When Your Own Children Act Up During Daycare Hours

[Oneluckymom]

I have two of my own kids (SA 7.5 boy & 5 girl). They have been with me for 3 weeks (one of which I was Closed for vaca) because school has been out. All of my daycare kids are 2.5 and younger.

1. What do your own kids this age do all day?

2. What do you do when they start misbehaving?

3. What do you do when they misbehave or are arguing with each other in front of DCP's.

I feel like since doing daycare that I am losing control of my OWN children...DCKs are a piece of cake compared to my own.

My son has begun to talk back to me and has developed a HUGE temper.

[MarinaVanessa]

Usually this happens because now their home, their stuff and their mom now has to be shared with a whole bunch of other people. It's a tough thing to deal with as a kid no matter how young they are when you start DC. Eventually they may get tired of having people in "their space" all of the time.

Also kids misbehave when they know you are less likely to do something about it and more likely to get away with it. The best thing to do is to stop whatever you are doing even if you are in the middle of talking to a client and addressing the situation immediately. FIRMLY.

I have no shame in disciplining my child firmly in front of anyone. If my child is out of control it is my job to take that control back.

I had the same issue with my ADHD 7yo DD. Another provider (Nannyde) gave me GREAT advice. When my DD misbehaved even after a warning I simply took a chair and placed it as far away from us as possible and out of sight and I made her sit there until I was ready for her to come out. If you can't behave then you can't be a part of the group. For a while there I would automatically send her into the kitchen to her chair when a parent arrived, it was a couple of weeks before I finally allowed her to stay in the room to even try to see if she could behave properly. She didn't like it but it was a consequence. "You haven't showed me this far that you can use your manners" so she wasn't allowed in the DC space until all of the adults were gone. Granted she was acting up and interrupting my conversations with the DCP's and would sometimes even hang on them and run through their legs or cling to them. Your troubles seem to be between your own kids. You can try to see when they "act up" more often and separate them. Maybe you can keep them from playing and interacting with each other for a while (during DC hours).

A lot of this can be because of attention also. Does it get worse during the times that the DCP's are there? If so then they are more than likely doing it on purpose.

Do your DC kids have their own space and "stuff"? Like do they have their own rooms that they can go to when they don't feel like being with the DC kids? Do they have to share their toys and stuff with the DC kids or do they have their own things that no one can use? I have separate toys for DC that are "my toys" and my kids have "their toys". If they bring it to the DC space then they have to share them but otherwise their stuff is their stuff ... share it or leave it in your room. Is this something that you already do or can implement with your own kids? Sometimes the kids just need their own space to wind down.

[Scout]

I am glad I am not alone in this!! DS, 4, is a handful when there are a lot of people around. If we are at a family function with a lot of people he is crazy! As people leave his behavior calms. I can't stand it. My family thinks that we do not discipline him enough, when in reality, I feel some days that is ALL I do! Today was a day like that. I screamed most of it.... And his behavior does get way worse when dcp comes. He will be mean to the dck, takes their blankets, runs to their mom & so on...ugh. I hate to say that I can't wait for him to go to kindy next year but, it's true. I love him to pieces but, he has been a handful this past year...hmmm, since his brother was born!:: I do my best to have special time with just him but, then he wants Daddy and his brother with us too! I hope he will outgrow it! Good luck with your own.