How Many of You.....

[marniewon]

Fill out infant and/or toddler daily activity sheets? You know, the kind that tells what/how much they ate, what they did during the day, diaper changes, naps, etc that get sent home for the parents?

I have one for infants and one for toddlers (up to age 2), but I'm wondering if I should even bother with them anymore. I've never had a parent tell me that they appreciate that info. It takes time out of my day, and half the time I find several in the diaper bag (that I'm not even sure the parents looked at).

Just wondering who does this and your thoughts on them.

[meli829]

I have a 'logbook' that I keep, it's a notebook, that I write down all the info for kids under 2, and I just leave it in the book, and encourage parents to view it if they want to.

[DanceMom]

I was using a daily sheet but after going through printer ink so fast I started buying them each a small notebook that I send home and parents have to send back. I know of one family out of my 5 that reads it..the others Im pretty sure do not. I find art work from weeks ago still in their bags, I ask for more diapers etc in their notebooks and never get it ( have to always email them or asking them face to face ) - So I know for a fact most dont even look at it..but it always covers my butt when I get the " Why didnt you remind me you were closing tomorrow " Ahh..I did..in your notebook.

One family its like pulling teeth to even get the notebook back here in the morning..when I dont get it , they dont get any info for the day on their daughter.

[legomom922]

I do, but I dont expect parents to appreciate them either, as I provide them for knowledge only. I look at it this way: If a kid throws up at home or develops a rash of some kind or hives, a parent has a reference to what the child ate that day. It also lets them know how their child may be feeling depending on their appetite that day. The wet/messy diapers also is good info to have because if any child gets sick, the Dr always asks that question. The rest of as far as what they read or did, is just a way to let the parent in on their childs day. If it were me away at awork, I would want to know what types of things my kids were up to. They really dont take that long to fill out. I can fill it out in less than a minute per kid by hand, or I also have a program on my computer where I can input the info once and just press print, and have as many as I need. No big deal. Once in a while I wll dind one in the bag too, but I just figure a parent has enough on their plate between working & being wife/mom, that she probably was just tired and forgot. Just think if it was you and your child was in DC, what would you want to know? I always try to put myself in the parents shoes. Mine is pretty simple: What they ate, how many wet/messy diapers, how many bottles & oz, naps, things they did, I usually keep it short and put down 2 things, and the bottom of the page is where I write all my reminders to the parents, and for that reason alone, I will always use one no matter what the age.

[mncare]

I asked the mom of my new pt baby and she just laughed and said I would be writing all day. I didn't think she would want one, but I figured I would ask. She is very relaxed but some people are very AR.

I don't do one for anyone else either, just give them general info at pickup time.

[kidkair]

The only time I fill them out is if the parent asks. I had one parent who brought her own sheets from home because she really wanted me to fill them out daily. It was mainly for the first year to make sure everything was functioning correctly as the mother had been electrocuted while pregnant.

[SilverSabre25]

I used to do paper sheets, and I hated doing them, but all the parents liked the info, and expressed enjoyment of getting it each day. Now I use Google Calendar and everyone still tells me all the time how much they enjoy it. I update it throughout the day (when I get a chance) or when I change everyone's diaper, etc. I have a calendar for each individual child and one for the whole daycare; each set of parents has their own child's calendar and the daycare calendar "shared" with them. I do get feedback frequently that they very much appreciate the story of our day.

[Unregistered]

We do and about half the parents check them. A few on getting them. We send small sheets home that we write all the daily info on - such as diaper change info (incl. time and whether wet or bm); what they ate for breakfast, lunch, dinner and snack. We have to write the time nap started and ended. We also have a main log in for diaper changing in the changing room. That kind of serves as protection for the employees - once the daily sheets go home, there is no record of how many times a child was changed. Since we have a different set of employees in the pm, our supervisor will occasionally check to make sure diapers are changed in a timely manner.

[tenderhearts]

I do for infants up to 12 mo. unless they want it longer.
Mine also lists any supplies I may need ect. I hope both my parents don't want it after 12 mo. I know one of my families wont but the other infant I'm not sure. It is kind of a pain but I think it's good since they change so much during the first year.

[TGT09]

I will offer to do it up to a year but only if it's something the parent is interested in. My current DCM brings her own clipboard (not as OCD as it sounds) in dcb's diaper bag....I just fill it out and I know she really does look at it. I had a 9 month old last fall that I offered to do this for her mom and she had no desire to know.

[melskids]

i do it for only those i know who want to see it. i have one mom, who after i pulled a months worth out of the cubbie, i just dont do for anymore.

[Childminder]

I do if the parent wants it. It is in my handbook that I will up to 1 year if requested and in 30+ years no one has=)

[ninosqueridos]

Each of my dcks gets a composition notebook. The way it works is that I write down the regular diapers, naps, and meals/snacks...and a short write-up of what their child did each day, silly moments, questions/concerns, supplies running low, anything......but in return, the parents will write a short blurb in the morning about how the child ate, slept, is feeling that day, or whatever will help me get a sense for how their child would be that day. Sometimes they could tell me those things verbally, but if they're all getting dropped off at the same time in the morning, it isn't always possible. All of my families appreciate the book, read the book, and write back every morning when they bring the book back. They like that it serves as a great memory book for their child. It DOES take time, but I feel it's well worth it for everyone.

[caitlin]

I keep a binder and each of the kids get a sheet daily. I do this until the child is potty trained. I do this mainly for my own sanity and so I can track patterns.

[DBug]

I buy the Parent Notes from Funshine Express ($5/150). They have Infant, Toddler and Preschool versions, and I use them for all ages (my oldest is 4). They have a bunch of check boxes and blanks to fill in, and it's pretty quick to fill them out.

Most parents really appreciate them, and I'm able to write down things I won't likely remember to tell parents at pick-up.