is no one to make them.

Asked by 234 about 4 years ago

What do you have do do both qualification wise and financially inc permissions to start a day car centre for children.

Asked by Shaz over 10 years ago