DCG Doesn't Like Outside...

[turkey]

I've made plans to make a flower station now. Thanks for the idea!!

[cheerfuldom]

I have one that loves to be outside, but only to sit. He will not walk, run, play, etc unless I take away all the chairs. He just sits.all.the.time. Go to the park and he will just plop down on the edging. Walking to the park and it's whining and screaming. The other day he was doing it and some lady was walking by and commented on how he was trying really hard to get some attention and then chuckled. She could tell it was so fake. Drives me bonkers. I ignore him every time. Dcm carries him or pushes him in a stroller everywhere. Won't ever let him walk.

Good luck! Hope it works out so you don't have to listen to it all summer!

I had one like this. ALWAYS found a spot to sit down, inside or outside. Did not want to do anything really although we didnt have tantrums. I never did figure her out and eventually had to term after four or five months because i was downsizing. I think there might have been a special needs issue there....

[e.j.]

and Mom enrolled her self professed diva with me in hopes of turning that around. Mom calls herself a princess and 'kind of an indoor girl' and doesn't want dcg to be such a priss. (her words, not mine!)

I don't think you're being harsh at all. Sounds as though dcm has forgotten why she enrolled her kid in your day care in the first place! Hopefully, your email to her will wake her up.

I love your flower station idea. I may have to copy it, too.

[AmyKidsCo]

No, it's not too harsh. I would also set up a "whining station", and not allow her to follow me around making life miserable.

Make a little nook outside with a garden gnome and a nice little bench. When she starts complaining, tell her to go talk to the gnome about it. :: You'd love to talk to her if she;s hurt or has something nice to tell you, but whining makes your ears hurt.

Ditto.

I fall back on licensing whenever I can: "I understand, but according to licensing I'm required to take all of the children outside every day..."

[SilverSabre25]

I had one like this. ALWAYS found a spot to sit down, inside or outside. Did not want to do anything really although we didnt have tantrums. I never did figure her out and eventually had to term after four or five months because i was downsizing. I think there might have been a special needs issue there....

See, the one summer I spent in an actual "daycare" (which I despised, btw), I hated playing outside. I had no friends, was in 2nd grade (i think, don't remember for sure), there was almost no shade, and I didn't want to play on the tiny, scorching-hot playground...i wanted to read my own book that I had brought. The daycare teachers wouldn't let me *sigh*. They wouldn't let me bring my book out with me.

[TheGoodLife]

i wanted to read my own book that I had brought. The daycare teachers wouldn't let me *sigh*. They wouldn't let me bring my book out with me.

Aww, that's sad- who wouldn't let a child bring a book outside!?

[daycarediva]

DCM has promised to encourage DCG to play outside and has two weeks to change HER behavior towards outside by encouraging dcg and supporting her when she does play well.

We will see! I really hope so, because other than this issue, dcg is an awesome kid and dcm is an awesome client!

[countrymom]

The flower station idea happened accidentally. I brought home fake flowers from the cemetery (that I put out during winter) and the kids had SUCH a blast 'planting them' around the yard, that I made them their own little spot to do it in. The $ store has kids gloves and tools, pots and soil. I had a small outdoor table, just added a large lidded Tupperware container. Viola! They played flower shop today for over an hour and dcg was happy to arrange flowers. Mom is going to love (sarcasm intended) the photos of her little florist getting dirty.

thanks for the idea. I have a sand table, but I'm going to put dirt in it and buy some fake flowers, omg my kids are going to love it. now to figure out which sand table I want to use.

[SilverSabre25]

Aww, that's sad- who wouldn't let a child bring a book outside!?

That's what I wondered then, and every time I've thought about it since then. It was the dumbest thing ever, IMO. I've often wondered if they didn't realize it was my own book, or something.

[mema]

See, the one summer I spent in an actual "daycare" (which I despised, btw), I hated playing outside. I had no friends, was in 2nd grade (i think, don't remember for sure), there was almost no shade, and I didn't want to play on the tiny, scorching-hot playground...i wanted to read my own book that I had brought. The daycare teachers wouldn't let me *sigh*. They wouldn't let me bring my book out with me.

I would be fine with bringing a book out and sitting under a tree or something and reading. DD does that a lot, but it's drawing stuff. I also know tho, that she gets plenty of movement throughout the day. When I know it's going to be hot in the afternoon, we go to the park in the morning and stay home in the afternoon. We have plenty of shade with our 20+ trees. I honestly don't think dcm cares if he is moving around or not. He is on the heavier side and doesn't sleep well. I have told her that getting him out of the stroller and walking will help with both those issues. I refuse to push him in a stroller here. That is reserved for under 15-18 months only. He's almost 3.